RIP Peter Rabenalt

 

We mourn the loss of Peter Rabenalt

Our graduate and long-time professor, the composer and dramaturge Peter Rabenalt, passed away at the age of 87.

Filmuniversitat

August 27, 2024

 

"A man plays "jazzed-up" Bach for himself on a bus. This brief appearance by the composer Peter Rabenalt in Kurt Barthel's FRÄULEIN SCHMETTERLING is a forward-looking summary of the composer's work: from the 1960s onwards, the audience has had unusual listening experiences with him and gradually dismantles their resistance to these sounds," is the case in the Portrait of the DEFA Foundation. Influenced by a musical home, growing up with lessons in piano, accordion, clarinet and saxophone, the composer, who was born on July 16, 1937 in Semlin (Havelland) Peter Rabenalt in 1956, however, initially at the still young film school in Babelsberg. There he is one of the first cohorts in the production course. He impressively shares impressions of his student days at the then still German University of Fine Arts in the article "My teachers from the DEFA", printed in Luminosity 2018, the journal of the DEFA Foundation.

After graduating in 1960, he worked in the editorial office of the German Television Corporation, without losing sight of music. So he toured the country with a jazz quartet and finally his former fellow student won him over Kurt Barthel not only for this short appearance as an actor in MISS BUTTERFLY, but also for film music - the start of his career as a composer. In order to deepen his skills, he studied composition and composition at the "Hanns Eisler" Academy of Music in Berlin from 1970 to 1975. Peter Rabenalt leaves behind numerous musical works, which he composed for cinema and television films but also for the theatre, including the music for one of the few film musicals of the DEFA, ZILLE AND ICK , comes from his pen.

But he also always remained connected to the film school, returning to his alma mater as early as September 1962 as an assistant and research assistant in the field of dramaturgy, in order to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of students from the mid-1980s as a lecturer in sound and music dramaturgy, from 1985 as a professor of film and television dramaturgy and even after his retirement as a visiting professor - this also in various publications on the "Sound of Film". The lasting impression he left on his "students" becomes clear in the obituaries. "I will never forget how Prof. Peter Rabenalt looked me in the eye at the end of my entrance exam in Potsdam and said friendly "I think we understand you, Mr. Gößler!" As a student, I only had the pleasure of a lecture and his legendary film music and sound dramaturgy seminar, as he was already retired. Nevertheless, I always felt seen by Peter Rabenalt during the few encounters. Always understood. He was always interested, always curious. A great university teacher who has shaped generations. Including me, even though we had so little to do with each other. How nice that I was able to get to know him," writes Timo Gößler. Thomas Frick remembers him as a "professor who prepared himself at every hour, who developed his own dramaturgy, from which I still benefit today and to whom we owe a large part of our education". And also a film journalist Knut Elstermann pays tribute to Rabenalt in a Obituary: "One of the great film composers of the DEFA, wrote expressive, experimental new music (Your Unknown Brother), no pleasing soundtracks. As a professor at the Babelsberg Film University (I also listened to him) was an immensely stimulating, practice-oriented teacher, from whom I learned a lot about the methodology of film. A warm-hearted, noble, unpretentious person who gave everyone the good feeling of being perceived by him exactly."

We mourn the loss of our graduate and colleague, film artist, film scholar and teacher Peter Rabenalt!

RABENALT, Peter

Born: 7/16/1937, Semlin, Rathenow, Brandenburg, Germany

Died: 8/26/2024, Germany

 

Peter Rabenalt’s western – composer:

Blue Bird – 1979

RIP Catherine Ribeiro

 

Catherine Ribeiro, Boundary-Breaking French Singer, Dies at 82

The former yé-yé singer was known for a series of influential psychedelic prog records with Patrice Moullet’s Alpes

Pitchfork

By Jazz Monroe and Matthew Strauss

August 23, 2024

 

Catherine Ribeiro died overnight at a retirement home in the French city of Martigues, Le Monde reports, citing a statement from her representatives to Agence France-Presse. The Lyon-born singer was 82 years old.

Ribeiro was born in 1941 to Portuguese parents. Before her career in music, she appeared in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Les Carabiniers. Throughout the 1960s, she recorded a number of singles and became a yé-yé star, eventually releasing Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis, the debut album from her new group with multi-instrumentalist Patrice Moullet, in 1969.

The 2Bis changed their name to Alpes and, with Ribeiro, recorded a slate of psychedelic prog rock albums across the 1970s, eschewing Ribeiro’s yé-yé roots in favor of experimental, uncompromisingly political songs on issues including the Vietnam War and Palestine. Ribeiro + Alpes released their final studio album, La Déboussole, in 1980. Ribeiro followed with solo records in the 1980s and 1990s.

Kim Gordon has been one of Catherine Ribeiro’s most vocal fans, praising the singer in several interviews. “Catherine Ribeiro’s voice is so amazing and the music sounds so—I hate to use the word organic, but I just kind of relate it to the music,” Gordon told The Quietus in 2018. “She is definitely an influence on me.”

Weyes Blood has also expressed her admiration for Catherine Ribeiro (“extremely powerful, wild, improvisatory voice”), and Circuit des Yeux has covered “Sœur de Race.” Mexican Summer imprint Anthology Recordings reissued three of Ribeiro + Alpes’ albums in September 2018: N°2, Âme Debout, and Paix.

RIBEIRO, Catherine (Catherine Marie Marguerite Ribeiro)

Born: 9/22/1941, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Died: 8/23/2024, Martigues, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur France

 

Catherine Ribeiro’s western – actress:

Buffalo Bill, Hero of the Far West – 1964 (Rayon-de-Loon/Moonbeam)

RIP Robert Sidaway

 

Doctor Who and Crossroads actor Robert Sidaway dies 

Today

By Doug Lambert

August 20, 2024

 

Actor and writer Robert Sidaway has died after a short illness while abroad.

He had an extensive career in television and the West End theatre with telly roles including in Doctor Who – being one of a small handful of living actors to have worked with both William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton – and other classic programmes such as ‘The Avengers’, ‘Emergency Ward 10’, and ‘Out of the Unknown’.

Robert played Stuart Marshall on Crossroads in 1973, and was part of the writing team in 1975.

As Stuart Marshall in the Midlands motel saga, he was introduced into plots with scenes recorded in Oxford, where Diane (Susan Hanson) had rushed to following her son Nicky being abducted by his father Frank Adam (Jon Kelley) – an American actor who fled back to the states with their child. This left Diane distraught, she turned to drink ultimately leading her husband Vince Parker (Peter Brookes) to leave her. Wanting to get away from Kings Oak and reminders of her failings she headed for time away.

In Oxford she got a job in a cafe, however, her mental health was increasingly in decline and she attempted to throw herself off a bridge – until University lecturer Stuart rushed up and stopped her. Feeling sorry for Diane he offered her a job as his housekeeper, it was the start of a short romance but like so many for Diane it just didn’t work out. She headed back to Kings Oak and that was the end of Stuart’s time in the series.

It wasn’t however the end for Robert who returned just over a year later and spent most of 1975 as one of the writers on the soap. He went on to create The Optimist a Channel 4 series starring Enn Reitel as Nigel.

The first series follows a bumbling everyman who inevitably finds himself in extraordinary situations. In the first series, Nigel’s American adventures see him in a gunfight at a Wild West ranch; entering a mini Grand Prix; enduring a stay at the world’s strictest health farm, and duelling his way across Hollywood. The final second run of episodes sees Nigel back in London where he dances in Swan Lake; becomes involved in international espionage, and inherits a crumbling mansion with some very strange relatives!

In 2021 Robert led a social media campaign, which we were happy to be involved with, to try and get The Optimist released on DVD. Something that finally happened earlier this year, along with a special 24-page booklet that reveals some Crossroads stories such as… what it was like working on the programme; being with Sonia Fox when a crazed viewer attacked her; creating the character of Benny Hawkins; and why Noele Gordon demanded he be sacked from the writing team.

Robert’s son Ashley Sidaway has been updating followers of a GoFundMe page on his father’s health. He notes, ‘as well as my father, he has been my guide and collaborator as we have worked together over the last 40 years. While I tried to be the detail and structure, Robert was the heart and passion, the driving force.

‘Through our close relationship, we have looked to turn dreams into reality and hopefully entertained people along the way. Recently we have been in Sri Lanka, setting up a new film project. A story of redemption and reflection that follows a Western woman returning after the Civil War and remembering the love of her youth. An emotional story born of Robert’s imagination.

‘Our return from Sri Lanka took us through Malaysia and Thailand.’ However, about six weeks ago, Robert experienced a sudden loss of balance and was diagnosed with cancer, which had caused swelling and lesions in his brain. He underwent critical radiotherapy treatment on his brain, which was successful, and a pathway for ongoing chemotherapy was established.

‘Unfortunately, perhaps due to the high doses of steroids affecting his immune system, Robert developed a dangerous infection that required emergency surgery.’

A later update noted that Robert passed away on August 16th.

SIDAWAY, Robert

Born: 1/24/1942, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, U.K.

Died: 8/16/2024, Thailand

 

Robert Sidaway’s western - ?:

Blood Justice - 2024

RIP Alain Delon

 

Alain Delon, cinematic heartthrob and one of the most beloved French actors, has died

NPR

By Neda Ulaby

8/18/2024

 

Actor Alain Delon has died. His icy good looks established him as an postwar international celebrity who enjoyed a long commercial film career in Europe. Delon starred in more than 80 movies over six decades, including such classics as Le Samouraï and The Leopard. He was 88.

An agent for one of Delon's sons confirmed the death. His three children released a statement on Sunday to the news agency Agence France-Presse saying the actor had died peacefully at his home in Douchy, France.

Born in a wealthy Parisian suburb, Delon endured a tumultuous early life. His parents divorced when he was 4 years old. He spent his childhood shuffling between a foster family, various relatives and boarding schools, where he developed a reputation as a troublemaker and petty thief. At 17, Delon enlisted in the French navy, serving in what was then French Indochina for four years. After his service, he worked odd jobs, including as a waiter and a longshoreman, and started dating an actress — Brigitte Auber — who would be his entry into moviemaking.

Delon started getting attention as a screen starting in the late 1950s. One early role was as the lead in a French/Italian sex comedy called Faibles Femmes, or Women Are Weak.

“This young man, whom some genius press agent has helpfully tagged ‘the French James Dean,’ has long silky hair, high cheekbones and a loose-jointed, soigne air,” wrote New York Times critic Bosley Crowther in a dismissive 1959 review of the film. “He smiles come-hitherly and generally is condescending to the lovelies, who flip for him. He rides a motorcycle and affects the hauteur of a 'cat.’”

Delon’s status as a cat-like global sex symbol was confirmed the next year in the psychological thriller Plein Soleil, or Purple Noon, directed by René Clément. It was the first film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley. Clement’s camera swoons over Delon, who plays Ripley, as he glides through a seaside market in an impeccable white linen shirt. Even the famously cranky Patricia Highsmith adored his performance.

“This Ripley doesn’t promise happiness,” wrote critic Anthony Lane in a 2024 New Yorker article called “Can A Film Star Be Too Good-Looking?” It's a filmic mash note to Delon. “Here is someone, evidently, from whom we ought to steer clear, yet we can’t get away from him. We can’t even look away.”

Purple Noon made Delon one of the highest-paid French actors of his era. He started his own production companies and branched out into singing, recording at least one hit, “Paroles, paroles” in 1973 with the singer Dalida, who was also a romantic interest.

Although he tried, and failed, to build a Hollywood career, Delon’s co-stars in European productions included Jane Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Charles Bronson, Yves Montand and Brigitte Bardot, as well as German star Romy Schneider, with whom he was romantically involved. Their highly publicized breakup in 1964 was one of the many scandals that would mark his off-screen life.

Those included the mysterious murder of his bodyguard in 1968, salacious rumors of exclusive sex parties, an unacknowledged child with the singer and model Nico, allegations of abuse from his other children and forays into far-right politics that many peers in the film industry found off-putting. Delon enjoyed a long friendship with National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, whose politics were openly racist and antisemitic.

Over the years, Delon was awarded an honorary Palme d’Or and a César Award for Best Actor. Although he was best known for playing handsome, amoral criminals, Delon showed range and artistic ambition on screen, especially as he aged.

In 1976's Mr. Klein, a film he also produced, Delon starred as a self-absorbed gentile merchant mistaken for Jewish during World War II, and handed over to the Nazis by the Vichy regime. And in 1984's Un Amour de Swann, based on a novel by Marcel Proust, he played a supporting role, as a depressive gay aristocrat, who helps Jeremy Irons' main character find love.

Delon left behind an outsized, idiosyncratic cultural footprint. The band The Smiths used a still from L’Insoumis (The Unvanquished) featuring the actor's brooding face as the cover for their 1986 album, The Queen Is Dead, and Madonna's song "Beautiful Killer" is an homage to the actor. Director Quentin Tarantino credited Delon as an influence on his breakthrough film Reservoir Dogs.

"I could see Alain Delon in a black suit saying, ‘I’m Mr. Blonde,'" he told an interviewer, according to New York magazine.

In 1991, Delon was named a Chevalier of France’s Legion of Honor, later promoted to Officer. Much of his later work was in television and on stage, and his last screen credit was as himself in the 2019 French film Toute Ressemblance. That same year, after he suffered a stroke, his children began a long, public fight over his care. In early 2024, a French judge placed Delon under legal guardianship.

DELON, Alain (Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon)

Born: 11/8/1935, Sceaux, Seine, Île-de-France, France

Died:  8/18/2024, Douchy, Centre-Val de Loire, France

 

Alain Delon’s westerns – actor:

Western Star – 1964 [Film was never made.]

Texas Across the River – 1966 (

Red Sun – 1971 (Gotch ‘Gauche’ Kink)

Zorro – 1975 (Don Diego de la Vega/Miguel Eloretta/El Zorro)

RIP Robert Weatherwax

 

Facebook

By Leslie Rugg

8/16/2024

 

Robert (Bob) Weatherwax

June 4, 1941 – Aug 15, 2024

 

A Man and his Many Dogs

Bob and his dad, Rudd Weatherwax, brought 60 + years of “Lassie” to the world. In their careers, they trained and handled many more dogs for film and television – even radio! But it was Lassie with whom their names will forever be intertwined.

Prior to Rudd's success, Hollywood animal trainers received no on-screen credit. Again, it was Lassie who made the difference. The relationship that these two men with the “dog gene” had with each other and with their dozens of dogs in background, foreground, and center stage was familial, professional, and all-consuming. The methods they constantly perfected changed the way dogs were perceived. Rudd and Bob brought out not only canine physical prowess and feats rivaling Superman, but they also knew how to extract the intelligence and emotion that could bring audiences to tears and remind them of the depth of love and devotion possible between dogs and humans. We all viewed the results on big and little screens.

Few were fortunate enough to see the intensity of the magic between Rudd and a dog and Bob with one of his dogs behind the scenes. Training wasn't just a collar, leash, and obedience commands. It was the establishment of a relationship that blotted out any distraction. It was the eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart building of trust. It was dissecting a desired action and movement down to the most minute step that a dog could literally learn and perform forwards and backwards. It was translating the immense potential of a species similar to us but different enough that what we shared could be captured in the raising of a paw, lowering of a head, crawling on the ground, swimming against treacherous currents, leaping out of windows into the arms of the adult or child who loved the dog and needed the dog in that instant.

It was pure magic to see that process that didn't involve tricks or any equipment. It was Rudd and Bob's magic to be able to connect through voice, eye, gesture, a simple nudge, a raising of arms. The dogs always knew what was meant, and audiences reaped the rewards.

Bob was literally brought up by Pal, the first Lassie of the MGM films. Pal was born exactly one year  before Bob and became his babysitter while the rest of the family was busy. Rudd often made use of Bob and his older sister, JoAnne, when training dogs. The two children had to stand a certain way, face a certain way, look a certain way while Rudd taught the dogs to react according to script demands. Bob eventually worked for and with his dad on scores of the Lassie TV show, and then he eventually established his own professional training business for the entertainment industry. Like his father, Bob trained little and big dogs, dogs with flat and shaggy coats – whatever was required for a movie or television show.

And then there was the Lassie legacy, left to him when Rudd died. Bob took over for another several decades and three more generations of Lassies that included a film and TV series. In his retirement years, he had one more collie, whom he considered the first pet he'd ever shared his life with. “Hammer”'s only job was to be Bob's companion. Of course Bob couldn't help training him, although not to the level of a working Lassie. But it was his supreme joy to wake up each morning and go to bed each night with a loving collie, just as so many of us do because of the incredible, indelible canine persona Rudd and Bob gifted to all dog lovers.

WEATHERWAX, Robert (Robert Walter Weatherwax)

Born: 6/14/1941, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 8/16/2024, Jessup, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

 

Robert Weatherwax’s westerns – dog trainer:

Big Jake – 1971

Stone Fox – 1987

RIP Aydemir Akbas

 

The artist Aydemir Akbaş passed away at the age of 88.

EnHaberler.com

8/17/2024

 

Master actor Aydemir Akbaş, who has been undergoing cancer treatment for a while, passed away at the age of 88.

The master actor Aydemir Akbaş, who has been undergoing cancer treatment for a while, passed away at the age of 88.

AYDEMİR AKBAŞ HAS LOST HIS LIFE

Sad news came from the master actor Aydemir Akbaş. Akbaş, who was diagnosed with cancer again, passed away at the age of 88 while receiving treatment at the hospital.

FOUND UNCONSCIOUS AT HOME

Aydemir Akbaş, who had previously battled colon, larynx, and intestinal cancer, announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer again. The 88-year-old actor was found unconscious at his home yesterday and was rushed to the hospital. Aydemir Akbaş, who was immediately taken to the intensive care unit, had his close friend İbrahim Tatlıses ask for prayers. It was claimed that Akbaş was intubated.

WHO IS AYDEMİR AKBAŞ?

Movie actor, director, and screenplay writer. Born on March 3, 1936, in Istanbul. He was born in the Feriköy neighborhood of Istanbul to an Albanian Monastirli father and a Laz mother from Trabzon Sürmeneli. After studying at Italian and Galatasaray High Schools, he worked as a journalist for a while. Then he started his career in theater and worked with theater groups such as Gülriz Sururi, Ayfer Feray - Nisa Serezli, Ali Poyrazoğlu. He played roles in plays such as Keşanlı Ali Destanı, Direkler Arası, Zilli Zarife, Ferhat ile Şirin.

In 1960, he served as a teacher in Kara village of Suruç district in Urfa. After his military service, he joined Gülriz Sururi-Engin Cezzar Theater. In 1968, he played a role in the play 7 Kocalı Hürmüz at Ayfer Feray-Nisa Serezli Theater. In 1969, he became one of the partners of Gülriz Sururi-Engin Cezzar and Partners Theater. Here, he played roles in plays such as Nikah Kağıdı, Düşenin Dostu. He directed many theater plays.

Aydemir Akbaş entered the cinema in 1964 with the film "Keşanlı Ali Destanı" directed by Atıf Yılmaz. He acted in Yılmaz Güney's films for a while. In 1974, he appeared in numerous erotic-comedy films during the sex film frenzy of Yeşilçam. In the following years, he worked with İbrahim Tatlıses and worked on screenplay projects.

He appeared in 127 films, 40 of which were comedies, directed 8 films, and acted in about 30 theater plays. He also appeared in many TV series. He wrote the screenplay for 33 films.

In 1987, he started directing with the film "Düş Yakamdan Osman". Aydemir Akbaş last appeared in the film "Kolpaçino" with Şafak Sezer and in the cinema film "Kutsal Damacana 2: İt Men" with Şafak Sezer and Mustafa Üstündağ.

Aydemir Akbaş was married to theater actress Beyhan Benek in 1964 and divorced twice and has been married three times.

AKBAS, Aydemir

Born: 3/3/1936, Feriköy Istanbul, Turkey

Died: 8/16/2024, Istanbul, Turkey

 

Aydemir Akbas’ western – actor:

Kovboy Ali – 1966 (Ökkes)

RIP Peter Marshall

 

Peter Marshall, Host of ‘The Hollywood Squares,’ Dies at 98 

Before working on the game show, the Emmy winner was a singer, a straight man in a popular comedy act and a leading man on Broadway.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

August 15, 2024

 

Peter Marshall, the velvety-voiced host who presided over NBC’s celebrity-filled game show The Hollywood Squares for 16 years, died Thursday. He was 98.

Marshall, an accomplished singer who also was a leading man on Broadway and one-half of a popular comedy team before embarking on his game-show gig, died of kidney failure at his Encino home, his family announced.

The pride of West Virginia hosted some 6,000 episodes of The Hollywood Squares from 1966 through 1981, winning four Daytime Emmy Awards. Marshall often worked just one day a week, when he taped five shows. “It was the easiest job I ever had, and I never rehearsed,” he said.

Soon after starring in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical comedy Skyscraper opposite Julie Harris, Marshall was offered the job as host of The Hollywood Squares, created by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. An earlier version of the show, hosted by Bert Parks, had been turned down.

Marshall wasn’t really interested until he learned that if he didn’t take the job, it would go to comedian Dan Rowan. “I’ve only disliked two people in my life; Dan Rowan was one of them,” he said in a 2010 interview with the Archive of American Television.

Marshall’s former comedy partner, Tommy Noonan, had introduced Rowan, then a used-car salesman, to Dick Martin, a bartender, and wrote material for their act that would lead to the pair hosting the 1960s comedy show Laugh-in. Marshall said he was angry that Rowan never visited Noonan at the Motion Picture & Television Home while he was slowly dying of brain cancer.

Also, producer Abe Burrows wanted Marshall to star opposite Mary Tyler Moore in a production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s aiming for Broadway. Marshall assured him that The Hollywood Squares would last just 13 weeks and he would be available after that. But when the show was renewed for another 13 weeks, Burrows informed him that he was going with Richard Chamberlain.

“Well, I ran 16 years [on Hollywood Squares] and Breakfast at Tiffany’s closed in Boston,” Marshall said. “You never know.”

With Marshall as its handsome host, The Hollywood Squares debuted on Oct. 17, 1966, out of a studio in Burbank, with nine celebrities seating in a huge tic-tac-toe board. Two contestants (one representing X, the other O) would try to win collect three squares in a row by correctly agreeing or disagreeing with a celebrity’s answer to a question posed by Marshall.

Paul Lynde, Rose Marie, Cliff Arquette (Charley Weaver), George Gobel (his favorite on the show) and Wally Cox (as in Marshall second-guessing a contestant, “I might have gone with Wally Cox to block”) were among the entertainers who made easy-money, second careers out of appearing on the show.

For a week in 2002, Marshall returned as the center square in a new version hosted by Tom Bergeron, and he got to host an episode.

After The Hollywood Squares, Marshall hosted the game shows Fantasy (with Leslie Uggams), All-Star Blitz, Yahtzee and Reel to Reel. He was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007.

Marshall’s older sister was actress Joanne Dru, who starred in such films as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and All the King’s Men and was married to singer Dick Haymes and, later, actor John Ireland.

Peter Marshall on the set of ‘The Hollywood Squares.’ Mary Ann Halpern & Peter Marshall Archives

Marshall was born Ralph Pierre LaCock on March 30, 1926, in Clarksburg, West Virginia. His dad was a pharmacist (he died when Marshall was 10) and his mother a costume designer. He was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, by his grandmother.

Marshall moved to New York to join his mother, who had moved there to help further his sister’s career as a model, and at age 14 he worked as an usher at the famed Paramount Theater after Al Jolson got him the job. At 15, he sang with the Bob Chester Band and earned $50 a week.

“I always wanted to be a singer from the get-go. I can always remember music being important in my life,” he said in the TV Archive interview.

Marshall landed a job as an NBC page though he wasn’t yet 18 (the chairman of the board at the network, whom he knew through a friend, got him in). As a page, he helped out on Truth or Consequences, hosted by Ralph Edwards, and on a show that had Mayor Fiorello La Guardia reading to children.

He came to California in 1943 and lived with his sister and Haymes in their guest house but was soon drafted into the U.S. Army. He worked as an Armed Forces disc jockey and program director at a 50,000-watt station in Naples, Italy, then was a DJ and a singer in Florida after the service.

In 1949, Marshall was introduced to Noonan, a struggling comedian who was the half-brother of Ireland, now Dru’s husband. They formed the comedy act Noonan & Marshall (Marshall was the straight man) and sold out nightclubs all over L.A.; soon, they were booked for 16 solid weeks at the legendary La Martinique club in New York.

Marshall and his partner then appeared in small roles in the films Jesse James (1950), Holiday Rhythm (1950), FBI Girl (1951) and the musical Starlift (1951).

“Time magazine came out and said maybe one of the worst movies of the year is called Starlift, but it’s worth the price of admission to see Noonan & Marshall,” he said.

The pair were signed to appear opposite Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but Marshall was replaced by another actor, Elliott Reed, as Noonan stayed on.

“[Noonan] got so hot after that, he couldn’t afford to do our act,” Marshall said.

Marshall teamed with comic Tommy Farrell for three years (they had their own ABC variety series, Two of the Most) and worked again with Noonan on stage and in the films The Rookie (1959) and Swingin‘ Along (1961). He split with Noonan for good when he left for London to star with Chita Rivera in Bye Bye Birdie, a move he said transformed his career.

Marshall appeared on the Squares set in Rabbit Test (1978), directed by Joan Rivers, and played a radio personality in the 1982 film version of Annie. In the original Broadway production of La Cage Aux Folles in the 1980s, he portrayed Georges for more than 800 performances.

Marshall showed off his singing chops on such albums as Boy Singer and No Happy Ending, a Billie Holiday tribute. In 2002, he published his autobiography, Backstage With the Original Hollywood Square, and for years hosted a radio show, Music of Your Life, spinning 1930s and ’40s tunes.

Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Laurie; children Suzanne, Jaime and Pete LaCock, a former first baseman with the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals; sons-in-law David and Steve; 12 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. His son David, 68, died in 2021 from COVID complications.

MARSHALL, Peter (Ralph Pierre LaCock)

Born: 3/30/1926, Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.A.

Died: 8/15/2024, Encino, California, U.S.A.

 

Peter Marshall’s western – actor:

The Return of Jesse James – 1950 (George)

RIP Winsome Sinclair

 

Winsome Sinclair, Casting Director and Frequent Spike Lee Collaborator, Dead at 58

Sinclair worked in the casting department on classic films such as "Malcolm X" and "Crooklyn" over the course of her three decade career.

Indie Wire

By Christian Zilko

August 14, 2024

 

Winsome Sinclair, a prolific casting director best known for her frequent collaborations with Spike Lee, has died at the age of 58 after a battle with colon cancer. News of her passing was confirmed by producer and publicist Cassandra Butcher in a post on Instagram.

“Winsome Sinclair brought light to everyone she encountered, with a unique ability to see more in people than they could see in themselves,” Butcher wrote on Instagram. “A true fan of life and culture, her passion for the arts and her deep love for family and community will continue to inspire those who know her. Winsome’s legacy in the film industry and the lives she touched will live on, reminding us of her vibrant spirit and the stories she helped bring to life.”

Born in 1966, Sinclair began her career in Hollywood as a casting production assistant on Lee’s 1991 film “Jungle Fever” before rising to prominence as a member of the casting department on many of the auteur’s future films. She worked with Lee on “Malcolm X,” “Crooklyn,” “Clockers,” “Get on the Bus,” “He Got Game,” “Summer of Sam,” “25th Hour,” “She Hate Me,” “Inside Man,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” and “Red Hook Summer,” often casting the extras and local actors that can be essential to giving a film a distinct flair.

She quickly rose through the ranks and soon began working as a casting director. Her first film in charge was the 1998 film “Belly,” and she went on to serve as casting director on films such as the 2017 Tupac Shakur biopic “All Eyez on Me.”

Sinclair continued to be active in the industry up until her death, most recently working on projects such as “The Night Before Christmas” and “All In.” She relocated to Atlanta in 2014, becoming a fixture of the city’s filmmaking community for the last decade of her life.

Sinclair is survived by her two adopted children, her parents, and her many cousins, nieces, and nephews. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support her family.

“Our sweet angel Winsome Sinclair was a ‘woman of the word.’ She believed deeply in “radical faith” and lived her life in that way,” the GoFundMe reads. “She touched so many lives in the film and entertainment industry, and the prayer community to which she was a member.”

SINCLAIR, Winsome

Born: 10/27/1965, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 8/14/2024, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.

 

Winsome Sinclair’s western – casting director:

Death’s Just a Jingle Away – 2024

RIP Gena Rowlands

 

Gena Rowlands, 'The Notebook' Actress, Dead at 94

Entertainment Tonight

By Paige Gawley

August 14, 2024

 

Gena Rowlands is best known for playing the older version of Rachel McAdams' 'The Notebook' character.

Gena Rowlands has died. The actress, best known for her role in The Notebook, died at her California home on Aug. 14, TMZ reports. She was 94.

Per the outlet, both Rowlands' husband, Robert Forrest, and daughter, Alexandra Cassavetes, were by her side when she died. Rowlands son, The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes, has been at his mom's house throughout the week, the outlet reports.

Rowlands shares Alexandra and Nick, as well as daughter Zoe, with her first husband, John Cassavetes, who died in 1989. She married Forrest in 2012.

A cause of death has yet to be determined. ET has reached out to Rowlands' rep for comment.

Rowlands' death comes two months after Nick revealed his mom was battling Alzheimer's disease. It's the same condition that Rowlands' The Notebook character, the older version of Rachel McAdams' Allie, suffers from.

"I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer's and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she's had Alzheimer's," Nick told Entertainment Weekly. "She's in full dementia. And it's so crazy -- we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."

The Emmy-winning actress' last credited role was in 2017 for the short Unfortunate Circumstances. In addition to her role in The Notebook, she also had memorable roles in Hope Floats, The Skeleton Key, Paris, I Love You, Something to Talk About, and much more. She has a total of 106 acting credits to her name.

ROWLANDS, Gena (Virginia Cathryn Rowlands)

Born: 6/19/1930, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Died: 8/14/2024, Indian Wells, California, U.S.A.

 

Gena Rowlands’ westerns – actress:

Laramie (TV) – 1959 (Laurel DeWalt)

Riverboat (TV) – 1959 (Rose Trayner)

Lonely are the Brave – 1962 (Jerry Bondi)

Bonanza (TV) – 1963 (Ragan Miller)

The Virginian (TV) – 1963 (Savannah)

The Road West (TV) – 1967 (Karen Collier)

Montana (TV) – 1990 (Bess Guthrie)

 

RIP Sergio Donati

 

Farewell to screenwriter Sergio Donati, loved by Leone and Bellocchio. His 'Once upon a time in the west' and 'Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina'

He was 91 years old. Of his long adventure in cinema he had written the book "Once upon a time in the West, but I was there too"

la Repubblica

August 13, 2024

 

Farewell to Sergio Donati. The screenwriter – one of the most important in Italian cinema – died today in Mentana, in the province of Rome. His son Lorenzo gave the news to the Ansa agency. Born on April 13, 1933, in Rome, Donati had begun his career as a writer at a very young age, as a successful crime writer with the Mondadori Giallo series with L'Altra faccia della luna, Sepolcro di carta and Mister Sharkey torna a casa. He then became one of the great Italian screenwriters, author of over eighty films, including the famous spaghetti westerns by Sergio Leone with music by Ennio Morricone.

Sergio Donati's talent and creativity have marked the history of cinema with films such as Once Upon a Time in the West, Giù la Testa, but also Sbatti il Mostro in Prima Pagina by Marco Bellocchio, Il Giocattolo by Giuliano Montaldo, Casablanca Casablanca by Francesco Nuti, Il Conte Tacchia by Sergio Corbucci, Almost Blue by Alex Infascelli. Also appreciated abroad, he had collaborated with directors such as Michael Anderson, John Irvin and John Guillermin, he worked for Raw Deal with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A long adventure in cinema that Donati had partly recounted in the book Once Upon a Time in the West, but I was there too.

DONATI, Sergio

Born: 4/13/1933, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Died: 8/13/2024, Mentana, Lazio, Italy

 

Dollars for a Fast Gun – 1965

For a Few Dollars More – 1965

The Big Gundown – 1966

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966

Face to Face – 1967

Once Upon a Time in the West – 1968

The Ballad of Ben and Charlie – 1971

Duck You Sucker – 1971

Spaghetti Western – 1974

Buddy Goes West – 1981

They Call Me Renegade - 1984 

Colt (TV) – 1994 [TV series was never made]

North Star – 1996  

RIP Kim Kahana

 

Facebook

Emily A. Vickers

August 12, 2024

 

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Grandmaster Kim Kahana.

He was a sweet man, loved by all who knew him. Kahana studied martial arts in Japan where he earned six black belts in karate, aikido and jujutsu. He was a true legend who performed stunts in over 300 movies and television programs and ran a stunt school in Groveland, Florida that has trained over 15,000 students, all of whom carry his lessons with them.

I'm addition to his legendary stunt work and training, he was a Korean War Veteran, a lone survivor of a plane crash, survived a grenade that blinded him for two years, and a bullet that would have killed him if not for a penny. He earned a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. He gave his all in everything he did.

He was known by so many, and loved by them all.

Mr. K., it was an honor working alongside you, spending time with you and Sandra Kahana in your home, and learning about your exceptional life through the stories you told.

You will greatly missed, always admired, and loved.

I find peace knowing you are now together with your son.

Please send love and light to his family, friends, colleagues, and to all that knew him as a true human superhero.

I love you, Mr. K.

KAHANA, Kim

Born: 10/16/1929, Hawaii

Died: 8/12/2024, Monrovia, California, U.S.A.

 

Kim Kahan’s westerns – stunt coordinator, stuntman, actor:

The High Chaparral (TV) – 1969 (Keono)

Joe Kidd – 1972 [stunts]

The Castaway Cowboy – 1974 [stunt coordinator, stunts]

The Apple Dumpling Gang – 1975 [stunts]

RIP Franco Daddi

 

Franco Daddi, stuntman and master of arms, has died: a life in the most risky roles

Born and bred in Ostia, Franco Daddi had chased in vain the project of a stunt school to be born on the Roman coast

Canale Dieci

By Giulio Mancini

August 12, 2024

 

Franco Daddi, stuntman and master of arms who passed away tonight at the age of 89, had been ill for some time. The almanacs of cinema attribute to him no less than 80 films as an actor and stuntman: among the roles covered there is also that of stunt double for Kirk Douglas, Steward Granger, Ricardo Montalban and Lex Barker, the first Tarzan of cinema.

Born and bred in Ostia, Franco Daddi had chased in vain the project of a stunt school to be born on the Roman coast

Franco (born Virgilio) Daddi was a great character in the world of cinema of the furious Sixties, those of the so-called peplum films (including action roles in the various Goliaths, Hercules and Macistes), pirates (including Sandokan) and spaghetti westerns. Born in 1935 in Rome, in 1956 Franco Daddi and his family moved to live in Ostia. Son of Asvero, chief machinist at Cinecittà, Franco began chewing bread and celluloid at the age of 13 with an appearance in the film "Il ponte di Bassano".

Gifted with an imposing physique, Franco Daddi grew up in sport, specializing mainly in fencing and horseback riding. The international film bible IMDB credits him with 89 films as a stuntman. Her last appearances were in Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" (2002), in the TV series "Elisa di Rivombrosa" (2003) and in the series "The Borgia" (2006).

Franco Daddi worked for a long time alongside Giuliano Gemma, with whom he became a great friend, and with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer (Otherwise they angry us, 1974; They Call Me Bulldozer, 1979). By virtue of his physique and his mastery in the most dangerous scenes, he has been a stunt double for actors such as Kirk Douglas, Steward Granger, John Ericson, Ricardo Montalban and Lex Barker.

As the book "Ostia natural set" points out, his most reckless stage performances saw him engaged in a dive from a height of 17 meters into the sea from the cliff of Circeo and the launch into the void from the second arch of the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla.

In his mature years he dedicated himself to instructing legions of successful actors such as Linda Turner, Alain Delon, Lola Falana, Kaspar Capparoni, Vittoria Puccini and Alessandro Preziosi in the use of bladed weapons and horseback riding.

His unfulfilled dream

In the first decade of the 2000s, Franco Daddi worked on the construction of a stunt school in Ostia. The project was to obtain from the local administration a plot of land where to welcome the aspiring cashiers and compare them with the greatest interpreters of this noble cinematographic art to learn every secret. The initiative was presented at a press conference hosted at the Town Hall, at the Governorate Palace, but was not put into practice.

The funeral of Franco Daddi

Franco Daddi's funeral will be held on Tuesday 13 August at the church of Santa Monica in Ostia at 9.30 am.

Franco Daddi’s westerns – stuntman, stunt coordinator, actor:

The Return of Clay Stone – 1964 (gambler)

Three Dollars of Lead – 1964 (Jerry) [as Virgilio Daddi]

Johnny West – 1965 (Jefferson henchman)

A Stranger in Sacramento – 1965 (Barnett henchman) [Franco Daddys]

The Big Gundown – 1966 (cantina brawler)

Seven Dollars to Kill – 1966 (outlaw)

$20,000 on Number 7 – 1966 (attempted rapist)

Black Tigress – 1967 (Paco) [as Franco Dady] [master of arms]

Kill the Wicked! – 1967

And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars – 1968

Heads or Tails – 1968 (Rhett/Red)

Tequila Joe – 1968 (Crawford brother)

Two Pistols and a Coward – 1968 (brawler)

Zorro the Rebel – 1968 (policeman)

Boot Hill – 1969 (brawler)

Twice a Judas – 1969 (saloon brawler)

The Ballad of Ben and Charlie – 1971 (brawler)

Django’s Cut Rate Corpses – 1971 (Ramon’s brother)

A Man Called Django! – 1971 (Carranza henchman)

Paid in Blood – 1971 (Ringo Brown #1)

The Price of Death – 1971 (saloon patron)

Trinity is STILL My Name – 1971 (Parker henchman) [stunts]

Vengeance Trail – 1971 (Perkins’ henchman)

God is My Colt .45 – 1972 (hired killer)

Man of the East – 1972 (saloon patron)

They Call Me Providence – 1972 (gambler)

Trinity & Sartana Those Sons of Bitches – 1972 (Bill)

General Cagoso/Colonel Hotshot henchman – 1972 (Capone henchman)

Eh? Who’s Afraid of Zorro! – 1975 (Zorro)

The Grandson of Zorro – 1975 (Ruarte soldier)

America in Rome – 1998 [himself]

The Last Hour – 2009 [master of arms]

RIP Mitzi McCall

 

Mitzi McCall, Comedian, Sitcom Writer and Half of the Comedy Duo McCall and Brill, Dies at 93

Variety

By Diego Ramos Bechara

August 9, 2024

 

Mitzi McCall, the trailblazing comedian, actress and half of the comedy duo McCall and Brill, died Thursday in Burbank. She was 93.

Born on Sept. 9, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, her comedic talents were evident early in life, leading to a distinguished career that spanned over seven decades. She emerged as a prominent voice in the male-dominated comedy world, paving the way for future generations of female comedians.

McCall’s legacy is perhaps most enduringly marked by her work with her husband, actor and comedian Charlie Brill, as part of the comedy duo “McCall and Brill.” The pair became television staples, gracing numerous variety shows, including a memorable appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” during The Beatles’ American debut in 1964 — a moment that has since become television history.

Mitzi’s career began in the late 1940s with a stage debut at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in “Strange Bedfellows” in 1948. In the early 1950s, she hosted the Kiddie Castle program on KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, establishing herself as a versatile and engaging performer. By 1953, she was featured on Studio 10 on KGTV in San Diego, California.

Her television career included appearances on shows like “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” “Life Goes On,” “Silk Stalkings,” “Seinfeld,” “Roseanne,” “Dharma and Greg,” “Becker,” “The Twilight Zone” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.”

In addition to her on-camera work, McCall enjoyed a successful career as a voice-over artist, bringing to life characters in animated series such as “Snorks,” “Mother Goose and Grimm,” “The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show,” “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons.” She also voiced Glyptodon in the animated feature “Ice Age.”

McCall’s film career included roles in “The White Palace,” “The Cry Baby Killer,” “Machine-Gun Kelly,” “War of the Satellites” and “Young at Heart.” She worked alongside entertainment legends such as Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin and Robin Williams.

Beyond her work in front of the camera, McCall was also a talented screenwriter, contributing to popular television shows like “Eight is Enough,” “One Day at a Time,” “Alf” and “Charles in Charge.” She was also a mentor and light for many in the industry, known for her “warmth, generosity, and unwavering support for fellow performers,” according to her publicist.

She mentored many in the entertainment industry, offering guidance and encouragement to the next generation of performers.

She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Charlie Brill, their daughter Jenny and nieces Toni Howard and Wendy Goldberg. Mitzi also leaves behind her godchildren, actors Melissa and Sara Gilbert.

McCALL, Mitzi (Mitzi J. Steiner)

Born: 9/9/1930, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Died: 8/8/2024, Burbank, California, U.S.A.

 

Mitzi McCall’s western – voice actress:

Lucky Luke (TV) – 1984 [English voice of Ma Dalton]

RIP Gianni Meccia

 

Gianni Meccia, the pioneer of songwriters has died

I Music Fun

8/7/2024

 

Singer-songwriter Gianni Meccia has died at the age of 93. The disappearance dates back to a few months ago, but has only now been released, as reported by the Resto del Carlino.

He was the first singer to be defined as a "singer-songwriter": the term was specially coined by Maria Monti, during a meeting with Ennio Melis and Vincenzo Micocci at RCA Italy to launch his career.

Gianni Meccia, born on June 2, 1931, in Ferrara, was a renowned Italian singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. His musical career began in the 50s, when he moved to Rome to follow his passion for music. Meccia established himself in the 60s thanks to the success of the song "Il barattolo", which obtained great public and critical acclaim. With his unique style and his ability to blend ironic lyrics and captivating melodies, he helped shape the Italian music scene of the time.

Among his best-known hits are songs such as "Patatina" and "Il pullover", which marked an era and are still fondly remembered by pop music fans. In addition to his solo career, Meccia has collaborated with numerous important artists, both as an author and as a producer. He has written songs for artists of the caliber of Gianni Morandi, Rita Pavone and Little Tony, demonstrating an uncommon versatility and creativity.

In the 70s, Gianni Meccia began to focus more on behind-the-scenes work, founding a record label and discovering new talent. Despite the change of course, he has never completely abandoned his artistic vein, continuing to compose and perform sporadically. His ability to innovate and adapt to changes in the music landscape has allowed him to remain a relevant figure over the decades.

Gianni Meccia passed away on April 9, 2024, leaving behind a rich and varied musical legacy. His influence on Italian music is undeniable, and his contribution as a songwriter and producer will remain a point of reference for future generations.

MECCIA, Giani (Giovanni Meccia)

Born: 6/2/1931 Ferrera, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Died: 4/19/2024, Italy

 

Gianni Meccia’s westerns – actor, composer, singer:

Djurado – 1966 (Ricky) [sings “Solo il vento so la”]

Behold the Strange, Exciting, Dangerous Scent of Dollars” – 1973 [composer]

RIP Todd Roundtree

 

Facebook

Doanie Harrelson Roundtree

8/5/2024

 

To all of our family and friends, Todd put up a good fight with lymphoma cancer, he is now pain free and is resting at peace. I love you and I will be waiting until we can dance together again.

ROUNDTREE, Todd (Todd Anthony Roundtree)

Born: 12/3/1960, Brazoria, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 8/5/2024, Angleton, Texas, U.S.A.

 

Todd Roundtree’s westerns – actor:

Big Iron – 2021

The Satchel – 2023 (passenger gunman)

RIP Rainer Brandt

 

The voiceover legend is dead.

He lent his voice to giants like Elvis Presley and Tony Curtis, becoming a legend himself. Rainer Brandt has passed away.

ASB Zeitung

By Viktoria Klein

August 7, 2024

 

German actor, voice artist, and dialogue book author Rainer Brandt (1936-2024) has passed away. As confirmed by his family to the "Bild" newspaper, Brandt died peacefully at home on August 1st, aged 88.

Lending his voice to entertainment legends

Over the decades, Brandt lent his German voice to numerous entertainment legends, including Elvis Presley (1935-1977), Tony Curtis (1925-2010), and Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021). He also provided the dialogue for the Italian acting duo Terence Hill (85) and Bud Spencer (1929-2016) in the German versions of their films.

Brandt's career began in the 1950s when he accidentally applied to a synchronization studio thinking it was a film studio. Simultaneously, he began working as a voice artist and attended acting classes at the Max Reinhardt School in Vienna. As an actor, he appeared in various films and series and also performed on stage.

A family of voice artists

Rainer Brandt leaves behind his wife Ursula Heyer (84), also a voice artist and actress, and their two children who have followed in their father’s footsteps. His daughter Judith (59) has lent her voice to actresses such as Sophie Marceau (57) and Monica Bellucci (59). His son Andrej Brandt has voiced actors such as Larry Hovis (67) in “A Big Hand for the Little Lady”.

Terence Hill pays tribute

Terence Hill has already spoken out about the death of Rainer Brandt. In an interview with "Bild", he said that Brandt played a "huge role" in the success of their films in Germany. "I'm very sad that Rainer is gone," he added. "His wit was fantastic and connected many people. We had a lovely reunion in Berlin a few years ago, which I remember fondly."

On the official Instagram account of the late Bud Spencer (1929-2016), it is stated: "We have just learned of the death of Rainer Brandt. He was an important figure in the success of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill in Germany. Not only was he a voice artist, but he was also a dialogue book author who invented the so-called 'Schnodderdeutsch' and made other films like 'The Two' successful. Thank you for your work, which will continue to make us laugh for a long time to come."

The "Bild" newspaper, where Brandt's family announced his passing, might also feature an obituary for him under the heading 'The picture newspaper'.

Upon learning about Brandt's death, renowned actor Terence Hill expressed his sadness in an interview with 'The picture newspaper', praising Brandt's role in the success of their films in Germany.

BRANDT, Rainer

Born: 1/19/1936, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Died: 8/1/2024, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

 

Rainer Brandt’s westerns – actor, voice actor:

Stagecoach – 1939 [German voice of Tom Tyler]

Broken Arrow – 1950 [German voice of Jay Silverheels]

Silver City – 1951 [German voice of Michael Moore]

Jesse James vs. the Daltons – 1953 [German voice of James Best]

They rode West – 1954 [German voice of James Best]

Gunsmoke (TV) 1955-1975 [German voice of Anthony Zerbe, Kipp Whitman, Charles Wagenheim, Robert Totten, Russ Siler, Orville Sherman, Gene Rutherford, Robert Rothwell,

     David Renard, Charles Kuenstie, Ted Jordan, Russell Johnson, Allen Jaffe, Clyde Howdy,

     Scott Hale, Bob Gravage, Jonathan Goldsmith, Kelton Garwood, Sam Edwards, Fred Coby,

     Bobby Clark, Baynes Barron, James Almanzar, Norman Alden, Donnelly Rhodes, Bob

     Kelljan

Ten Wanted Men – 1955 [German voice of Lee Van Cleef]

Fort Laramie – 1956 [German voice of William Phillips]

Love Me Tender – 1956 [German voice of James Drury]

Cattle Empire – 1957 [German voice of Bing Russell]

Gun Duel in Durango – 1957 [German voice of Don ‘Red’ Barry]

Seven Guns to Mesa – 1957 [German voice of Charles Quinlivan]

Tall T – 1957 [German voice of Skip Homeier]

3:10 to Yuma – 1957 [German voice of Richard Jaeckel]

War Drums – 1957 [German voice of Ward Ellis]

Bravados – 1958 [German voice of Albert Salmi]

Cowboy – 1958 [German voice of Eugene Iglesias, Buzz Henry]

Day of the Badman – 1958 [German voice of John Ericson]

The Gunfight at Dodge City – 1958 [German voice of Hugo Mauritz]

Money, Women and Guns – 1958 [German voice of William Campbell]

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw [ 1958 [German voice of William Campbell]

Ride Lonesome – 1959 [German voice of James Coburn]

Warlock – 1959 [German voice of Don ‘Red’ Barry]

The Magnificent Seven – 1960 [German voice of Lee Robert Vaughn]

The Shadow of Zorro – 1962 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Apache Gold – 1963 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

He Rides Tall – 1963 [German voice of

The Last Ride to Santa Cruz – 1963 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

Samson and the Slave Queen – 1963 [German voice of Sergio Ciani]

Apache’s Last Battle – 1964 [German voice of Guy Madison]

Fistful of Dollars – 1964 [German voice of Gian aria Volonte, Sieghardt Rupp]

Last of the Renegades – 1964 [German voice of Anthony Steel]

Massacre at Marble City – 1964 [German voice of Mario Adorf]

Rio Conchos – 1964 [German voice of Kevin Hagen]

The Sheriff was a Lady – 1964 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

The Son of Jesse James – 1964 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Behind the Mask of Zorro – 1965 [German voice of Tony Russel]

Big Valley (TV) 1965-1969 [German voice of Lloyd Bochner]

Flaming Frontier – 1965 [German voice of Larry Pennell]

For a Few Dollars More – 1965 [German voice of Ricardo Palacios]

The Last Tomahawk – 1965 [German voice of Stelio Candelli]

A Man Called Gringo – 1965 [German voice of Daniel Martin]

The Man from Oklahoma – 1965 [German voice of Rick Horn]

A Place Called Glory – 1965 [German voice of Gérard Tichy]

Pyramid of the Sun God – 1965 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Rampage at Apache Wells – 1965 [German voice of Dusan Janicijevic]

The Relentless Four – 1965 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

Treasure of the Aztecs – 1965 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Waco – 1965 [German voice of John Smith]

Django Shoots First – 1966 [German voice of Glenn Saxson]

The Golden Sheriff – 1966 [German voice of Luigi Giuliani]

The Hills Run Red – 1966 [German voice of Nando Gazzolo]

Prairie-Saloon (TV) – 1966 (Skip)

Red Tomahawk – 1966 [German voice of Tom Drake]

Return of the Seven – 1966 [German voice of Virgilio Teixeira]

Thompson 1880 – 1966 [German voice of George Martin]

The Ugly Ones – 1966 [German voice of José Canalejas]

Who Killed Johnny R? – 19Tony Young]66 [German voice of Isidro Novellas]

Any Gun Can Play – 1967 [German voice of George Hilton]

Beyond the Law – 1967 [German voice of Al Hoosman]

Cjamango – 1967 [German voice of Sean Todd]

Days of Violence – 1967 [German voice of Peter Lee Lawrence]

The Dirty Outlaws – 1967 [German voice of Andrea Giordana]

Django Kills Softly – 1967 [German voice of George Eastman]

Don't Wait, Django... Shoot! – 1967 [German voice of Sean Todd]

Gentleman Kill – 1967 [German voice of Benito Stefanelli]

Gunfight in Abilene – 1967 [German voice of Donnelly Rhodes]

The Guns of Will Sonnett (TV) 1967-1969 [German voice of Harry Swoger, John Alderson,

High Chaparral (TV) – 1967-1971 [German voice of Warren Stevens]

Kill and Pray – 1967 [German voice of Mark Damon]

Killer calibro 32 – 1967 [German voice of Peter Lee Lawrence]

A Man, a Colt – 1967 [German voice of Robert Hundar]

A Rope for a Bastard – 1967 [German voice of Mimmo Palmara]

Thunder at the Border – 1967 [German voice of Rik Battaglia]

Viva Django! – 1967 [German voice of Terence Hill]

The Belle Starr Story – 1968 [German voice of George Eastman]

Bury Them Deep – 1968 [German voice of Craig Hill]

Guns for San Sebastian – 1968 [German voice of Jaime Fernandez]

The Moment to Kill – 1968 [German voice of George Hilton]

The Unholy Four – 1969 [German voice of George Eastman]

Santana Kills Them All – 1970 [German voice of Gianni Garko]

Companeros – 1971 [German voice of Franco Nero]

Trinity is STILL My Name – 1971 [German voice of unknown actors]

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean – 1972 [German voice of Tab Hunter]

The Genius – 1975 [German voice of Raimund Harmstorf]

Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar – 1975 [German voice of George Hilton]

Spaghetti Western – 1976 [German voice of Dan van Husen]

Buddy Goes West – 1981 [German voice of Lanfranco Spinola, Carlo Reali]

Sky Bandits – 1986 [Germa voice of Scott McGinnis]

The Sons of Trinity – 1995 [German voice of Cesar Varona Martin]

Django Unchained – 2012 [German voice of Franco Nero]

RIP Robert Logan

 

Robert Logan, ‘77 Sunset Strip’ and ‘Wilderness Family’ Actor, Dies at 82 

He replaced Edd “Kookie” Byrnes on the ABC crime show before playing a father in return-to-nature family adventures for the big screen.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

August 7, 2024

 

Robert Logan, who succeeded Edd “Kookie” Byrnes as the valet parking attendant on the famed ABC detective show 77 Sunset Strip and starred as the dad in a series of return-to-nature adventure movies, has died. He was 82.

Logan died May 6 of natural causes in Estero, Florida, his son, Anthony Logan, told The Hollywood Reporter. His family chose to wait until this week to announce his death.

After Gerald Lloyd Kookson III was promoted from parking attendant at Dino’s Lodge — a nightclub owned by Dean Martin — to partner and private investigator at the detective agency next door, the Brooklyn-born Logan joined Warner Bros. Television’s 77 Sunset Strip to play his replacement, another hipster named J.R. Hale.

On the swanky series that starred Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith as the crime solvers Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer, respectively, Logan portrayed Hale on 50 episodes of the show’s fourth and fifth seasons, through June 1963.

In The Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1975), Logan starred as Skip Robinson, a construction worker in Los Angeles who moves with his wife (Susan Damante) and two young kids to a cabin they built in the Rocky Mountains to escape the grime and crime of city life.

While the independent film did well at the box office and spawned two sequels, The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1978) and Mountain Family Robinson (1979), Logan also was starring as another dad in two other return-to-nature family films — Across the Great Divide (1976) and The Sea Gypsies (1978).

The oldest of eight siblings, Robert Francis Logan was born in Brooklyn on May 29, 1941. His father, Frank, was a banker and his mother, Catherine, a homemaker. He and his family moved to Los Angeles, and he attended Junipero Serra High School.

Logan accepted a baseball scholarship to the University of Arizona, but a coaching change there led him to Los Angeles City College instead. At a restaurant late one night, he caught the eye of a talent scout from Warner Bros. and signed a contract.

In 1961, he appeared on the studio’s shows Maverick, Surfside 6 and 77 Sunset Strip — not as Hale at first — and in the Diane McBain-starring film drama Claudelle Inglish.

After 77 Sunset Strip was canceled, Logan showed up on episodes of Dr. Kildare and Mr. Novak; reunited with Byrnes for the musical comedy Beach Ball (1965); portrayed Jericho Jones alongside Fess Parker on NBC’s Daniel Boone in 1965-66; and joined the crew on the racing yacht Ticonderoga for its record-setting trans-Pacific run to Tahiti in 1964.

He worked in John Guillermin’s World War II epic The Bridge at Remagen (1969), shot in Czechoslovakia, then remained for several years in Europe before returning to the States for The Adventures of the Wilderness Family.

He starred as a secret agent in Death Ray 2000, a pilot for the 1979-80 NBC series A Man Called Sloane, but Robert Conrad took over when it was picked up.

Logan’s résumé also included the films Kelly (1981), which he also wrote, and A Night in Heaven (1986) and episodes of Riptide and 1st & Ten. He retired from acting in the late 1980s and filmed documentaries.

In addition to his son, survivors include his wife of 39 years, Alina; his daughter, Courtney; his daughter-in-law, Hayley; his granddaughters, Elsa, Ingrid and Alma; and his siblings, Logan, Theresa, Janet and Timothy.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Notre Dame Club of Miami.

LOGAN, Robert (Robert Francis Logan Jr.)

Born: 5/29/1941, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 5/6/2024, Estero, Florida, U.S.A.

 

Robert Logan’s westerns – actor:

Maverick (TV) – 1961 (Ben Daniels)

Daniel Boone (TV) – 1965 (Jericho Jones)

Catlow – 1971 (Oley)

The Adventures of the Wilderness Family – 1975 (Skip Robinson)

Across the Great Divide – 1976 (Zachariah Coop)

The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family – 1978 (Skip Robinson)

Adventures of the Wilderness Family 3 – 1979 (Skip Robinson)