rip Paul Reubens

 

Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman Actor, Dies at 70 After Private Bout of Cancer

Variety

By Ethan Shanfield

July 31, 2023

 

Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of cancer. He was 70.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” wrote Reubens’ estate in the caption. “Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit.”

Reubens began his career in the 1970s after joining the Los Angeles live comedy troupe the Groundlings as an improvisational comedian and stage actor. In 1980, he launched “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” a stage production centered on a fictional character he had been developing for years. As Pee-wee became a cult figure, Reubens’ show ran for five sold-out months, and he landed a special at HBO. Reubens also committed to the character in his interviews and public appearances.

In 1985, he teamed with Tim Burton on “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” the character’s feature film debut, which was a critical and commercial success. Reubens returned three years later for a follow-up film, “Big Top Pee-wee,” helmed by Randal Kleiser. The character transitioned to television from 1986 to 1990, on CBS’ weekend morning show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

Reubens’ image as a beloved childhood hero was tarnished when, in 1991, he was arrested for indecent exposure at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Fla. At the center of a national sex scandal, Reubens backed away from Pee-wee and began doing press as himself. He wouldn’t again reprise the iconic role until 2010, when he revived “The Pee-wee Herman Show” on Broadway and made several other appearances, on “WWE Raw” and in a couple of digital sketches for Funny or Die. In 2016, Reubens co-wrote and starred in Netflix’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” a sequel to 1988’s “Big Top,” which would serve as Reubens’ final film role before his death.

Throughout his career, Reubens starred in a variety of other projects as well, including Kinka Usher’s superhero comedy “Mystery Men” and Ted Demme’s biographical crime drama “Blow.” He also appeared in “Batman Returns,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Matilda,” and his television credits include “30 Rock,” “The Blacklist,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Hercules,” “Rugrats,” “Reno 911!” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”

In 2002, after turning himself in to the Hollywood division of the Los Angeles Police Department, Reubens was charged with misdemeanor possession of obscene material improperly depicting a child under the age of 18 in sexual conduct. A self-proclaimed collector of erotica, Reubens disagreed with the city’s classification of pornography. His child pornography charges were dropped in 2004 after he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser misdemeanor obscenity charge.

In an interview with NBC News’ Stone Phillips, Herman said in 2005: “One thing I want to make very, very clear, I don’t want anyone for one second to think that I am titillated by images of children. It’s not me. You can say lots of things about me. And you might. The public may think I’m weird. They may think I’m crazy or anything that anyone wants to think about me. That’s all fine. As long as one of the things you’re not thinking about me is that I’m a pedophile. Because that’s not true.”

Before his death, Reubens was developing two Pee-wee Herman projects, one a black comedy titled “The Pee-wee Herman Story” and the other a family adventure film called “Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Movie.”

REUBENS, Paul (Paul Rubenfeld)

Born: 8/27/1952, Peekskill, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 7/30/2023, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Paul Reubens’ western – actor:

South of Heaven, West of Hell – 2006 (Arvid Henry)

RIP Inga Swenson

 

‘Benson’ Star Inga Swenson Dies at Age 90

tv insider

By Isaac Rouse

July 28, 2023

 

Inga Swenson, known for her role as German cook Gretchen Kraus in the sitcom Benson, has died at the age of 90.

According to reports, her son Mark says the actress died on July 23 of natural causes. Mark also says her husband, Lowell Harris, was with her at a board and care facility in Los Angeles when she died. Her health reportedly was on the decline for the past six months.

Swenson appeared in over 150 episodes, earning three Emmy nominations for her work on the 1980s show over seven years. Swenson had a recurring role as Ingrid Svenson in the TV sitcom Soap, which served as the basis for the spin-off show Benson. In Benson, Kraus serves as a German cook who plays foil against the titular character (Robert Guillaume), the head of household affairs for widowed Governor Euge (James Noble).

Apart from her work on Benson, Swenson made a name for herself on Broadway with notable performances as Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade and Irene Adler in Baker Street. These outstanding portrayals earned her two Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical. She was not only an accomplished actress but also a trained lyrical soprano.

In 1962, Inga appeared in two movies, playing supporting roles in Advise and Consent and The Miracle Worker, where she portrayed Helen Keller’s mother. In February 1953, Inga married Lowell, a sound engineer, and the couple had two children. Sadly, one of their children passed away before her.

After Benson, Swenson took on various roles, also making guest appearances in Newhart, The Golden Girls, and Hotel episodes.

In 1998, Inga decided to retire from Hollywood. Her final wish was to be cremated, with her ashes to be laid to rest alongside her late son in San Rafael, CA.

SWENSON, Inga (Winifred Inga Swenson)

Born: 12/29/1932, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.

Died: 7/23/2023, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Inga Swenson’s westerns – actress:

Bonanza (TV) – 1962, 1963 (Inger Borgstom, Inger Borgstrom Cartwright)

Sara – 1975 (Henrietta

The Mountain Men – 1980 (singer at rendezvous)

North & South: Book 1 (TV) Maude Hazard

RIP Jerome Coopersmith

 

Legacy.com

Anthony Funeral & Cremation Chapels

July 24, 2023

 

Jerome (Jerry) Coopersmith, age 97, of Rochester, NY passed away peacefully on July 21, 2023. Jerry was born on August 11, 1925, in New York City. He was an award-winning dramatist known for television, theater, and his work as a professor of screenplay writing. Working in the television industry since 1947, Jerry authored more than 100 television scripts for anthology dramas and episodic series and is perhaps best known for writing "Hawaii Five-O (1967-1980)." His theatrical plays spanned Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional productions. Jerry was a member of the Dramatists Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and a past officer of the Writers Guild of America, East. For more information about Jerry's career please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Coopersmith

Jerry was a World War II veteran, serving in the United States Army, 94th Infantry Division from 1943-1945. He was the recipient of a Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and European Theater of Operations Medal with three battle stars. In 2019, at age 94, he was honored with the highest distinction of Chevalier, or Knight, in the National Order of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his service to France in World War II.

Jerry is survived by his two daughters, Amy Coopersmith Lauria (Ken) and Jill Andrea Lambert (Robert), his grandchildren Kyle Cheney (Hannah) and Kim Nicholetti (Shane), his step-grandchildren Stephanie Lauria, Kevin Lauria, Michelle Franzen (Danny), and Daniel Lambert, four great-grandchildren, Clara Josephine Cheney, Beatrice Dorothy Cheney, Ashton Daniel Franzen, and Gavin Louis Franzen, his niece, Gretchen Garrett (Jeff), and many life-long friends.

A Memorial Service will be held at Anthony Funeral Chapel, 2305 Monroe Avenue, Rochester NY on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 12:00 pm Eastern. The service will be livestreamed here. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Rochester Regional Health, Unity Hospital. (www.rrhgive.org/giving)

COOPERSMITH, Jerome

Born: 8/11/1925, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 7/21/2023, Rochester, New York, U.S.A.

 

Jerome Coopersmith’s westerns – writer”

The Gabby Hayes Show (TV) - 1951

RIP Michele Kalamera

 Dead Michele Kalamera, the great "earning" voice actor of Clint Eastwood

In 1976 he had been chosen by the same actor and director from "The Outlaw Josey Wales." “He said he had finally found his Italian voice”

la Republica

By the Spettacoli editorial staff

July 26, 2023

 

"I was chosen by Clint Eastwood himself, after he saw my audition for "The Outlaw Josey Wales," it was 1976, he enthusiastically said that he had finally found his Italian voice, and I have never left him since". So said Michele Kalamera, actor and voice actor of long experience who died yesterday, Tuesday 25 July, at the age of 84.

The theater with Projects

Michelino Calamera, better known as Michele Kalamera (the Greek surname had been Italianized during Fascism) was born in Conegliano, in the province of Treviso, on February 12, 1939. Known in particular as a dubber, he was also a stage actor: in 1963 he founded, together with Gigi Proietti, the permanent theater of L'Aquila. He also worked in radio.

The debut as a voice actor

In 1966 he made his debut as a voice actor, directed by a historical figure of dubbing as Fede Arnaud in Mark Damon's film “God, How I Love You!”. But Kalamera's notoriety is linked in particular to Clint Eastwood, to whom he has given his voice in all the films since 1976, except for a parenthesis that goes from 1986 "when they took him away for Gunny and I took him back in 1990 with “White Hunter Black Heart”.

Not just Clint Eastwood

During his long career, Kalamera has also made other great actors speak Italian, such as Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland, Robert Redford, Roy Scheider, F. Murray Abraham, Christopher Plummer. And again: Burt Reynolds, Christopher Lee, Jack Palance, David Bowie, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow and Anthony Hopkins. A total of over 5,000 film and TV stars, 5,000 co-stars, 5,000 key characters in TV series, countless cameos.

"I have always rejected labels such as teacher and the like - Kalamera said of himself - I consider myself a dubber, indeed, as I like to define myself: an earworm".

Michele Kalamera (Michelino Calamera)

Born: 2/12/1938, Conegliano, Venero, Treviso, Italy

Died: 7/25/2023, Rome, Lazio, Italy

 

Michele Kalamera’s westerns – voice actor:

Two RRRingos from Texas – 1967 [Italian voice of unknown actor]

The Way West - 1967 [Italian voice of Kirk Douglas]

Beyond the Law – 1968 [Italian voice of Gordon Mitchell]

Shotgun – 1968 [Italian voice of Mimmo Palmara]

Sonora – 1968 [Italian voice of George Martin]

Zorro the Fox – 1968 [Italian voice of Giacomo Rossi Stuart]

Cemetery Without Crosses – 1969 [Italian voice of Robert Hossein]

El Puro – 1969 [Italian voice of Robert Woods]

Four Came to Kill Sartana – 1969 [Italian voice of Benito Pacifico]

God Will Forgive My Pistol – 1969 [Italian voice Wayde Preston]

Heaven With a Gun - 1969 [Italian voice of Glenn Ford]

I Am Sartana, Your Angel of Death – 1969 [Italian voice of Gianni Garko]

Sartana and His Shadow of Death – 1969 [Italian voice of Benito Pacifico]

Tell Them Willie Boy is Here – 1969 [Italian voice of Robert Redford]

True Grit – 1969 [Italian voice of Robert Duvall]

The Wild Bunch – 1969 [Italian voice of Robert Ryan]

Zorro the Lawman – 1969 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Apocalypse Joe – 1970 [Italian voice of Anthony Steffen]

Ballad of Death Valley – 1970 [Italian voice of William Berger]

Catlow – 1971 [Italian voice of Richard Crenna]

Dead Men Ride – 1971 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Vengeance Trail – 1971 [Italian voice of Ivan Rassimov]

Trinity and Sartana are Coming – 1972 [Italian voice of Harry Baird]

Fasthand is Still My Name – 1973 [Italian voice of Sergio Ciani]

Here We Go Again, Eh Providence – 1973 [Italian voice of Manuel Gallardo]

The Grand Duel – 1973 [Italian voice of Horst Frank]

White Fang – 1973 [Italian voice of John Steiner]

Blood River – 1974 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Challenge to White Fang – 1974 [Italian voice of John Steiner]

The Four of the Apocalypse – 1975 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Red Coat – 1975 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Return of Shanghai Joe – 1975 [Italian voice of Klaus Kinski]

White Fang to the Rescue – 1975 [Italian voice of Henry Silva]

The Outlaw Josey Wales – 1976 [Italian voice of Clint Eastwood]

China 9, Liberty 37 – 1978 [Italian voice of Fabio Testi]

Bronco Billy – 1980 [Italian voice of Clint Eastwood]

Young Guns II – 1990 [Italian voice of James Coburn]

The Last of the Mohicans – 1992 [Italian voice of Russell Means, Maurice Roeves]

Unforgiven – 1992 [Italian voice of Clint Eastwood]

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – 1993 [Italian voice of Ron Perlman]

Davy Crockett (TV) – 1994 [Italian voice of Sheriff Carson]

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (TV) - 2003 [Italian voice of Alan Arkin

The Three Amigos – 2003 [Italian voice of Chevy Chase]

Deadwood (TV) – 2004 [Italian voice of Keith Carradine]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – 2007 [Italian voice of James

     Carville]

The Salvation – 2014 [Italian voice of Danny Keough]

 

RIP Carlin Glynn

 

Carlin Glynn, Tony Winner and Mother of Mary Stuart Masterson, Dies at 83

Variety

By McKinley Franklin

July 20, 2023

 

Carlin Glynn, Tony-winning star of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and mother of Mary Stuart Masterson, died after a bout of dementia and cancer on July 13. She was 83.

Glynn’s daughter, Mary Stuart Masterson, confirmed the news in an Instagram post.

“My mother, Carlin Glynn Masterson, passed away. I was with her. I will always be grateful for those last moments, no matter how hard,” Masterson wrote. “Death is like birth in the oddest way. From my first breath to her last. This thread is as fragile as it is strong. She was the most graceful clumsy person you would ever meet. Strong, smart, silly, intuitive, kind, generous, passionate and a deep listener. She was devoted to my father and to the enormous circle of students and collaborators who were considered her chosen family.”

Glynn was an accomplished actor and singer, earning a Tony award in 1979 for her Broadway debut in the original production of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Glynn worked on the production alongside her husband, Peter Masterson, who later adapted the show into the 1982 film of the same name, starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton.

Glynn’s first on-screen role was in the 1975 film “Three Days of the Condor,” in which she portrayed Mae Barber. In 1984, she played the mother of Molly Ringwald’s character in John Hughes’ “Sixteen Candles.” She portrayed Meg Tresch in the 1987 White House sitcom “Mr. President” and was featured in other television series including “A Woman Named Jackie,” “Strange Luck” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” Glynn’s other credits include “Resurrection,” “Continental Divide,” “The Trip to Bountiful” and “The Exonerated.”

Glynn was married to Peter Masterson from 1960 until Masterson’s death in 2018. She is survived by her children, Mary Stuart, Alexandra and Peter Masterson.

GLYNN, Carlin (Carlin Elizabeth Glynn)

Born: 2/19/1940, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

Died: 7/13/2023, New York, U.S.A.

 

Carlin Glynn’s westerns – actress:

Blood Red – 1989 (Miss Jeffreys)

Convicts – 1991 (Asa)

RIP Mark Thomas

 

Bafta-winning Twin Town film score composer Mark Thomas dies as director Kevin Allen leads tributes

The Penclawdd-born composer won critical acclaim worldwide for his amazing body of work

WalesOnLine

By Robert Dalling

July 19, 2023

 

Tributes have been paid to talented Swansea composer Mark Thomas, who was behind the score to Twin Town and major Hollywood movies, after he sadly died. Originally from Penclawdd, Mr Thomas was a classically trained multi-instrumentalist proficient in music styles from jazz, rock, folk, choral, electro acoustic, sampled and synthesised, to full-scale symphonic film scores.

After studying music composition and orchestration at university, the former Gowerton Grammar School pupil played violin with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, then joined the Royal Ballet Orchestra as co-leader. He was invited to join the original orchestra for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom Of The Opera, and went on to work in the recording studio with Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, John Barry, Michael Kamen, Alan Silvestri and John Williams.

The father-of-three composed his own unique scores for movies and television shows to worldwide critical acclaim. He won a Bafta award for his score to cult British comedy Twin Town, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the outstanding main title music category for the theme he composed for Showtime / BBC2 comedy series Episodes.

He also successfully scored many feature films including Dog Soldiers, Agent Cody Banks II for MGM, the Magic Roundabout Movie for Pathé / Miramax, Shadows in the Sun, Greyfriars Bobby, the dark horror feature Wilderness for Ecosse Films and Flicka 3 and Marley And Me 2 for 20th Century Fox.

Keith Allen, who directed Twin Town, said he was "gutted" to announce the news, and, paying tribute to Mr Thomas, described him as a "brilliant musician" who was a joy to work with. He wrote: "I’m absolutely gutted to announce the heartbreaking news that my dear, dear friend and collaborator, Mark Thomas, has passed away after bravely battling an awful illness.

"Mark was an insanely talented musician, composer, arranger and a truly great friend. We’ve known each other since county youth and orchestra days. I chose him to compose the score for my first feature film 25 years ago and he worked on every project since. Working with him was such a joyful experience. He was a brilliant musician, who’s commitment and dedication I will never be lucky enough to experience again. His mesmerising score for Under Milk Wood was something to behold.

"Mark truly loved what he did. He was never happier than when he had a baton in his hand at Abbey Road or in Prague and the film game is a poorer place without him. He was a proud dad of Imogen, Rosana and Tristam, a doting grandad and much loved husband of Luz Marie, who lovingly nursed him through the last painful year. They were married at an emotional ceremony in hospital last week. I send you so much love, my dear friend … fly high, my lovely Penclawdd boy."

Apart from his feature films credits, Mr Thomas's work in television was also extensive in comedy, drama and animation he also composed for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Among his final pieces of work were feature films Zoo, Last Summer and La Cha Cha.

Speaking to us back in 2005, Mr Thomas explained his delight at realising his lifelong ambition to score a Hollywood film, after he was drafted in to lay music to Hot Tamale, starring former Baywatch beauty Carmen Electra and Randy Spelling. He told us at the time: “It was always my ambition to write the score to a Hollywood film before I’m 50, and now I’ve done it. It is a privilege to work in this industry.’’

Paul McFadden, a friend of Mr Thomas's, said: "It’s a very sad day when a creative music force that was Mark is taken away from us. I’d known Mark since 1987. I was a 16-year-old boy from the valleys trying to break into the recording industry. The first session I was involved with was with Mark. Even though I was just the 'tea boy' he made a big effort to put me at ease and get me involved in whatever way he could. I had total admiration for the man from the get go.

"Many years of collaboration followed until I moved to London to further my career and in 2003, to my shock and joy, found out that Mark was the composer on Cody Banks 2, a feature film I was working on with Kevin Allen. He was still an amazing composer lifting the soundtrack that we were working on at the time to new sonic heights.

"After that we saw each other on many occasions messaging each other when our busy schedules would allow. Dropping in for a cup of tea (which he made me make). Mark was a witty, creative powerhouse. Wales and the whole of the music industry have lost a musical genius."

Another of his friends, Michael Kennedy, added: "I’ve really got no words to convey just how lovely, humble, talented and generous Mark Thomas was. We first met, thanks to John Hywel Morris, at a PRS for Music event in Monmouth and Mark came up to me to say how much he enjoyed my radio shows. I was speechless as he was (and still is) a giant in the world of music.

"I was lucky enough to interview him and spend time with him at his home to discuss projects we planned to work on. They never happened because we always thought we had all the time in the world to work on them. Thinking of you my friend and the mark you’ve left on the lives of so many people."

THOMAS, Mark

Born: 1956, Penelawdd, Wales, U.K.

Died: 7/16/2023, London, England, U.K.

 

Mark Thomas’ westerns – composer:

The Meeksville Ghost – 2001

Hooded Angels, - 2002

Moondance Alexander – 2007

RIP Alfonso Munguia

 

Actor Alfonso Munguía dies: he filmed next to El Santo

He leaves a huge legacy of more than 170 action and comedy films and series. Here is the report.

People

By Mayra Mangal

May 22, 2023

 

The world of cinema is once again dressed in mourning. This weekend it was confirmed in Mexico that actor Alfonso Munguia had died leaving a huge legacy of dozens of action and comedy films.

The news was confirmed through a tweet issued by the National Association of Interpreters (ANDI, for its acronym) last Friday.

According to this source, Munguía had an "extensive cinematographic career" and among his many contributions to Mexican cinema were the films La venganza de las mujeres vampiro (1970), next to the late actor and professional wrestler Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, known worldwide as El Santo.

To his credit, the film Angels of Death also stands out; Death goes with the butterflies (1976), and Emilio Varela vs Camelia the Texan (1980).

According to sources in Mexico, Munguía was born on July 6, 1945 in the capital of the country and since he was 12 years old he had begun his steps in the world of acting.

He collaborated on multiple occasions with the brothers Julio and Mario Almada, classic stars of Mexican cinema of the second decade of the tenth century. His last film was Las amantes del narco III (2019), alongside Jorge and Ethel Almada.

According to its official IMDB website, the death of the act occurred on Thursday, May 19. The cause of his death has not been disclosed at press time.

May he rest in peace.

MUNGUIA, Alfonso (Alfonso Eduardo Munguia Brun)

Born: 7/6/1945, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Died: 5/19/2023, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Alfonso Munguia’s westerns – actor:

Los dos cuatreros – 1965 (Adam Nelson)

Los hombres de Lupe Alvarez – 1967

Mi caballo Prieto rebelde - 1967 (Manuel)

Los asesinos – 1968

Un reverend trinquetero – 1982

Juan Nadie – 1990 (Monje)

RIP Fernando Becerril

 

El Universal

By Reyna Avendano

February 7, 2023

 

Fernando Becerril, film, theater and television actor, dies at 78 years of age, as confirmed in its networks by the Ministry of Culture:

"The Ministry of Culture regrets the death of Fernando Becerril, renowned actor of film, theater and television, who participated constantly in the cycles "Leo... then I exist!" of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature."

Becerril began his path on stage at an early age, spent more than 20 years studying theater in France, and in Mexico participated in plays such as "King Lear", "The Merchant of Venice", "Life is a Dream", "Partial Death" and "12 men in conflict".

In cinema he was in several films such as "El Crimen del Padre Amaro", where he starred in Galarza; he also acted in "Zapata – El sueño de un héroe", "La última noche", "Don de Dios", "Drama/Mex", "Morirse en domingo", "Kilómetro 31", "El búfalo de la noche", "Arráncame la vida", "Depositarios", "El atentado", "Tlatelolco, Verano del 68", to name a few.

Celebrities mourn death of Fernando Becerril

Celebrities expressed their sorrow for the death of the first actor Fernando Becerril, including Lalo España, who wrote: "With sadness I learn of the departure of our dear fellow actor Don Fernando Becerril. Q.E.P.D. My condolences to his family."

Joaquín Cosío, said: "Terrible news: my admired and dear friend Fernando Becerril died... heartfelt hugs to his family."

Ignacio Riva Palacio expressed that Becerril was a great companion and teacher.

"Always loving, remembering stories with my family, wise advice, kind, a great companion and teacher. Rest in peace #FernandoBecerril. Here it was the year 2004-2005 in the Shakespeare Project in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'"

"We lost a big one. It was an honor to share with you, Mr. Fernando Becerril continue to shine wherever you go. My deepest condolences to his family," actress Oka Giner wrote on Twitter.

BECERRIL, Fernando

Born: 1945, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Died: 2/7/2023, Mexico

 

Fernando Becerril’s westerns – actor:

The Mask of Zorro – 1998 (one of the six dons)

Ravenous – 1999 (Mexican commander)

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (TV) – 2003 (priest)

Zapata - El sueño del héroe – 2004 (Presidente Francisco Madero)

The Legend of Zorro – 2005 (Don Diaz)

Sonora, the Devil’s Highway – 2018 (Comisario)

RIP Luis Gutierrez Bekris

 

Reforma.com

February 12, 2023

Luis Bekris, producer of 'La Tregua' and 'El Topo' died

 

Luis Bekris Gutiérrez (most obituaries spell his name Vekris, but he was generally credited as Bekris) passed away on 12 February 2023; he was 89 years of age. Bekris worked as a production manager/production chief from at least the late 1960s. He was an executive at the CONACITE DOS government production corporation and then became a private producer in the latter part of the 1970s. He worked frequently with Vicente Fernández on films like Por tu maldito amor and Matar o morir, in addition to producing under the Galáctica Films banner.

BEKRIS, Luis Gutierrez

Born:  

Died:  2/12/2023, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Luis Gurierrez Bekris’s western – production manager:

Zorro, the Gay Blade - 1981

RIP Carlos Saura

 

Carlos Saura, Celebrated Spanish Auteur, Dies at 91

Variety

By Manori Ravindran, John Hopewell

February 10, 2023

 

Spanish auteur Carlos Saura died on Friday of natural causes, the Film Academy of Spain confirmed. He was 91.

In a statement, the org stated: “The Film Academy deeply regrets to announce the death of Carlos Saura, Goya de Honor 2023. Saura, one of the fundamental filmmakers in the history of Spanish cinema, died today at his home at the age of 91, surrounded by his loved ones.”

Born in 1932 in Huesca, Aragon – the same part of Spain as Luis Buñuel, whom he recognised as his mentor – Saura was taken by his family to Madrid during its Civil War. As a child, Saura he listened with horror to its bombings, the trauma of its violence never leaving him, inspiring his third feature, 1965’s “The Hunt,” a portrait of a Franquist ruling class which won him a Berlin Silver Bear.

This crowned him as the leading light of a New Spanish Cinema, an attempt backed by the more liberal wing of Francisco Franco’s regime to create a European-style new wave of auteurs.

From 1965 to 1974, Saura’s cinema, abetted by producer Elías Querejeta, attempted the near impossible of making movies, backed by a far right government, which criticised the contradictions and gross lack of freedoms of the very society that Franco had created. They scored big prizes, such as a Berlin Silver Bear for “Peppermint Frappé” in 1967, and a Cannes Jury Prize for 1974’s “La Prima Angelica,” in which a middle-aged man visits his in-laws in Segovia, where he experienced the War as as a child, his memories flooding back and with them, an explanation for his arrested emotional growth.

Brilliantly shot – “There is a Spanish cinema before and after ’La Caza,’” said fellow director Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón – in world opinion, “La Caza” converted Saura into one of its most famous symbols of Spain’s valiant anti-Franco opposition.

Spain, Franco’s arcane dictatorship insisted, was modernizing fast, entering the booming world of advanced Western capitalism.

Saura always begged to differ. Heavily influenced by Italian neorealism, his debut, “Los Golfos” showed young second-generation immigrants, living in shacks on the outskirts of Madrid, working as market porters, with no money and no future, unless they made it in bullfighting. Through symbol, association and ellipsis, “La Caza” exposed a Spain still shadowed by Civil War and primed when prompted to descend into atavistic carnage.

Spain’s censor also took note. Six ministers watched the final version of “La Prima Angélica” before it was approved. It was little wonder that Saura was feted wherever he went outside Spain, a mantle he wore lightly, disarming preconceptions with a large sense of humor not always so evident in his movies. 

Saura’s earliest films were made under the large influence of Buñuel, who even played a hangman in a censored initial scene of 1964’s “Llanto por un bandido,” a frustrated Western. Increasingly, as Europe embraced Saura, Saura embraced Europe and the psychological and relationship-based cinema of Ingmar Bergman. 

Liberated from Franco’s censorship, in 1976, Saura finished what many consider his masterpiece, “Raise Ravens,” starring his then partner Geraldine Chaplin, a movie critiquing the travails of women in a macho world, as seen through the confused imagination of a family’s young daughter. Few Spanish films capture with such delicacy the dizzying mix of memory, day-dream and hallucination of young minds, which will leave hostages to fortune.

“Deprisa Deprisa,” a departure, and another of his greatest films, captures with sympathy, sluiced by a rambunctious rumba soundtrack, the often short lives of four Madrid delinquents who pull heists, snort heroin and hotwire cars. Through it Saura made the point that democracy had failed to bring a quick fix to the lot of Spain’s humbler classes. It was his last film of overt political import.

Saura first made a living as a photographer at 1950s dance festivals in Spain. He returned to his first love for a final protracted part of his career, making an early dance trilogy – 1980’s “Bodas de Sangre,” 1983’s “Carmen” and 1985 “El Amor Brujo” – stood out by staking a new space for musicals, merging the emphasis on spectacle of Hollywood classics with the European auteurist tradition of the full-on and playful subjectivity of an auteur.

He followed up with dance documentaries and a return to fiction in 1998’s “Tango” and 2021’s “The King of All the World,” which at its best sums up much of Saura’s gamut of achievements as a cineaste: The innate kinetic energy of his camerawork; the flamboyant primal colours of his dance films: a shocking impact of violence; the portrait of women, 45 years after “Raise Ravens,” still suffering at the hands of men: a sense of the huge weight of the past on any present.

Wounded by critics’ savaging of his Oscar-nominated “Mama Turns 100”  (1979) and in order to accommodate his ever bigger family, Saura moved from Madrid to a large house in the hills just from the railway between Madrid and Segovia, in the placid village of Collado Mediano. There he would greet friends for lunches sluiced by wine and laughter. His most social moments were his shoots and the palpable joy at making movies can be felt in many of his later films.

He never thought of stopping. As he hit his eighties, his interests broadened with a doc feature about “Renzo Piano” (2018) and, in his final feature, “Walls Can Talk,” a doc feature world premiered at San Sebastian. Exploring the origins of art, down the millennia wall paintings at France’s Chauvet Cave, made 36,500 years ago, down to the work of modern graffiti arts. In it, implicitly, he questioned his own compulsive drive to create down long decades from when he exhibited his first dance photos back in 1951 at the Real Sociedad Fotográfica de Madrid.

Carlos Saura is survived by his four partners, who all marked his career: Journalist and documentarist Adela Medrano, actor Geraldine Chaplin, Mercedes Pérez and actor Eulalia Ramón, as well as seven children including producers Carlos, Antonio and Anna Saura. Antonio Saura also serves as the head of sales company Latido Films.

SAURA, Carlos

Born: 1/4/1932, Huesca, Aragon, Spain

Died: 2/10/2023, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

 

Carlos Saura’s western – director:

Weeping for a Bandit – 1967

RIP Nick Benedict

 

Veteran Soap Opera Actor Nick Benedict Dead at 77

Soap opera veteran and Daytime Emmy nominee Nick Benedict has died.

SOAPHUB

By Michael Maloney

July 18, 2023

 

Nick Benedict, best known for his roles on daytime drama, including Curtis Reed on Days of our Lives, has died. He was 77.

In Memoriam: Nick Benedict

The actor was born Nicholas Joseph Sciurba on July 14, 1947, in Los Angeles. He is the son of the late actor/director Richard Benedict (Mission: Impossible; Get Smart).

Ironically, Benedict passed away on his birthday. (Conflicting reports indicate the actor was either 76 or 77 at the time of his passing.) His death was reported on Jake’s Steakhouse Facebook page. His wife, Ginger, worked at the restaurant located in Tehachapi, CA.

A GoFundMe established prior to Benedict’s death set up to benefit Ginger shares that her husband had undergone spinal cord surgery on July 2. Two days later, he entered hospice care, paralyzed from the neck down. He was surrounded by his loved ones including Ginger when he died.

Benedict made his debut in the TV series Wiretapper as a child actor. As a 17-year-old, he appeared in Mike and the Mermaid. He made his daytime debut in 1973 as Phillip Brent, a Vietnam veteran, on All My Children. He played the part for many years, earning a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1979 in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The actor moved to the West Coast and took on the role of Michael Scott on The Young and the Restless. Michael made the misstep of falling in love with Julia Newman (Meg Bennett), the wife of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). After learning of the affair, Victor imprisoned Michael in his basement and fed him rats so he wouldn’t starve to death!

Next, Benedict played Ron Washington on the religious-based syndicated soap opera Another Life. His other credits include The Dukes of Hazard, Tales from the Darkside, and Memories of a Murder.

Daytime came calling again in 1993 when Benedict was cast as DAYS’ Curtis Reed, the abusive father of Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon). Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) killed Curtis, however, he returned on occasion as a spirit.

His last screen appearance was playing the role of Julie’s Father in the film A Beautiful Friendship. That same year, he appeared as himself on the Oprah Winfrey Show on February 9, 2011. AMC’s Susan Lucci was the guest and Benedict, along with eight other actors who played Erica’s many husbands over the years, dropped by to surprise their former TV wife.

Soap Hub sends sincere condolences to Ginger Benedict and the rest of the actor’s family, friends, and fans at this difficult time.

BENEDICT, Nick (Nicholas Joseph Sciurba)

Born: 7/14/1947, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 7/14/2023, Tehachapi, California, U.S.A.

 

Nick Benedict’s westerns – actor:

Iron Horse (TV) – 1966

Alias Smith and Jones (TV) – 1971

East Meets west - 1995

RIP Robert Lieberman

 

Robert Lieberman Dies: ‘Fire In The Sky’, TV & Commercials Director Was 75

DEADLINE

By Erik Pedersen

July 17, 2023

 

Robert Lieberman, who directed the sci-fi cult classic Fire in the Sky and won the inaugural DGA Award for Commercials, has died in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.

His death on July 1 was confirmed by his manager, John Bauman.

Lieberman kicked off his 50-plus year career as an assistant editor in commercials but by the mid-’70s had worked his way up to directing. He ended up helming more than a thousand spots for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Oreo among countless others and winning the DGA Award in 1979 and 1995. He worked with talent ranging from spanned from President Bill Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson, and much of this work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with partner Stuart Gross.

Lieberman was in the vanguard that brought a more cinematic, filmmaker’s eye to television. He directed a first-season episode of Thirtysomething that many credit with setting the template for the show’s unique, director-focused vision, according to his son, Nick Lieberman, a filmmaker whose Theater Camp opened this past weekend. He went on to direct 19 pilots, 16 of which went to series, including Gabriel’s Fire, Strong Medicine, and USA’s The Dead Zone. He also did episodes of Dexter, The X-Files and The Expanse.

In between, Lieberman developed and directed the films Table for Five, starring Jon Voight and Richard Crenna; All I Want for Christmas with Thora Birch and Lauren Bacall; and D3: The Mighty Ducks.

His son said Lieberman sometimes shared this message: “My advice to people who are trying to get in the business is you’ve got to be absolutely fearless and relentless. If you want it, you’ve got to want it with everything in your being. … I wanted to be in this business, and now looking back over my whole career, I love that I spent my life in this business. I got to go to work and have fun: Do what I wanted to do, create what I wanted to create, wake up in the morning with blank canvases and go out and paint — and with somebody else’s money. It’s craziness, and I got to do it for over 50 years.”

Along with his son Nick, Lieberman is survived by his wife, Victoria Peters; his daughter, Erin, and son-in-law, producer Trent Othick; sons Lorne and Joey; a stepdaughter, Kristen Konvitz, an agent at UTA; three grandchildren; and a sister. Fern Kelman.

LIEBERMAN, Robert

Born: 7/16/1947, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 7/1/2023, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Robert Lieberman’s westerns – producer, director:

The Young Riders (TV) – 1989 [executive producer, director]

Harts of the West (TV) – 1993 [director]

RIP Bronwen Booth

 

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Actress Bronwen Booth Dead at 59

Soaps in Depth

By Chris Eades          

July 14, 2023 

 

More sad news in the soap world. Actress Bronwen Booth, best known to daytime fans as Andy Harrison on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, died on April 4, 2023, at the age of 59 after a battle with ampullary cancer. “She felt the love around her to the last moment,” wrote Michelle Covello, who organized a GoFundMe to help support her during her cancer battle. “Her husband, Nick, was with her holding her hand, talking to her, and supporting her through her transition.”

“Bronwen and I believe that our life force, the energy, the soul, whatever you want to call it, is like all energy, it is transformed from one type to another and is never created or destroyed,” Nick wrote in a message on the page. “The love you have all shared with Bronwen throughout her life has already been transformed by you into the most stunning acts of kindness one could imagine.

“in her human form, Bronwen had limitations of time and space,” he continued. “Not anymore. As we collectively carry her love into the world may it give us all a clarity of purpose, a passion for empathy, and the grace and joy of a life well-lived.”

At the start of her acting career, Booth joined the cast of OLTL in 1989 in the role of Andy Harrison, Max Holden’s sister, and she remained with the soap until 1991. She went on to appear in movies like The Call of the Wild, Kayla, Glory & Honor, Airspeed, and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The actress could also be seen in episodes of series like LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, SCRUBS, and NURSE JACKIE.

Booth wished that donations in her memory be made to Blue Rider Stables, a non-profit organization that offers therapeutic horseback riding. Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.

BOOTH, Bronwen

Born: 2/21/1964, Marylebone, London, England, U.K.

Died: 4/24/2023

 

Bronwen Booth’s westerns – actress:

The Call of the Wild (TV) – 1997 (Mercedes)

Kayla – 1997 (Althea Robinson)

RIP Laird Koenig

 

Laird Koenig, ‘The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane’ Writer, Dies at 95

Variety

By McKinley Franklin

July 17, 2023

 

Laird Koenig, who wrote “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane,” died in Santa Barbara on June 30, Jamie Dixon, the son of Koenig’s collaborator Peter L. Dixon, told Variety. He was 95.

Koenig was an American author and screenwriter whose novel was adapted into the 1976 Jodie Foster-led horror movie “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane.”

He was born on Sept. 14, 1927, in Seattle, and would go on to attend the University of Washington. Koenig worked in advertising before being approached by Peter L. Dixon, whom he would collaborate with extensively throughout his career, and went on to write for the adventure television series “Flipper.”

Koenig also wrote the screenplay for “The Cat” which starred Roger Perry, and the 1969 production of “The Dozens” which starred Al Freeman Jr., Morgan Freeman and Paula Kelly.

He notably wrote the screenplay for several Terence Young Films, including “Red Sun,” which starred Charles Bronson, “Bloodline,” which starred Audrey Hepburn, and “Inchon” with Ben Gazzara.

Several of his novels were adapted for the big screen, including his 1970 novel “The Children Are Watching,” which was turned into the 1978 “Attention Les Enfants Regardent,” the 1978 book “The Neighbor,” which became the 1982 film “Killing ‘Em Softly,” and the 1968 telefilm “Rockabye.”

His other novels include “Islands” (1980), “The Disciple” (1983), “The Sea Wife” (1986), “Rising Sun” (1986) and “Morning Sun: The Story of Madam Butterfly’s Boy” (2012).

His further writing credits include films such as “Tennessee Waltz” and TV series including “The High Chaparral” and “Intrigues.”

He is survived by his niece, Lisa, and his nephew, Mark.

KOENIG, Laird (Laird Philip Koenig)

Born: 9/14/1927, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Died: 6/30/2023, Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.

 

Laird Koenig’s westerns – writer:

The High Chaparral (TV) – 1970

Red Sun - 1971