RIP Clarence Gilyard Jr.

 

Clarence Gilyard Jr., ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ and ‘Die Hard’ Star, Dies at 66

Variety

By J. Kim Murphy

November 28m 2022

 

Clarence Gilyard Jr., an actor best known for starring in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and his supporting performance in “Die Hard,” has died. He was 66 years old. No further details about his death are available at this time.

Gilyard’s death was confirmed through a statement by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Gilyard had been working as a film and theatre professor at UNLV College of Fine Arts.

“Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him,” UNLV film chair Heather Addison said. “Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was ‘Blessed!’ But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years. We love you and will miss you dearly, Professor G!”

An accomplished film, television and theatre actor, Gilyard made a lasting impression in the 1980’s after a series of guest star TV appearances, making his film debut as Sundown in “Top Gun” and playing the terrorist computer whiz Theo in “Die Hard” with a gleeful menace. In 1989, he scored a regular gig on primetime television with “Matlock,” playing Conrad McMasters, a P.I. for Andy Griffith’s lead criminal defense attorney.

Gilyard appeared on 85 episodes of “Matlock” before departing the series in 1993 for an even bigger role: Jimmy Trivette, the right hand man to Chuck Norris’ tough sergeant on CBS’ Western crime series “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He appeared in all 196 episodes of the series’ eight season. After the finale in 2001, Gilyard continued to act in various films and TV shows.

Born Dec. 24, 1955 in Moses Lake, Wash., Gilyard grew up a military brat, moving across air bases throughout the U.S. during his adolescence before his family settled in California. After spending a year at the Air Force Academy as a cadet, Gilyard attended Sterling College and, later, California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in acting.

Gilyard returned to academia later in life, joining the department of theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as an associate professor in 2006. Gilyard also worked as a producer and director, helming an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

Gilyard was previously married to Catherine Dutko. He married Elena Gilyard in 2001.

GILYARD Jr., Clarence (Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr.)

Born: 12/24/1055, Moses Lake, Washington, U.S.A.

Died: 11/28/2022, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

 

Clarence Gilyard Jr.’s westerns – actor:

Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) – 1993-2001 (Ranger James Trivette)

Walker, Texas Ranger 3 – Deadly Reunion (TV) – 1994 (Ranger James Trivette)

Sons of Thunder (TV) – 1999 (Jimmy Trivette)

Walker, Texas Ranger- Trial by Fire (TV) – 2005 (Ranger James Trivette)

 

RIP Giancarlo Padoan

 

Il mondo dei doppiatori announced that Italian voice actor and dubber Giancarlo Padoan died in Rome, Italy on November 28, 2022. He was 87. Born in Venice, Italy on May 4, 1935, he was Italian voice actor who dubbed Rowlf on ‘Il Muppet Show’, the Italian dub of  TV’s ‘The Muppet Show’. In latter day Muppet projects, he took over as the Italian voice of Statler. He also dubbed Hoggle in ‘Labyrinth - Dove Tutto è Possibile’ (Labyrinth).

Padfoan dubbed Donald Pleasence in “Halloween 2”, Ossie Davis in Spike Lee's “She Hate Me”, Philip Baker Hall in “Rush Hour”, Topol in the miniseries ‘The Winds of War’, and Richard Griffiths in “Shanghai Surprise”. For TV, he dubbed Dan Blocker on ‘Bonanza’, Leonard Nimoy on ‘Star Trek’, Tony Haygarth on ‘The Borrowers’, and Wolfgang Völz on the German series ‘Ein Heim für Tiere’. Padoan frequently lent his voice to anime dubs.

PADOAN, Giancarlo

Born: 5/4/1935, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Died: 11/28/2022, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Giancarlo’s westerns – voice dubber, actor.

Bonanza (TV) – 1959 [Italian voice of Dan Blocker]

Brave Star (TV) – 1987-1989 [Italian voice of Thirty-Thirty]

Comanche Moon (TV) – 2008 [Italian voice of Wally Welch]

RIP Albert Pyun

 

Albert Pyun, Cult Filmmaker Behind ‘Cyborg,’ ‘Nemesis’ and ‘Captain America,’ Dies at 69

 

Variety

By Kim Murphy

November 27, 2022

 

Albert Pyun, a genre filmmaker whose sweeping body of work includes cult favorites such as “Cyborg,” “The Sword and the Sorcerer,” “Nemesis” and the 1989 “Captain America,” died Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev. He was 69 years old.

Pyun had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dementia a few years ago. In the past months, his wife and producer, Cynthia Curnan, had been sharing periodic updates on his condition. More recently, she implored fans to share personal messages with the director after his health began to decline.

Curnan confirmed Pyun’s death through Facebook, writing “I sat with him for his last breath that sounded like he was releasing the weight of the world.” 

Largely working under low budgets for a direct-to-video market, Pyun developed an immersive form of dreamy lighting, post-apocalyptic dilapidation and surreal, balletic action that found an enthusiastic fanbase among genre film audiences over the years. Over a filmmaking career spanning four decades, Pyun teamed with a veritable who’s who of action icons, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert and Burt Reynolds, as well as other collaborators such as Snoop Dogg, Charlie Sheen, Ice-T, Lance Henriksen, Ronny Cox, Kris Kristofferson, James Coburn, Rutger Hauer and Dennis Hopper.

Born May 19, 1953 in Hawaii, Pyun was raised as a military child, living on bases across the world before his family settled back in the Rainbow State. After viewing one of his short films, Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune invited Pyun to serve as an intern on the production of Akira Kurosawa’s 1975 feature “Derzu Uzula.” After Mifune exited the project, Pyun instead worked on the production of one of the actor’s TV series, receiving tutelage from Kurosawa’s regular cinematographer Takao Saito.

After returning to Hawaii to film commercials, Pyun came to Los Angeles. He launched his film career in 1982 with the high fantasy epic “The Sword and the Sorcerer.” Working on a $4 million budget, the feature was an unlikely commercial success, grossing $40 million at the box office. 

Developing a close relationship with Cannon Pictures, Pyun was valued for his ability to mount resourceful productions with quick turnarounds. Through the 1990’s, he directed more than 20 feature films, including his four-part “Nemesis” series and the 1990 “Captain America,” which was the first feature-length live-action adaptation of the Marvel Comics superhero.

After the turn of the millennium, Pyun began to self-fund his projects, producing films such as “Road to Hell,” “Bulletface” and “Invasion.” Late in life, the director continued developing and tinkering with ongoing creative endeavors while maintaining medical treatment.

According to his wife, Pyun had been working on two unfinished features before his death, hoping to rework the projects into a six-part TV series. “To Albert, failure has never been an option,” she wrote.

Pyun is survived by his wife, Cynthia Curnan.

PYUN, Albert (Albert Fujio Pyun)

Born: 5/19/1953, Honolulu, Hawaii

Died: 11/26/2022, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

 

Albert Pyun’s western – director:

Left for Dead - 2007

RIP Héctor Bonilla

 

Actor Héctor Bonilla dies at age 83

Adela Micha reported the actor's death at age 83

 

Quien

November 25, 2022

 

Leading actor Hector Bonillahasdiedat age 83, journalist Adela Micha said on Twitter.

Héctor Bonilla, who was one of the most relevant actors in Mexican cinema and television, suffered fromkidney cancer.

It was in 2019 when he revealed the diagnosis and assured that he was "living extra days", because his disease could not be treated with chemotherapy. However, like a professional, he did not stop working.

"On March 14 I turned83, so you can say that I am living overtime, and I have lived very happy. If I can live 10 more years, I would be a propinota that will give me life, but I am not distressed or whipped; I just want to keep working on what I do: writing, directing, acting, and fulfilling my cycle. With that I am more than satisfied, "said the histrión when he was about to celebrate 60 years of artistic career.

Héctor Hermilo Bonilla Rebentun was born on March 14, 1939 in Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla, Mexico. He studied at the National School of Theater of the National Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico (INBA).

In 1962 he debuted on the big screen with the filmJóvenes y bellasand in 1967 on the small screen with the telenovelaLa casa de las fieras. He worked on films such asPatsy, My Love, Monica and the Professor, Matinée, Double Indemnity andNight Lights. She made highly successful telenovelas, including Rosa Salvaje, Lagloria y el infierno, La pasión de Isabella, VanessaandMirada de mujer, el regreso.

His work in the filmRojo amanecer, where he plays a father of a family in the middle of the conflict of the Tlatelolco Massacre, launched him to international fame.

His work in the film Elbulto, which deals with the massacre of June 10, 1971, date remembered as "Jueves de Corpus" or "El halconazo" is also well recognized. He has performed plays such as ¡Vivan los muertos! andStored.

He participated in the Spanish dubbing of the animated filmRatatouille, where his son, Sergio Bonilla, gives voice to the protagonist. He played former Mexican President Porfirio Díaz as an adult in the Discovery Channel documentaryPorfirio Díaz: 100 años sin patria. He was married to actress Socorro Bonilla, later they divorced and years later he married actress Sofía Álvarez. He had three children: Leonor, Sergio and Fernando.

BONILLA, Héctor (Héctor Hermilo Bonilla Rebentun)

Born: 3/14/1939, Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla, Mexico

Died: 11/25/2022, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Héctor Bonilla’s western- actor:

Bloody Marlene – 1979 (Timothy Leach)

RIP António da Cunha Teles

 

The producer and director António da Cunha Telles died. He was 87 years old

He produced films such as "The Green Years" (1963), by Paulo Rocha, and "Belarmino" (1964), by Fernando Lopes.

 

Diario di Noticias

By Lusa

November 24, 2022

Producer and director António da Cunha Telles, one of the inseparable names of Portuguese Cinema Novo in the 1960s, died on Wednesday at the age of 87, his daughter, producer Pandora da Cunha Telles, told Lusa.

According to the producer, António da Cunha Telles died at Cuf Tejo Hospital, in Lisbon, and the funeral will take place on Saturday in the capital.

Director of "O Cerco" in 1970, his connection to cinema and the emergence of the new expression goes back to the beginning of the 1960s, with the production of founding films of the Portuguese Cinema Novo such as "Os verde anos" (1963), by Paulo Rocha, and "Belarmino" (1964), by Fernando Lopes.

He directed the film of "Vidas" (1984), "Pandora (1996) and "Kiss Me" (2004).

António Cohen da Cunha Telles, who was born in Funchal, in February 1935, had practically completed, and still unpublished, the film "Cherchez la femme".

Son of a Portuguese lawyer and a Danish lyric singer, it was in Funchal that António Cohen da Cunha Telles started making films as a teenager.

In the documentary "Chamo-me António da Cunha Telles" (2011), by Álvaro Romão, the producer remembers to develop the film of these first films in the bathtub, at home, because otherwise it would take three months, if he sent it to be developed in the continent.

António da Cunha Telles intended to study Medicine in Lisbon, but ended up following the paths of cinema. He directed the current affairs newspaper "Imagens de Portugal", worked for the cinema services of the Directorate-General for Primary Education and guided courses at Mocidade Portuguesa, and was a camera operator for RTP, having filmed the visit of Queen Isabel II to Portugal in 1957.

He received a scholarship from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and went to Paris to study directing at the Institut d'Hautes Études Cinematographiques, where he met Paulo Rocha. And it is by Paulo Rocha the first film that Cunha Telles produces. "Os Verdes Anos" represents a first for most of the technicians and cast involved and also for Paulo Rocha himself as a director.

The film, starring Isabel Ruth and Rui Gomes, with music by guitarist Carlos Paredes, is considered a founding moment of a new Portuguese cinema, to which not only Cunha Telles will be linked, but also a generation of other directors, such as Fernando Lopes, Manuel Guimarães , Faria de Almeida and António de Macedo.

"The sad cinema that still existed, without grace, without joke, without ideas, gray, didn't want us to appear, completely closed the doors to us. (...) My first idea was to have been second assistant to one of the directors of the time, to see how it worked. That was forbidden to us. We got closer and started making films with teams that we invented", said Cunha Telles, in 2014, in an interview on public radio Antena 2.

Awarded by the Presidency of the Republic with the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique

In 2014, when it dedicated a cinema cycle to Cunha Telles, Cinemateca Portuguesa recalled that the producer created the university course in Experimental Cinema, "which trained a large part of the generation of Cinema Novo technicians", and also played an important role in the distribution , from 1973, with Animatografo.

"His role as a distributor, based on a cinephile logic that he cultivated at the French Cinematheque in his student days, is equally notable, having been responsible for showing in Portugal classic films by filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, Jean Vigo, Roberto Rossellini, as well as emerging filmmakers at the time: Nagisa Oshima, Alain Tanner, Bernardo Bertolucci and Glauber Rocha", underlined the Cinemateca.

Cunha Telles' resume, as an associate producer, also includes films such as "Angústia" (1964), by François Truffaut, "The Barber of Siberia" (1998), by Nikita Mikhalkov, "Belle Époque" (1992), by Fernando Trueba , and "The daughter of D'Artagnan" (1994), by Bertrand Tavernier, all partially filmed in Portugal.

The official biography recalls that António da Cunha Telles founded the distributor Animatógrafo, "considered a revolution in the type of cinema seen in Portugal", allowing the arrival of films by directors such as Sergei Eisenstein, Glauber Rocha, Bernardo Bertollucci, François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

António da Cunha Telles would once again sign dozens of film productions, particularly from the 1980s onwards, such as "O Bobo" (1982), by José Álvaro de Morais, "Balada da Praia dos Cães" (1986), by José Fonseca and Costa, "O Fio do Horizonte" (1993), by Fernando Lopes, "Aqui na Terra" (1993), by João Botelho, and "Terra Sonâmbula" (2006), by Teresa Prata.

He has also produced telefilms, in particular for SIC, namely "Monsanto" (2000), by Ruy Guerra, "Mustang" (2000), by Leonel Vieira, and "Facas e Anjos" (2000), by Eduardo Guedes.

Despite this multiplication of functions in cinema, in production, distribution and training, and in management positions, in the administration of the former Instituto Português de Cinema and at Tobis, Cunha Telles admitted in 2017: "In my heart I am more of a director than a producer".

António da Cunha Telles made his debut in fiction feature films in 1970 with "O Cerco", starring Maria Cabral and presented that year in Cannes.

He also participated in the collective film "As Armas e o Povo" (1975), which portrays the period lived in Portugal between April 25th and May 1st, 1974.

In the following decades, António da Cunha Telles would make less than a dozen films, such as "Meus Amigos" (1974), the documentary "Continuar a Viver ou os Índios da Meia Praia" (1976), "Pandora" (1993) and " Kiss Me" (2004).

António da Cunha Telles, honorary member of the Portuguese Academy of Cinema, was awarded in 2018 by the Presidency of the Republic with the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique "for the relevant services he rendered to Portugal, in the country and abroad, for the knowledge of Portugal, its history and its values", reads a note from the Assembly of the Republic.

da CUNHA TELLES, Antonio (António Alexandre Cohen da Cunha Teles)

Born: 2/16/1935, Funchal Madeira, Portugal

Died: 11/23/2022, Lisbon, Portugal

 

Antonio de Cunha Telles’ western – executive producer:

L’aigle et le cheval (TV) - 1994

RIP Vic Carrabotta

 

Vic Carrabotta, 1950s-Era Marvel Comics Artist, Passes Away

Vic Carrabotta, one of the last surviving comic book artists to have worked at Marvel in the 1950s, has passed away at age 93

 

CBR.com

Brian Cronin

11/22/2022

 

Victor "Vic" Carrabotta, one of the last surviving comic book artists to have worked for Marvel in the 1950s, including a story in the very first issue of Journey Into Mystery, has passed away at the age of 93.

Carrabotta was born in New York City, and attended Manhattan's High School of Music & Art and then the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (now called the School of Visual Arts). After a stint in the Marines, Carrabotta tried to break into comics in 1951. One of the first places he went to try to get work was Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's studio. Simon and Kirby produced comics for a few different companies at the time. Carrabotta would later recall how Kirby gave him his big break, "Jack was very nice. I was just a kid back then, only 21. As he walked me out, I said, 'By the way, this is my wife, Connie.' Connie stands up and Jack does a double-take up and down because she's pregnant…. He said, 'Sit here a minute, I need to go back to my office.' He writes a note and seals it, and tells me to go back to Stan with the note. … [Upon doing so,] Stan said, 'Jack says you're a good artist.' I said, 'Oh, I don't know. Would you like to see my samples?' He says, 'No, that's OK. Jack says you're a good artist. I'll tell you what,' and he throws this script across the desk. He says, 'I want this back in a week.'"

Carrabotta's first assignment for Marvel (up until the 1960s, the company that we now know as Marvel didn't really have a set name, as its owner, Martin Goodman, liked to use multiple names for his companies. The name most commonly associated with the 1950s, though, is Atlas. For the sake of ease, we'll just say Marvel) was a short horror story, "The House on the Hill," in Astonishing #13 in early 1952.

The next month, a Carrabotta story, "Haunted!", appeared in the first issue of a new anthology called Journey Into Mystery (82 issues later, the series would introduce Thor)...

Carrabotta became a regular presence at Marvel, although he would also do work for Fiction House and Lev Gleason, among other comic book companies. Like his contemporaries at Marvel at the time, like Bill Everett and Joe Maneely, Carrabotta was adept at moving from genre to genre depending on what was hot at the time. He did science fiction, horror, fantasy, westerns and war comics.

In the late 1950s, though, the comic book industry suffered a major downturn, with Marvel practically eliminating its freelancers entirely, and like many other comic book artists, Carrabotta had to move into another industry. And also like many comic book artists, he found work in advertising.

Carrabotta would have a very successful advertising career over the next thirty/forty years, including serving as an art director for some major advertising companies. Carrabotta had moved to South Carolina in the 1950s, and while he had moved back to the Northeast at some point during his advertising career, he returned to South Carolina in the early 2000s. He had been a regular fixture at comic book conventions in the South for the last two decades.

CARRABOTTA, Vic (Victor Carrabotta)

Born: 6/24/1929, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 11/22/2022, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.A.

 

Vic Carrabotta’s – western - comic book artist:

Apache Kid – 1950s

Two Gun Kid – 1950s

Kid Colt: Outlaw – 1950s

Western Outlaws – 1950s

Western Gunfighters – 1950s

It Happened in Gunsmoke - 1958

RIP James Winburn

 

'HALLOWEEN' MICHAEL MYERS

OG STUNTMAN JAMES WINBURN DEAD AT 85

 

TMZ

11/21/2022

 

James Winburn, the stunt double for the Michael Myers character in the original "Halloween" film, has died.

James' manager, Peter DeLorme, tells TMZ ... James died Saturday in a Los Angeles hospital after a short illness.

It sounds like a sudden health issue because we're told just about 3 weeks ago James traveled all the way to the United Kingdom for a convention.

James was in Manchester, England during the "For The Love of Horror" convention last month, and the company that put on the event says he "was an absolute pleasure to work with and shared some amazing stories with everyone over the weekend."

A veteran stunt performer, James doubled for Nick Castle's version of Michael Myers in 1978's "Halloween" ... including the famous scene at the end of the horror movie, where Dr. Loomis shoots Michael 6 times, sending Myers falling backwards over a balcony.

James also did stunt work on "The Fog" and "Escape from New York" among other films ... and even wrote and directed a handful of movies.

He was 85.

RIP

WINBURN, James (James B. Winburn)

Born: 10/18/1937, Ohio, U.S.A.

Died: 11/19/2022, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

RIP Mickey Kuhn

 

Mickey Kuhn, Child Actor in ‘Gone With the Wind,’ Dies at 90

 

Vivien Leigh's good luck charm also was in 'Red River,' 'Juarez,' 'Broken Arrow' and 'A Streetcar Named Desire.'

 

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

November 21, 2022

 

Mickey Kuhn, the busy child actor of the 1930s and ’40s who played Beau Wilkes, the son of Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard’s characters, in Gone With the Wind, has died. He was 90.

Kuhn died Sunday in a hospice facility in Naples, Florida, his wife, Barbara, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was in excellent health until recently, she said.

Kuhn also portrayed the ward of a famous movie cop in Dick Tracy (1945) and younger versions of Kirk Douglas and Montgomery Clift in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) and John Wayne’s Red River (1948), respectively.

And in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Kuhn reunited with GWTW actress Vivien Leigh to appear as a sailor who gives Blanche DuBois directions. (Was he Leigh’s good luck charm? She won her two best actress Oscars with him in the cast.)

Kuhn was 6 when he made Gone With the Wind (1939), and in a 2014 interview with The Washington Post, he recalled how he kept flubbing a scene with Clark Gable. “My line was, ‘Hello, Uncle Rhett,'” he said. “I kept saying, ‘Hello, Uncle Clark.'” It took him a few takes to get it right.

In another scene, Kuhn appears in the arms of his father, Ashley (Howard), outside the bedroom where his mom, Melanie (de Havilland), is deathly ill. “Where is my mother going away to? And why can’t I go along, please?” he asks.

He never appeared onscreen with de Havilland and said he did not meet her until she celebrated her 90th birthday in California in 2006. After that, he called her every year on her birthday, he told the Naples Daily News in 2017.

In all, Kuhn worked in six films released in 1939, including King of the Underworld, starring Humphrey Bogart; Juarez, featuring Bette Davis and Paul Muni (he made $100 a week for playing a Mexican crown prince, he said); and When Tomorrow Comes, starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

His big-screen résumé also included two James Stewart films, Magic Town (1947) and Broken Arrow (1950), as well as I Want a Divorce (1940), One Foot in Heaven (1941), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), The Searching Wind (1946), High Conquest (1947) and Scene of the Crime (1949).

Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Jr. was born on Sept. 21, 1932, in Waukegan, Illinois. He and his family moved to Los Angeles, where his father would work as a meat cutter for Safeway. At age 2, he appeared as an adopted baby in Change of Heart (1934), starring Janet Gaynor.

“My mother and I were in Sears Roebuck on Santa Monica and Western when a lady stopped my mother and said that Fox Studio was looking for twin babies for a movie they were shooting,” he said in a 2008 interview for the website Films of the Golden Age. “She had a baby girl that looked a lot like me and thought we could be cast. Well, we went over there, and I, but not the lady’s baby, was cast.”

His parents enrolled him in the Mar-Ken School for show-business kids, and he was friends with brothers Darryl and Dwayne Hickman.

After a day at work at Republic Pictures on S.O.S. Tidal Wave (1939), he and his mom went to Culver City to interview for Gone With the Wind. There were “sixty to eighty kids and adults at the casting office,” he remembered.

“I started crying and wanted to leave, but Mom said to go up and give my name to the lady at the desk. If in 10 minutes I hadn’t been called, then we would leave. I went to the lady and said, ‘I’m Mickey Kuhn.’ She said, ‘Mickey, we’ve been waiting for you.’ And then to the others waiting, ‘Thank you, we’ve cast the part. You may all leave.'”

The Red River script called for Wayne to smack him. “He actually hit me backhanded,” Kuhn said. “He told me he was [going to do it]. He said it would look better that way. We did it in one take.”

In 1951, Kuhn began a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy and worked as an aircraft electrician. After the service, he appeared in The Last Frontier (1955) and Away All Boats (1956) and on three 1957 episodes of CBS’ Alfred Hitchcock Presents before calling it quits as an actor.

He worked in airport management for American Airlines and at terminals in Washington and Boston before retiring in 1995.

In addition to his wife, whom he married in 1985, survivors include his son, Mick (and his wife, Jolene), daughter Patricia and granddaughter Samantha.

KUHN, Mickey (Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Jr.)

Born: 9/21/1932, Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.A.

Died: 11/20/2022, Naples, Florida, U.S.A.

 

Mickey Kuhn’s westerns – actor:

Juarez – 1939 (Agustin deIturbide y Green)

Beneath Western Skies – 1944 (Teddy)

Roaring Rangers – 1946 (Larry Connor)

Broken Arrow – 1948 (Bob Slade)

Red River – 1948 (Matt as a boy)

The Last Frontier – 1955 (Luke)

RIP Kiyoyuki Yanada

 

Kiyoyuki Yanada, Known as Takenori in Slam Dunk and Tessai in Bleach, Passes Away

 

Anime Corner

By Bushido Samurai

November 21, 2022

 

Voice actor Kiyoyuki Yanada, known for his roles as Takenori Akagi in Slam Dunk anime and Tessai Tsukabishi in Bleach series, passed away this year, his friend Mitsuaki Madono revealed on Monday without mentioning the specific date. Kiyoyuki Yanada was born on May 10, 1965.

“My friend Kiyoyuki Yanada-kun passed away,” Mitsuaki Madono, known as the voice actor of Kon in Bleach and Issei Ryudo in Fate franchise, said on his Twitter page on Monday. In the tweet, he continues to reveal why he announced the passing of the voice actor: “Because of him being a freelance [voice actor] and the wish of his wife, on her behalf, allow me to announce [his passing] to everyone involved in the voice talent industry and also every one of his fans. I still can’t believe it even after I had the opportunity of offering incense to and mourning for him, but I offer my heartfelt prayer for his soul to rest in peace,” the voice actor concludes with his condolences for the passing of his friend.

YANADA, Kiyoyuki

Born: 5/10/1965, Tokyo, Japan

Died: 11/21/2022, Japan

 

Kiyoyuki Yanada’s western – narrator:

Gun Frontier - 2002

RIP Gray Frederickson

 

Oscar-winning Oklahoma filmmaker Gray Frederickson dies

 

Oklahoman

Brandy McDonnell

November 20, 2022

 

Academy Award-winning Oklahoma City filmmaker Gray Frederickson has died at the age of 85.

An Oscar-winning producer whose projects ranged from Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" trilogy, "Apocalypse Now" and the Oklahoma-made "The Outsiders" to documentaries like the Emmy-winning "Dream No Little Dream: The Life and Legacy of Robert S. Kerr" and his recent project "Sherwood Forest," Frederickson mentored thousands of aspiring actors, filmmakers and crew members over his six decades in the movie business.

"He is the godfather of Oklahoma film — absolute pun intended," Rachel Cannon, co-founder and co-CEO of Oklahoma City's Prairie Surf Media, told The Oklahoman in a 2021 interview.

"He literally was the foundation of the film industry here."

Future Oscar winner started his film career in Italy

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, the closest Frederickson got to a movie career as a youth was working as an usher at the Lakeside Theater in the 1950s.

An alumnus of Casady School and the University of Oklahoma, Frederickson also attended the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

From there, he moved to Rome, where he launched his film career as producer of 1963’s “Nakita.” That led to more opportunities, such as joining

Italian director Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” as production manager. Frederickson forged a lasting friendship with that film’s star, Clint Eastwood.

Frederickson moved his burgeoning career to Hollywood, and he made a key connection with fellow producer Albert S. Ruddy on the 1970 Robert Redford vehicle “Little Fauss and Big Halsy.” Two years later, he and Ruddy worked with studio legend Robert Evans to produce Coppola’s “The Godfather.”

Producer forged a lasting bond with Francis Ford Coppola

Along with winning three Academy Awards, "The Godfather" launched a 50-year relationship between Coppola and Frederickson. The Oklahoma City native won the best picture Oscar in 1975 for "The Godfather: Part II" — the first sequel in Oscars history to win the top award — and garnered a best picture nomination in 1980 for his work on "Apocalypse Now.”

FREDERICKSON, Gray

Born: 7/21/1937, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Died: 11/20/2022, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

 

Gray Frederickson’s westerns – producer, production manager, writer:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966 [production manager]

Bad Girls – 1994 [writer]

South of Heaven, West of Hell – 2000 [producer]

RIP Nicki Aycox

 

Supernatural Star Nicki Aycox Dies

Actor Nicki Aycox, known for playing the demon Meg in The CW's Supernatural, has died at the age of 47 following a leukaemia diagnosis.

CBR

By Narayan Liu

November 20, 2022

 

Actor Nicki Aycox, who played Meg Masters and the demon that possessed her in The CW's Supernatural, has died at the age of 47.

Aycox's sister-in-law announced the actor's passing on social media, writing, "My beautiful, smart, fierce, incredibly talented, and loving sister-in-law, Nicki Aycox Raab, passed away yesterday with my brother, Matt Raab, by her side. Nicki and Matt had a wonderful life together in California. She was definitely a fighter and everyone who knew her loved her." Aycox died on Nov. 16, over a year after being diagnosed with leukemia.

The actor appeared in several episodes of Supernatural between Seasons 1 and 4 in the episodes "Scarecrow," "Shadow," "Salvation," "Devil's Trap" and "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester." She appeared in Season 5 through archived footage.

She also made appearances in shows such as Cold Case, CSI: Miami, Dark Angel and X-Files. She retired from acting after Dead on Campus in 2014 and built an audience through her website, Cashews and Olives, which is a lifestyle blog with a focus on vegan cooking recipes.

AYCOX, Nicki (Nicki Lynn Aycox)

Born: 5/26/1975, Hennessey, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Died: 11/16/2022, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

 

Nicki Aycox’s westerns – actress:

Dead Birds – 2004 (Annabelle)

Longmire (TV) – 2013 (Helen)

RIP Jason David Frank

 

Jason David Frank, Original 'Power Rangers' Star, Dead at 49: 'A Wonderful Human Being'

Jason David Frank was best known as Tommy Oliver from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers franchise, which ran from 1993 to 1996

People

By Nicholas Rae

November 20, 2022

Jason David Frank, an actor who starred as the green Power Ranger in the hit 1990s television series, has died. He was 49.

"Unfortunately, it is true," a representative for Frank tells PEOPLE. "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being."

"He loved his family, friends and fans very much," the rep added. "He will be truly missed."

A cause of death was not immediately clear. Frank is survived by his four children — sons Hunter and Jacob, plus daughters Skye and Jenna.

His death comes 21 years after that of costar Thuy Trang, who died in 2001 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Frank was best known as Tommy Oliver from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers franchise, which ran from 1993 to 1996.

The actor — who was also a mixed martial artist — similarly starred in other Power Rangers projects, including Power Rangers Zeo, Turbo and Dino Thunder.

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.

Other acting credits for the late star include the 1990s series Sweet Valley High, an episode of Family Matters and an episode of We Bare Bears.

Per his IMDB page, Frank was in the midst of filming Legend of the White Dragon as Erik Reed / White Dragon before his death.

Frank's Power Rangers costar, Walter E. Jones, remembered his friend in a social media post Sunday, writing, "Can't believe it…. RIP Jason David Frank🙏🏾. My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family."

In a statement to PEOPLE, Jones, 51, said: "He was an inspiration to so many people. His presence will be dearly missed. It's so sad to lose another member of our Ranger family."

He added, "Jason was one of the biggest pranksters on the show. He had a wild sense of humor. We had our share of ups and downs, but I stayed consistent about being an ear if he needed one. My prayers go out to his family and all that will miss him. May he rest in Power."

FRANK, Jason David

Born: 9/4/1973, Covina, California, U.S.A.

Died: 11/19/2022, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Jason David Frank’s western – voice actor:

Piper – 1996 [video voice of Piper]

RIP Nico Fidenco

 

Rai News

November 19, 2022

 

Nico Fidenco, author of popular songs of the 60s has died

The news was confirmed by his wife Annamaria and daughter Guendalina

 

Died last night in Rome, at the age of 89, the singer-songwriter and composer Nico Fidenco. The news was confirmed by his wife Annamaria and daughter Guendalina.

"I learn with sorrow of the death of Nico Fidenco - writes in a note the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano - important singer-songwriter and composer of famous soundtracks and unforgettable songs such as 'Legato a un granello di sabbia'. The world of culture is affectionately close to the family and bids farewell to a great Italian artist".

The career

Fidenco, born Domenico Colarossi, was born in Rome on January 24, 1933 and achieved success in the 60s, with songs taken from soundtracks, first of all 'What a Sky' (in Italian 'Su nel cielo'), from the film by Francesco Maselli 'I delfini', but above all with the song 'Legato a un granello di sabbia', considered the first summer catchphrase in the history of Italian music.

In 1939, at the age of six, he moved with his family to Asmara, where he remained until 1949. In 1960 Fidenco was already in the stable of the Italian RCA in Rome, where he had been presented by Franco Migliacci, especially as an author. But the artistic director Enzo Micocci also found his voice interesting. And in fact, when Maselli was looking for a song for his film 'I Delfini', Micocci proposed an unpublished song, What a Sky, composed by maestro Giovanni Fusco. The audition was recorded by a young Little Tony, Fusco's son and Fidenco. But it was the latter that was preferred by the production.

The record company initially did not foresee the publication of the piece on 45 rpm, but the pressures from shopkeepers and wholesalers, due to the requests of the public (the film was very well received in theaters), pushed the label not only to publish the English version, but to rush Fidenco back to the recording room to record on the same orchestral base the Italian version 'Su nel cielo' to be put on the B side of the 45 rpm which from 31 December 1960 remained first in the charts for four weeks.

After 'What a sky' Fidenco recorded other songs in English and Italian taken from the soundtracks of great successful films such as: 'Just that same old line' from the film 'La ragazza con la valigia' with Claudia Cardinale, 'Il mondo di Suzie Wong' from the film of the same name with William Holden which reached the first position in the charts for five weeks in 1961, 'Exodus', from the film of the same name with Paul Newman, 'Moon River' from the film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' with Audrey Hepburn, 'The man who could not love' from the film of the same name with George Peppard and 'A woman in the world' from the film 'The woman in the world'.

But his successes did not stop at the soundtracks. In the mid-60s, Fidenco ringed several great successes in the charts: 'Con te sulla spiaggia' (runner-up at 'Un disco per l'estate' 1964), 'Se mi perderai', 'Come nasce un amore', 'A casa di Irene', 'La voglia di ballare' (finalist at 'Un disco per l'estate' 1965), 'Goccia di Mare', 'Non è vero', 'Tutta la gente', but above all 'Legato a un granello di sabbia' (1961), considered the first example of Italian summer catchphrase in history, as it remained first in the charts for 14 weeks and was the first 45 rpm to exceed one million copies sold in Italy (it even reached one and a half million).

In 1966 he left the RCA to move to the Parade but, from here on, his popularity suffered a decline, despite a participation, his only one, in the Sanremo Festival in the 1967 edition remembered above all for the death of Luigi Tenco. Fidenco, who presented the song signed by Gianni Meccia 'Ma piano (per non svegliarti)' paired with the American singer Cher, failed to bring the song to the final.

After reducing his pop recordings, Fidenco returned to deal with newof soundtracks, composing for the so-called genre cinema throughout the seventies and eighties, ranging from spaghetti-westerns (the first soundtrack was for 'In the shadow of a colt') to the films of the so-called sexploitation as 'The strange law of dr. Menga' (1971), 'La ragazzina' (1975) and the cult series 'Emanuelle', also attending the horror film 'Zombi Holocaust' of 1980 and the crossover 'Porno Holocaust' by Joe D'Amato.

The only pop album recorded in this decade was 'La mia estate con Cinzia', released in 1970 on the Ri-Fi label. In the late seventies and early eighties it found an unexpected popularity with the public of children, also in terms of sales, thanks to the numerous acronyms recorded for Japanese anime, a real phenomenon of television costume of that period. The theme song 'Don Chuck Beaver' in fact managed to sell over four hundred thousand copies, bringing it back to the charts. In this decade he also returned to record pop albums such as 'La mia mania' in 1981 and 'Direzione vietata' in 1989 and while in 1992 he published a collection of rearranged hits entitled 'Ieri e oggi'.

From 1984 to 1994 with colleagues Riccardo Del Turco, Jimmy Fontana and Gianni Meccia he gave life to I Super 4, a quartet with which he proposed hits taken from their respective repertoires of the sixties rearranged in a modern key, with which he published three albums of moderate commercial success.

In 2007 he performed live as part of the Lucca Comics & Games, sang live some of the soundtracks and cartoon theme songs, object of rediscovery and revaluation by fans and professionals. In the wake of this revival, the Siglandia label printed in 2019 a collection of all the Fidenco cartoon theme songs in a remastered and limited edition, to make up for the absence of these recordings from the record market, including digital.

FIDENCO, Nico (Domenico Colarossi) [1/24/1933, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 11/19/2022, Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Nico Fidencos’ westerns – composer, singer:

Dynamite Jim - 1966

     Song: “Dynamte Jim” sung by I Cantori Moderni

In a Colt’s Shadow – 1966

A Taste for Killing – 1966

Bandidos – 1967 [sings “La ballata del treno”]

The Bang-Bang Kid – 1967

John the Bastard – 1967

Bury Them Deep - 1968

Full House for the Devil – 1968

I Want Him Dead – 1968

The Texican – 1968

     Song: “Texican” sung by Nico Fidenco (Domenico Colarossi), chorus ‘I Cantori Moderni’

His Name Was Pot... They Called Him Allegria – 1971

The Rough and Ready Cowboy (TV) – 1973-1974 [sings: "Sam, Sam, Sam!"]

Those Dirty Dogs – 1973

RIP Robert Clary

 

Robert Clary, Corporal LeBeau on ‘Hogan’s Heroes,’ Dies at 96

 

The French actor and singer spent 31 months in a concentration camp but said he had no reservations about starring in a TV comedy about the Nazis.

 

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

November 16, 2022

 

Robert Clary, the French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor who portrayed Corporal LeBeau on the World War II-set sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, has died. He was 96.

Clary, who was mentored by famed entertainer Eddie Cantor and married one of his five daughters, died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Kim Wright told The Hollywood Reporter.

CBS’ Hogan’s Heroes, which aired over six seasons from September 1965 to April 1971, starred Bob Crane as Colonel Robert E. Hogan, an American who led an international group of Allied prisoners of war in a convert operation to defeat the Nazis from inside the Luft Stalag 13 camp.

As the patriotic Cpl. Louis LeBeau, the 5-foot-1 Clary hid in small spaces, dreamed about girls, got along great with the guard dogs and used his expert culinary skills to help the befuddled Nazi Colonel Wilhelm Klink (Werner Klemperer) get out of trouble with his superiors.

Clary was the last surviving member of the show’s original principal cast.

Born Robert Max Widerman in Paris on March 1, 1926, Clary was the youngest of 14 children in a strict Orthodox Jewish family. At age 12, he began singing and performing; one day when he was 16, he and his family were rounded up and sent to Auschwitz.

“My mother said the most remarkable thing,” Clary told The Hollywood Reporter‘s Peter Flax in late 2015. “She said, ‘Behave.’ She probably knew me as a brat. She said, ‘Behave. Do what they tell you to do.'”

Clary’s parents were murdered in the gas chamber that day.

At Buchenwald, Clary sang with an accordionist every other Sunday to an audience of SS soldiers. “Singing, entertaining and being in kind of good health at my age, that’s why I survived,” he told Flax.

Clary was incarcerated for 31 months (he worked in a factory making 4,000 wooden shoe heels each day) and tattooed with the identification “A-5714” on his left forearm. He was the only one of his captured family to make it out alive.

He chose not to talk about his Holocaust experience for almost four decades. “For 36 years I kept these experiences during the war locked up inside myself,” he once said. “But those who are attempting to deny the Holocaust, my suffering and the suffering of millions of others have forced me to speak out.”

Did Clary have any reservations about doing a comedy series dealing with Nazis and concentration camps?

“I had to explain that [Hogan’s Heroes] was about prisoners of war in a stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps,” he wrote in his inspirational 2001 memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan’s Heroes.

After being liberated, Clary returned to France in May 1945 and sang in dance halls. He came to Los Angeles in 1949 to record for Capitol Records and a year later appeared in a French comedy skit on a CBS variety show hosted by vaudevillian Ed Wynn.

Clary appeared in such films as Ten Tall Men (1951) and Thief of Damascus (1952), then met Cantor, who took him to New York to perform at the tony La Vie en Rose club. He came to the attention of producer Leonard Sillman, who cast Clary in the Broadway musical revue New Faces of 1952.

He sang “Lucky Pierre” and “I’m In Love With Miss Logan” in the show, which also featured Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde, Ronny Graham, Alice Ghostley and Carol Lawrence and had sketches written by Mel Brooks. New Faces was filmed by Fox and played in movie theaters in 1954.

Clary then appeared again on Broadway in 1955 in the musical Seventh Heaven, which starred Gloria DeHaven, Ricardo Montalban and Bea Arthur.

The actor showed up in the Paris-set Paul Newman-Joanne Woodward film A New Kind of Love (1963), and in the Robert Wise-directed The Hindenburg (1975), he portrayed a passenger (a circus acrobat) on the doomed airship’s final voyage.

Clary also worked on the daytime soap operas Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless (his character, Pierre Roulland, owned a restaurant/club in Genoa City, then was murdered) and The Bold and The Beautiful.

He sang on several jazz albums that featured the work of songwriters like Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer. (Also a part of his discography: Hogan’s Heroes Sing the Best of WWII, recorded with his castmates Richard Dawson, Larry Hovis and Ivan Dixon.)

Clary worked closely with the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, speaking at universities across the country for more than two decades.

An accomplished painter, Clary was married for 32 years to the late Natalie Cantor, the second daughter of Eddie Cantor. She died in 1997.

CLARY, Robert (Robert Max Widerman)

Born: 3/1/1926, Paris, Île-de-France, France

Died: 11/16/2022, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Robert Clary’s western – actor:

High Chaparral (TV) – 1969 (Lucien Charot)

RIP Gene Cipriano

 

Gene Cipriano, saxophonist best known for extensive work in television and film, dies

 

WBGO

By Lee Mergner

November 14, 2022

 

Gene Cipriano, a saxophonist who played on thousands of pop and jazz recordings and whose music was a part of dozens of films and television shows, died of natural causes on Nov. 12 at his home in Studio City, Calif. He was 94.

Known familiarly as “Cip,” the saxophonist played music for seemingly every TV show out of Hollywood, including Batman, The Flintstones, M*A*S*H*, Star Trek, The Simpsons, American Dad and Mission Impossible. He ghosted the saxophone part for Tony Curtis’ character in the iconic film Some Like It Hot. Cipriano was also a longtime member of The Wrecking Crew, the renowned group of Los Angeles-based studio musicians who played on so many hits of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Although he did plenty of jazz shows and recording sessions (close to 200 recordings), Cipriano didn’t release an album as a leader until 2006, with the two-CD set, Gene Cipriano: First Time Out. He was 78 years old at the time. The album was produced by Bill Hughes and Tom Ranier. “He played tenor saxophone, clarinet and English Horn and was featured improvising on each tune,” Ranier told WBGO. “The nature of the studio work he did for the majority of his career gave him very few chances to do so. This was an opportunity for him to shine with that ability. He played all his instruments superbly, producing beautiful singing sounds on each. His technical ability on each instrument was at the highest level and he could sight read music of any style and adapt to any genre, and do so perfectly. In addition, he had perfect pitch and played all the instruments perfectly in tune.” Ranier said that Cipriano played soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass saxophones, as well as all clarinets, all flutes and piccolo and, in addition, oboe, English Horn and bass oboe.

Cipriano was born on July 13, 1928 in New Haven, Conn. His father was a clarinetist who played in pit bands in New Haven and later on Broadway in New York City. His son started playing clarinet at the age of eight, eventually learning the saxophone and flute as well. After playing around New Haven during his younger years, he was invited to join Tommy Dorsey’s band when he was just 23. He later settled in New York City, where he played with Claude Thornhill and Lee Konitz. Tex Beneke asked him to join what was a reconstituted Glenn Miller Band, playing the hits of the deceased bandleader. Among the members of that ghost band was Henry Mancini.

It was Mancini who gave Cipriano his entry into the world of television, first calling him to play flute on the Peter Gunn show for which Mancini was doing the music. In subsequent years, Cipriano would work with Mancini as well as nearly every notable TV and film composer including Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand, Andre Previn, Neal Hefti, Lalo Schifrin, Marvin Hamlisch, Gary Foster and many others. “I got to know Cip in the early ‘80s working with him on various TV shows and movies,” Ranier explained. “We worked together on the Academy Awards shows many times—24 for me and a record 53 for him, the most of any musician, I think. He was one of, if not the most, recorded woodwind player in history having played on thousands of record dates, movies, jingles and TV shows. I learned many lessons, musically and personally, from him over the years, including how to view the freelance music business with a healthy outlook.”

A quintessential session musician, Cipriano would play on recordings and in performance with Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Rosemary Clooney, Natalie Cole, Judy Garland and so many more. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Cipriano was often a part of The Wrecking Crew, a group of studio musicians who played on many rock and pop hits of that time—from the Monkees to the Beach Boys. “It was a lot of fun because a lot of times the composer would say to the rhythm section, ‘Think of something wild that would fit this particular piece of music,’” Cipriano told Joanie Harmon of the website MakingLifeSwing in 2019. “They would think of something and then they’d ad lib and tell us what to play. Sometimes we’d make up music right on the spot.”

Cipriano also did his share of jazz recordings, most notably as part of the big band on Thelonious Monk’s Monk’s Blues. He frequently played with Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Shorty Rogers, and other stalwarts of the West Coast jazz scene.

“He was always positive, upbeat,and a joy to be around,” said Ranier. “The tributes on Facebook attest to how much he was truly loved by all that knew him to any degree and all that worked with him.He was always encouraging to younger musicians just starting out. He truly was a person everyone looked up to with respect admiration and love. His was a life very well lived.”

CIPRIANO, Gene (Eugene Cipriano)

Born: 7/13/1928, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.

Died: 11/12/2022, Studio City, California, U.S.A.

 

Gene Cipriano’s western – musician:

The Godchild (TV) - 1974

RIP Aleksandr Sayko

 

Dead, actor from "Slaves of Love" Nikita Mikhalkov Alexander Saiko 

On November 13, the Soviet, Russian film, theater and TV actor Alexander Saiko died.

 

Boda

By Oleg Uskov

22/13/2022

Alexander Pavlovich Saiko was born on July 5, 1949. He graduated from GITIS, in 1967-1970 he studied at the Studio at the Central Children's Theater, after which he was accepted into the troupe of the Central Children's Theater.

He worked in the Moscow Literary and Drama Theater of the WTO, in the Moscow Drama Theater "Sphere", in the Mosconcert, in the theater-studio "Character", the Central Theater of the Soviet Army, and others. Since 2016, he has been acting in performances of the Wandering Stars Moscow Drama Company. Created the theater "Russian House", was its artistic director.

He made his debut on the screens in 1973 - in "Moscow Holidays". Further - "Slave of Love" by Mikhalkov, "Red Bells", "Doctor's Apprentice", "Boris Godunov" of 1986, "One Hundred Soldiers and Two Girls", "It's Not Scary to Die" Kulidzhanova, "Soldiers", "Volkov's Hour", two dozen others.

SAYKO, Aleksandr (Aleksandr Pavlovich Sayko)

Born: 7/15/1949, Russia, U.S.S.R.

Died: 11/13/2022, Russia

 

Aleksandr Sayko’s western – actor:

Mexico in Flames - 1981

RIP John Aniston

 

John Aniston, ‘Days of Our Lives’ Star and Jennifer Aniston’s Father, Dies at 89

 

The Hollywood Reporter

By Ethan Shanfeld

November 14, 2022

 

John Aniston, who starred as Victor Kiriakis in nearly 3,000 episodes of “Days of Our Lives,” died on Friday, Nov. 11. He was 89.

The Greek-born, Emmy-nominated actor was a staple on the NBC soap opera for over 30 years, also appearing on daytime serials “Love of Life” and “Search for Tomorrow.”

In 2022, Aniston received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on “Days of Our Lives.” In 1986, the role earned him two Soap Opera Digest Awards — for outstanding actor in a leading role and for outstanding villain on a daytime serial.

He was also the father of Jennifer Aniston, who wrote on Instagram Monday morning, “Sweet papa…, John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.”

Aniston’s credits also included “Kojak,” “Stark Trek: Voyager,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The West Wing,” “Mad Men,” “Combat!,” “The Virginian,” “That Girl,” “I Spy,” “Airwolf,” “My Big Fat Greek Life,” “American Dreams,” “Journeyman” and “Cold Case.”

Born on the island of Crete, Greece, Aniston and his family moved to Pennsylvania when he was a child. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts and went on to serve in the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer. Aniston’s first acting role was “Officer #1” in a 1962 episode of “87th Precinct” titled “New Man in the Precinct.” By the 1980s, Aniston had become a soap opera mainstay.

He first appeared on “Days of Our Lives” as Dr. Eric Richards in 1969 but departed the show after one year to work on “Love of Life” and “Search for Tomorrow,” at CBS and NBC. In 1985, Aniston returned to “Days” as the now iconic crime boss Victor Kiriakis.

ANISTON, John (Yannis Anastassakis)

Born: 7/24/1933, Crete, Greece

Died: 11/11/2022, Moorpark, California, U.S.A.

 

John Aniston’s westerns – actor:

The Shakiest Gun in the West – 1968 (Indian)

The Virginian (TV) – 1968 (Frank West)

RIP David English

 'LEGEND OF THE GAME' David English dead: Piers Morgan leads tributes as Bunbury cricket charity fundraiser and Bee Gees manager dies aged 76

 

The Sun

By Tom Hussey

November 12, 2022

English, the former manager of the Bee Gees who raised £17million through his Bunbury cricket charity, died following a major heart attack.

Sharing a photo of English alongside Sky News' Mark Austin, the TalkTV host paid tribute to a "brilliantly entertaining" man.

Piers said: "Had many of the funniest days of my life ⁦ @HomeOfCricket with this wonderfully ebullient & brilliantly entertaining character.

"A great cricket man whose ⁦@BunburyCricket festival developed so many England stars, who all loved him. Very sad news."

England T20 captain Jos Buttler also paid tribute to "one of life's great characters".

Buttler said: "So sad to hear the news of David English passing away.

"One of life’s great characters, so fun to spend time with and producer of some of the best English cricketers through his wonderful Bunbury Festivals. RIP."

Bunbury Cricket runs an annual tournament for the best under-15 boys players in England.

More than 100 England cricketers, including Joe Root and Ben Stokes, have played in the tournament.

A string of other famous faces have also walked out for the Bunburys celebrity team over the years, including Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and former Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear.

Footie pundit Gary Lineker said he was "terribly sad" to learn of the passing of "such a charismatic man".

He joined The Sun's cricket correspondent John Etheridge who tweeted: "Very sad to hear that David English, one of cricket's greatest and funniest characters and founder of the Bunburys, has passed away. RIP Loon."

England cricketing legend Graeme Fowler said he "loved every minute" he spent with "huge dynamo" David English.

Former England cricketer Owais Shah also told of his sadness following English's death, saying: "Sad times for English cricket…He was an absolute legend of a man…. RIP great man."

David had suffered a heart attack on November 1 and his condition spiralled.

A tweet on Bunbury Cricket's Twitter page on Saturday told how doctors had removed life support on Thursday afternoon after reporting "no brain activity".

They added he "was not going to survive" but was in "no pain and will pass peacefully when his body is ready to do so".

In a wide ranging career David English also appeared in Emmerdale and Casualty.

And he worked for RSO Records, signing artists including the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton.

England cricket legend Ian Botham was English's best man at his wedding to Robyn.

ENGLISH, David (David Stuart English)

Born: 3/4/1946, London, England, U.K.

Died: 11/12/2022, England, U.K.

 

David English’s western:

Sky Bandits – 1986 (Hamilton)