RIP Ilona Kassai

 Ilona Kassai, Szeged-born Kossuth and Mari Jászai Prize-winning actress has passed away 

For a long time, Ilona Kassai was the youngest Kossuth Prize-winning actress. He died at the age of 97.

szma

By SzegedMA

October 29, 2025

Mourning: Ilona Kassai has passed away

Last night my dear Mother, Ilona Kassai was among the angels, in the Kingdom of Heaven. She was a real artist and the best mother. Thank you to everyone who remembers him a little bit in their hearts – writes her son Ganxsta Zolee on his Facebook page.

Ilona Kassai was born in 1928 in Szeged. From an early age, she wanted to be a prima donna – she became a dramatic actress. In Szeged, she attended the acting school of Árpád Lehotay, where she was the master of Tivadar Abonyi, Tibor Hegedűs and János Rajz. In 1949, she was admitted to the Academy of Dramatic Arts, but left the training after a short time. In 1949 she signed a contract with the State Miners' Theatre, and from 1951 she became one of the founding members of the Village Theatre (later the State Déryné Theatre). From 1976 she was an artist at the Arany János Theatre. In 1961, she received the Mari Jászai Prize, and two years later the Kossuth Prize.

For a long time, she was the youngest Kossuth Prize-winning actress, as she was not yet 35 years old when she received the award.

She was also a popular and busy artist as a voice actor. She kept the name Kassai after her divorce from her first husband, because she did not like her original name, which was often understood as Hitler. Her first husband was an opera singer, János Kassai, and she took his surname. Her second husband, Kálmán Fülöp, was a songwriter. In 1965, she married her fourth husband, actor József Zana, from whom she divorced in 1984. Their child is Zoltán Zana (born 1966), a musician who became famous under the stage name Ganxsta Zolee.

KASSAI, Ilona (Ilona Hiller)

Born: 7/8/1928, Szegel, Hungary

Died: 10/28/2025, Budapest, Hungary

 

Ilona Kassai’s westerns – voice actress:

High Sierra - 1941 [Hungarian voice of Elisabeth Risdon]

Abilene Town – 1946 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

Fort Apache – 1948 [Hungarian voice of Irene Rich]

Colorado Territory – 1949 [Hungarian voice of Hallene Hill]

Wagon Master – 1950 [Hungarian voice of Jane Darwell]

Carson City – 1952 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

Shane – 1953 [Hungarian voice of Edith Evanson]

Friendly Persuasion – 1956 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

4 for Texas – 1963 [Hungarian voice of Ellen Corby]

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin – 1967 [Hungarian voice of Hermione Baddeley]

True Grit -1969 [Hungarian voice of Edith Atwater]

The Desperados – 1969 [Hungarian voice of Shella Burrell]

The Beast – 1970 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

Ulzana’s Raid – 1972 [Hungarian voice of Gladys Holland]

The Outlaw Josey Wales – 1976 [Hungarian voice of Paula Trueman]

The Electric Horseman – 1979 [Hungarian voice of Perry Sheehan Adair]

Mad Max – 1979 [Hungarian voice of Sheila Florance]

Bronco Billy – 1980 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

Lucky Luke (TV) 1983 [Hungarian voice of Ruth Buzzi]

Black Robe – 1991 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

Lucky Luke (TV) – 1990 [Hungarian voice of Ruth Buzzi]

Jonathan of the Bears – 1993 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

The Rainmaker – 1997 [Hungarian voice of Teresa Wright]

The Horse Whisperer – 1998 [Hungarian voice of Jeanette Nolan]

And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself – 2003 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

The Daltons – 2004 [Hungarian voice of Marie-Pierre Casey]

The Adventures of Huck Finn – 2012 [Hungarian voice of unknown actress]

The Homesman – 2014 [Hungarian voice of Karen Jones]

Django (TV) - 2017 [Hungarian voice of Bimbam Merstein]

RIP Alicia Bonet

 

Beloved actress of 'Rubí' dies: this is known about the death of Juan Ferrara's ex 

Actress Alicia Bonet, remembered for her participation in Mexican film classics such as 'Hasta el viento tiene miedo' and 'Rubí', died at the age of 78. Her career spanned theater, television and film, consolidating her as one of the most versatile performers of her generation.

Univision

October 26, 2025

 

Actress Alicia Bonet, one of the most emblematic figures of Mexican cinema during the sixties and seventies, died at the age of 78, as confirmed on October 26.

Her participation in films that marked an era such as 'Hasta el viento tiene miedo', directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada, made her a benchmark of horror cinema in that country.

Bonet developed an artistic career that spanned theater, television and film, standing out for his ability to adapt to the different stages of entertainment in Mexico.

Her reserved character outside the public sphere contrasted with the intensity of the characters she played, women of great emotional complexity who today are part of the country's cinematographic heritage.

The National Association of Interpreters (ANDI) confirmed the death of the actress through a statement released on social networks. In the message, the institution expressed:

"The National Association of Interpreters announces the sensitive death of our interpreter partner Alicia Bonet. Mexican actress remembered for her participation in films such as 'Hasta el viento tiene miedo', 'Despedida de soltera' and 'El scapular'," they highlighted.

"To his family and friends we send our most heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Board of Directors and Vigilance Committee of ANDI."

The causes of death were not immediately released.

Born on April 26, 1947, in Mexico City, Alicia Bonet began her career in youth theater during the fifties, soon managing to make her way in cinema.

He shared credits with prominent figures of the media such as Angélica María, Arturo de Córdova, Alberto Vázquez and Andrés Soler.

Among his most recognized works are films and soap operas such as 'Guadalajara en verano' and the film 'Rubí', based on the 1968 telenovela and whose melodrama had two successful 'remakes' in 2004 and 2020.

On a personal level, Bonet was married twice. First with the actor Juan Ferrara, with whom she had two sons: Juan Carlos and Mauricio.

Later, she married the actor Claudio Brook, recognized for his collaborations with Luis Buñuel in 'The Exterminating Angel' and 'Simon of the Desert'. From this union his sons Arturo and Gabriel were born.

BONET, Alicia (Alicia Bonet Ceballos)

Born: 4/26/1947, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Died: 10/26/2025, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Alicia Bonet’s westerns:

Fuera de la ley – 1966 (Alice)

Los jinetes de la bruja – 1966 (Rosita)

Rancho solo – 1967 (Maria)

Sucedió en Jalisco – 1972 (Jovita)

RIP June Lockhart

 

June Lockhart, ‘Lost In Space’ and ‘Lassie’ Star, Dies at 100

Variety

By Leia Mendoza

October 25, 2025

 

June Lockhart, a popular actress of the 1950s and ’60s known for her roles in “Lost In Space,” “Lassie” and “Meet Me in St. Louis,” died of natural causes on Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 100.

Lockhart became known for her performances as Timmy’s foster mother, Ruth Martin, on the CBS series “Lassie” from 1958 to 1964. She took over from Cloris Leachman as the Martin family moved on to the famous collie’s farm and became foster parents to both the orphaned Timmy and Lassie.

She then starred as Dr. Maureen Robinson on the CBS series “Lost in Space” from 1965 to 1968. She played a brilliant biochemist and loving mother of three who is marooned in space along with her family.

“When I wasn’t shooting Lassie, I became the mistress of Scrabble with my hairdresser and the crew,” she told Closer magazine in 2024. She also noted that “Lost in Space” was her favorite project. “It was so campy,” she said, “And I truly enjoyed my relationship with my space family.”

Over nearly eight decades on screen, Lockhart went on to appear in dozens of series and movies well into her 80s, with recurring roles on “Petticoat Junction,” “General Hospital” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and guest appearances on shows from “The Beverly Hillbillies” to “Happy Days” to “Full House, “Roseanne” and “Gray’s Anatomy.”

The daughter of actor Gene Lockhart and actress Kathleen Lockhart, she was born in New York City in 1925. She made her feature film debut at 13 years old, starring alongside both of her parents in Edwin L. Marin’s 1939 “A Christmas Carol,” where she played Belinda Cratchit. After her breakout role, she appeared in films such as “All This, and Heaven Too,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “The Yearling,” and “Sergeant York.”

Prior to the TV series, Lockhart appeared in the feature “Son of Lassie” as Priscilla, the Duke of Rudling’s granddaughter. In the 1950s, Lockhart guest-starred in several Western series such as “Wagon Train,” “Cimarron City,” “Gunsmoke,” “Have Gun – Will Travel,” and “Rawhide.”

She was nominated for two Emmys, including Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for her performance in “Lassie.” She also received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures and one for television. Lockhart was previously the recipient of a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for her role on Broadway in “For Love or Money” in 1948.

A private service has been planned in her honor. Instead of sending flowers, Lockhart’s family suggests donating to The Actors Fund, ProPublica and International Hearing Dog, Inc.

LOCKHART, June (June Kathleen Lockhart)

Born: 6/25/1925, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 10/25/2025, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.

 

June Lockhart’s westerns – actress:

The Yearling – 1946 (Twink Weatherby)

 Gunsmoke (TV) – 1958 (Beulah)

Wagon Train (TV) – 1960 (Laurie Bell)

Rawhide (TV) – 1959 (Rainy Dawson)

Have Gun – Will Travel (TV) – 1957 (Dr. Phyllis Thackeray)

Death Valley Days (TV) – 1965 (Ina Coolbrith)

Branded (TV) – 1965 (Sue Pritchett)

Zane Grey Theater (TV) – 1958 (Allie Cary)

Cimarron City (TV) – 1958 (Emily Newton)

The Capture of Grizzly Adams (TV) – 1982 (Liz Hawkins)

The All American Cowboy – 1985 (TV)

RIP Alberto Pedret

 

Mexican Film Bulletin

By David E. Wilt

October 24, 2025

 

Alberto Pedret

 

Actor Alberto Pedret passed away on 11 July 2025; he was 95 years of age. Alberto Pedret Gilbert was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1929, and emigrated to Mexico in the mid-late 1940s.

He began acting in Mexican cinema in the 1950s – also working as a script supervisor

-- and added voice acting to his resumé in 1957. Among his voice acting credits were 8 feature films as El Santo in the 1960s, as well as Santo’s voice in the 2004 animated series “Santo contra los clones.” He also worked on radio and television. In the late ‘80s and early 1990s Pedret also received producing credits on a number of films. He received an Ariel nomination for his role as

Mexico’s president in Nos traicionará el presidente? (’87). Alberto is the father of actress Georgina Pedret.

PEDRET, Albert0 (Alberto Pedret Gibert)

Born: 11/10/1929, Barcelon, Catalonia, Spain

Died: 7/11/2025, Mexico City, F.D., Mexico

 

Alberto Pedret’s westerns – actor:

El águila Negra – 1954 (cantina patron)

Los aventureros – 1954 (cantina patron)

Bandido – 1956 (scout)

La fiera – 1956

La cabeza de Pancho Villa – 1957 (Blanco compadre)

El jinete sin cabeza – 1957 (Don Julián Méndez)

Villa! – 1958 (Mexican detective)

The Wonderful Country – 1959

El jinete negro – 1961 (Fiscal)

Black Whip Against the Impostors – 1962 (hotel clerk)

Los amigos Maravilla – 1962 (Cirilo)

Camino de la horca – 1962 (victim of the devil)

Juramento de sangre – 1962 (Sabas Cornejo)

La máscara roja – 1962 (Jorge Salazar)

El rayo de Jalisco – 1962 (Sabas Cornejo)

RIP André Oumansky

 

Bereavements

André OUMANSKY

Published on October 1, 2025

Violette Oumansky,

his wife,

his children, grandchildren

and great-grandchildren

 

are deeply saddened

to inform you of the death of

 

André OUMANSKY

comedian

 

on September 26, 2025.

 

A final tribute

will be paid to him in the Cathedral

of Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky,

12, rue Daru, Paris (8th arrondissement),

on Friday, October 3, 2025,

at 2 p.m.

 

Veteran French theater, film, TV and voice director and actor André Oumansky died in Paris, France on September 26^th. He was 92. Born in Paris on August 15, 1933, he appeared in more than 80 films from 1958. He was very active in the theater and played important supporting roles in films and television. He was certainly one of the last "survivors" from the cast of the film "Normandie-Niemen" (1960). He also did some voice-over work, notably lending his voice to Omar Sharif in the legendary "Doctor Zhivago" (1965) and to the elderly Dracula (Gary Oldman) in Coppola's "Dracula" (1992). André was married to Violet and was the father of two children. Oumansky appeared in one Spaghetti western as the U.S. president in 2009’s “Lucky Luke” starring Jean Dujardin.

OUMANSKY, André

Born: 8/15/1933, Paris, Île-de-France, France

Died: 9/26/2025, Paris, Île-de-France, France

André Oumansky’s western – actor:

Lucky Luke – 2009 (U.S. president)

RIP Martine Brochard

 

French actress Martine Brochard has died. She was the wife of the Terni director and playwright Franco Molè.

Terni In Rete

By Redazione

October 18, 2025

 

Parisian actress Martine Brochard died today in Rome at the age of 79.

In France she has appeared in masterpieces such as "Is Paris Burning?" by René Clement and "Stolen Kisses" by François Truffaut.

Moved to Italy in the 70s, she was the protagonist of many successful titles: "Milan trembles, the police want justice", from 1973 by Sergio Martino.

"Storia di una monaca di clousura", by Domenico Paolella, 1973.

"La nottata", by Tonino Cervi, 1974. "The Governess", by Giovanni Grimaldi, also dates back to the same year.

In more recent years she had appeared in "My first 40 years", by Carlo Vanzina, 1987. "Paprika", by Tinto Brass, 1991. With the same director he will also shoot "The Man Who Looks", 1994.

"Lightning strikes", by Neri Parenti, 2012.

Martine Brochard has also worked for TV in very successful titles: "The Betrothed", "The Boys of the 3^ C", "Let's Not Leave Us Anymore", "Vento di ponente", "Incantesimo", "Il bello delle donne", "La squadra", "Il sangue e la rosa", "Il peccato e la vergogna", "Viso d'angelo", "Non è stato mio figlio".

The French actress was married to the director and playwright Franco Molè, who died in 2006.

Together they filmed, in 1990, "The room of words".

Four years ago she was in Terni, together with her son Ferdinando Ceriani, to remember the figure of her husband and to inaugurate the street that was dedicated to him in the gardens of Chaos.

BROCHARD, Martine (Annie Martine Brochad)

Born: 4/2/1944 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Haut-de-Seine, Île-de- France-France

Died: 10/18/2025, Morlupo, Rome, Lazio, Italy

 

Martine Brochard’s western – actress:

A Man Called Blade – 1977 (Angela)

RIP Samantah Eggar

 

Samantha Eggar 'The Collector' Star Dies at 86

 TMZ 

October 17, 2025

Actress Samantha Eggar -- best known for "The Collector," "Doctor Dolittle" and "The Molly Maguires" -- has died, TMZ can confirm.

The lively British actress died peacefully Wednesday surrounded by family at her home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles ... her family tells TMZ. We're told she struggled with a "long illness" before her passing.

Samantha hit the big screen running, earning an Oscar nomination for her breakout role in the 1965 film "The Collector." She went on to have a prolific career, appearing in more than 100 projects on the big and small screens, including voiceover work.

She lent her voice to the "Metalocalypse" TV series in 2012, which served as her last role, per her IMDb page.

In her later years, the "The Brood" actress was active at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills and at Saint Francis de Sales Parish in Sherman Oaks.

She is survived by her actress daughter Jenna and producer son Nicolas Stern, whose father is American actor Tom Stern. The couple was married from 1964 to 1971. She's also survived by her children's spouses, 3 grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

She was 86.

EGGAR, Samantha (Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar)

Born: 3/5/1934, Hampstead, London, England, U.K.

Died: 10/15/2025, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

 

Samantha Eggar’s westerns – actress:

Welcome to Blood City – 1977 (Katherine)

Outlaws (TV) – 1997 (Sister Rachel)

RIP Ed Williams

 

‘Naked Gun’ and ‘Police Squad!’ actor Ed Williams dead at 98 

Actor's final credit was 2023 'Hollywood Radio Players' series

FOX News

By Lori A. Bashian

October 16, 2025

 

Hollywood actor Ed Williams has died at age 98 in California.

The actor died on Oct. 2 in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Stephanie Williams told The Hollywood Reporter. He was best known for his work in the original "Naked Gun" movies and on the television show, "Police Squad!"

Born in San Jose, California in Nov. 1926, Williams began his career in entertainment after serving in the US Navy. He got his start on the stage, starring in more than 200 plays while also working as a salesman at KSJO Radio.

He and his wife moved to Los Angeles in 1955, where he began teaching at the Don Martin School of Radio and Television Arts and later at Los Angeles City College. There, he taught broadcasting while also working as a booth announcer at KCET television.

His big break came in 1982, when he was cast in the short-lived TV series "Police Squad!" The role led to his part as Ted Olsen in "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" and its sequels. The "Naked Gun" franchise was recently rebooted with Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.

In 1989, Williams retired from teaching after 28 years at Los Angeles City College.

His other notable roles include appearances in "Father of the Bride," "Rat Boy" and "The Giant of Thunder Mountain." His final acting credit was in the series "Hollywood Radio Players" in 2022 and 2023, and prior to that he appeared in one episode of "House" in 2010.

Williams is survived by his wife, Nancy; sons Fred and Ian; and grandchildren Stephanie and Maureen, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

WILLIAMS, Ed (Edwin Wallace Williams)

Born: 11/26/1926, San Jose, California, U.S.A.

Died: 10/2/2025, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Ed Williams’ western – actor:

Giant of Thunder Mountain – 1990 (Mr. Macgruder)

RIP Drew Struzan

 

Legendary Star Wars Poster Artist Drew Struzan Dies at 78

COMICBOOK

By Chris Agar

October 14, 2025

 

Drew Struzan, the legendary artist best known for designing some of the most iconic movie posters of all time (including multiple installments of the Star Wars series), has passed away at the age of 78. News of Struzan’s death was confirmed on Struzan’s official Instagram account in a post stating that he died on Monday, October 13th. “I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art,” the post partially reads. According to a statement from Struzan’s family, complications from Alzheimer’s disease was the cause of death.

Struzan was born in Oregon City, Oregon, on March 18, 1947. He decided to pursue a career in art by attending the ArtCenter College of Design in California. Before he became famous for his work on movie posters, Struzan made a name for himself designing album covers for prolific artists such as the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Black Sabbath, and more. In the 1970s, Struzan co-founded a company called Pencil Pushers and began designing movie posters. His work caught the eye of Charles White III, who called upon Struzan for help creating a poster for the theatrical re-release of the original Star Wars movies.

Struzan’s distinct style and technique made him an in-demand talent in the industry, and soon he was designing posters for a plethora of blockbusters, including E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial, Back to the Future, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Struzan announced his retirement in 2008 after completing artwork for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he returned at numerous points in the last decade, designing a special poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.

Drew Struzan’s Career Was Celebrated in a Documentary

Decades after movie fans started hanging his artwork on their walls, Struzan finally got his share of the spotlight thanks to the documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster. Directed by Erik Sharkley, the film examines Struzan’s legendary career and features interviews from well-known directors he worked with, including George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro. For those interested in checking the documentary out and learning more about the iconic artist, Drew: The Man Behind the Poster is available to rent or purchase on Amazon and is streaming free on Kanopy as of this writing.

Posters aren’t recognized by industry award bodies such as the Academy Awards or Golden Globes, but Struzan still earned numerous accolades throughout his career. He is a member of the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame and has received lifetime achievement awards from the Saturn Awards, the Comic Art Professional Society (recognizing his work in comics), and the Art Center College of Design Alumni.

Throughout his career, Struzan was highly respected, and he is widely considered to be one of the greatest poster artists of all time. In the documentary Drew: The Man Behind the Poster, actor Michael J. Fox perfectly summarized what made Struzan’s work stand out. “It’s not just an ad, you know? It’s the first notes of a piece. It’s the beginning of the story,” he said. Struzan saw himself as a storyteller and worked hard to evoke specific feelings in his posters. He tried to encapsulate the movie’s narrative and tone with his paintings, and his posters left an impression on multiple generations of viewers.

STRUZAN, Drew

Born: 318/1947, Oregon City, Oregon, U.S.A.

Died: 10/13/2025, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.

 

Drew Struzan’s western – poster artist:

Billy Jack – 1971

The Legend of the Lone Ranger - 1981

The Return of Billy Jack – 1985

Silverado - 1985

Back to the Future III – 1990

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - 1991

The Dark Tower – 2017

RIP Jackie Burch

 

Jackie Burch, Casting Director Behind ‘Die Hard,’ ‘The Breakfast Club,’ Dies at 74

Variety

By Leia Mendoza

October 13, 2025

 

Jackie Burch, a casting director known for her work in “Die Hard,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Breakfast Club” died on Oct. 12 in Atlanta. She was 74.

Burch’s family said that Burch died after a four month battle with endometrial cancer. “We are heartbroken and in shock at the prospect of living without our vibrant, charming, funny, special, and incredibly loving mom. Her generous spirit touched so many lives – professionally and personally – and we are endlessly proud of the legacy she leaves behind,” her family wrote in a statement.

Born in Newburgh, N.Y., Burch began her career in Los Angeles as a deaf education teacher. While subbing for an assistant who worked for an executive at Universal, Burch became interested in the film industry. She began her casting career in the early 1980s, where she served as the casting director for features such as “Psycho II,” “Forbidden World,” “DC Cab,” and “Smokey and the Bandit Part 3.”

Burch became a frequent collaborator with director John Hughes, where she oversaw casting for “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Weird Science.”

Burch worked on various films throughout the 1980s such as “The Running Man,” “Dick Tracy,”  “Coming to America,” “Three Amigos,” “Mask,” “42,” “Hot Shots! Part Deux and Mafia.” In 1988, Burch cast Bruce Wills as John McClane in “Die Hard,” which grossed over $143 million in the global box office. Burch went on to cast its 1990 sequel “Die Hard 2.”

Throughout the 2010s, Burch oversaw the casting for “The Hunger Games” series, “Iron Man 3,” “Hidden Figures,” and “Bessie.” Her final project, “This Is the One They’ll Remember Me By” will be released in 2026. 

In addition to her work as a casting director, Burch was an active member of Casting Society and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Burch is survived by her daughters Samy, a screenwriter and Molly, a former singer-songwriter; sons-in-laws Alex Mechanik and Dailey Toliver, and her twin sister, Janice Papolos.

BURCH, Jackie

Born: 3/25/1951, Newburgh, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 10/12/2025, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

 

Jackie Burch’s westerns – casting director:

Three Amigos – 1986

Tall Tale – 1995

Ponderosa (TV) – 2001-2002

RIP Jimmy Shaw

 

Jimmy Shaw, actor of 'La que se avecina', dies of cancer at the age of 59: the reaction of his colleagues

People

By Sergio Adán Rodríguez

October 11, 2025

 

Mourning in the world of culture after the death of Jimmy Shaw. The actor known for his role as Matthew in “The One Who Is Coming” has died at the age of 59 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

It has been his representation agency that has confirmed the death of the interpreter this Saturday, October 11. As soon as the news was known, colleagues of his such as Laura Caballero, director of 'La que se avecina', or his great friend Cristina Castaño have paid tribute to the deceased actor.

One of the most emotional tributes after learning of Jimmy Shaw's death has been that of his partner and friend Cristina Castaño. The actress has opened up on the channel and wanted to dedicate a few words to her fictional partner and friend: "Today Jimmy Shaw has left us, few people I have seen fight for life like him. We are absolutely devastated and it is really difficult for me to articulate a discourse. Of course, we would like to thank each and every one of you who did your bit (both financially and in terms of good energy) to be able to pay for the operation that, we hoped, would make him win the hard battle against cancer. In the end it was not to be, but it was incredible and very exciting to receive the avalanche of donations that you gave and I am sure that Jimmy takes all that love that you gave him".

After this publication, well-known faces such as actor Nacho Guerreros or actress Juana Acosta left messages in which they sent affection and remembered the deceased performer.

The fundraiser to be able to pay for Jimmy Shaw's operation: Cristina Castaño asked for help through her social networks

The news of Jimmy Shaw's pancreatic cancer broke at the end of September when Cristina Castaño, an actress who shared the plot with the American actor in 'La que se avecina', published a statement on her social networks in which she requested help for him.

In her message, Cristina Castaño communicated that the American actor, known for playing the character of Matthew in the series 'La que se avecina', had relapsed from pancreatic cancer and that he needed an emergency medical operation.

SHAW, Jimmy

Born: 4/6/1966, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 10/11/2025, Lisbon, Portugal

 

Jimmy Shaw’s westerns – actor,

Dust & Bullets – 2012 (prisoner)

The English (TV) – 2022 (Cam McKewan)

Strange Way of Life – 2023 [American accent advisor]

RIP Ian Freebairn-Smith

 

Grammy-winning composer and arranger from ‘A Star Is Born’ dies at 93

KTLA 5

By: Angelique Brenes

October 12, 2025

 

Ian Freebairn-Smith, the Grammy-winning composer, arranger and vocalist whose work shaped some of Hollywood’s most memorable film and television soundtracks, has died at 93.

A longtime Studio City resident, Freebairn-Smith died on Oct. 7, 2025, according to a statement from his family. He was best known for arranging “Evergreen,” the Oscar- and Grammy-winning theme song from the 1976 film “A Star Is Born,” performed by Barbra Streisand and written with Paul Williams.

Born in the Seattle area on March 4, 1932, Freebairn-Smith moved to Los Angeles with his family at age 2. By his twenties, he was working as a vocal arranger, creating close-harmony arrangements for The Hi-Lo’s before forming his own group, The Singers Incorporated, with Perry Botkin Jr., Sue Allen, Jimmy Bryant and George Tipton.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Freebairn-Smith’s influence stretched across film, television and commercial music. His orchestrations were featured in “The Muppet Movie” and “A Star Is Born,” while his compositions appeared in television series such as “Magnum, P.I.,” “Airwolf” and “Fame.”

His voice could be heard in some of television’s most recognizable theme songs, including those for “Batman,” “Flipper” and “Gilligan’s Island.” He performed with the Ron Hicklin Singers on Robert Altman’s “MAS*H” theme, “Suicide Is Painless,” and lent his bass vocals to soundtracks including “Peter Pan” (2003), “The Matrix Revolutions” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008).

In addition to his work in film and television, Freebairn-Smith composed dozens of commercial jingles for Chevron, United Airlines and Pacific Bell, among others.

He is survived by his brother, Rod Freebairn-Smith; four daughters, Leslie, Alison, Jenifer and Vanessa; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. His wife, violinist Shari Zippert, died in 2024.

FREEBAIRN-SMITH, Ian

Born: 3/4/1932, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A

Died: 10/7/2025, Folsom, California, U.S.A.

 

Ian Freebairn-Smith’s western – composer:

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV) – 1982-1983

RIP Michael Barnes

 

Michael Barnes obituary

Documentary maker whose programmes for the BBC’s Horizon series focused on those suffering injustice and discrimination

The Guardian

By Anthony Hayward

October 10, 2025

 

The television documentary maker Michael Barnes, who has died aged 86 of a heart attack, opened a window on the lives of those suffering injustice, discrimination and neglect.

For Navajo: The Last Red Indians (1972), which Barnes produced and directed for the BBC’s Horizon series, he spent six weeks in northern Arizona on the Navajo reservation to discover how the largest surviving Native American tribe was trying to hold on to its culture and beliefs while contending with threats such as coal-mining ravaging its land. Footage of a medicine man staging a healing ceremony sits alongside film of Navajo people navigating the “white man’s” hospitals and schools.

After noting that the building of power stations to supply electricity to “white” cities was causing “more particulate air pollution than Los Angeles and New York combined”, Barnes’s script, narrated by Duncan Carse, ended with the words: “This could begin the final tragic act in the destruction of what remains of the first Americans.”

Making this documentary engendered in Barnes, alongside his concern for the oppressed, a fascination for US Indigenous culture. He returned to the subject for Horizon in 1976 with Geronimo’s Children, about the Apache fightback to revive Native American values and achieve economic independence.

Then, in 1979, he made The Long Walk of Fred Young, another tale of culture clashes. It told how a desire to understand nature led a half-Navajo, half-Ute man who walked barefoot in the snow-covered mountains of southern Colorado to become a leading nuclear physicist, an expert on laser fusion.

Barnes’s Horizon programmes shot in Britain include The Killer Dust (1975), about the deaths of dozens of workers at a Yorkshire asbestos factory, and A Home Like Ours: A Story of Four Children (1976), filmed in a specialist institution and both heartbreaking, for its tales of those abandoned or abused, and graphic, with pictures of the aggressive behaviour displayed by some children.

Meanwhile, Half-way to 1984 (1976) tackled the issue of mass surveillance by the state and the possibility of its political misuse. Then, on a break from Horizon, Barnes continued the broad theme of democracy and openness with a 1979 Panorama documentary, Do You Want to Know a Secret?, asking whether Britain needed a US-style freedom of information law.

Barnes filmed in the US again for his stand-alone documentary The Secret File on Citizen K (1987), questioning the collection and misuse of surveillance on civilians – in this case, the journalist Penn Kimball and his battle to clear his name after the FBI and CIA had wrongly labelled him a security risk suspected of having communist sympathies.

Born in Redhill, Surrey, Michael was the son of Cecil, who sold insurance, and Lily (nee Hennessey). He attended Purley grammar school, graduated in English from Keble College, Oxford, and became a reporter on the Newcastle Journal.

His move into television came with the launch of BBC Two in 1964, when he was made an assistant producer on Revolution Round the Corner, about the implications of automation on society, in the channel’s Tuesday Term higher education slot.

It was a natural step to the same job on the science and technology series Tomorrow’s World when it began on BBC One. A year into his stint on the programme (1965-68), he became a fully fledged producer.

His first documentary for Horizon, in 1969, was about what some experts saw as a failure by Britain’s medical and legal authorities to treat alcoholism appropriately. He made similar waves, but abroad, producing and directing The City That Waits to Die (1970), featuring scientists contending that public officials in San Francisco – which stands on a fault line – were unprepared for the possibility of a large earthquake.

In 1990, a year after a quake outside the city caused the collapse of the Bay Bridge and the Nimitz double-deck freeway, Barnes returned to make The Quake of 89: The Final Warning? for Horizon. It included exclusive footage and further claims of neglect, as well as predictions of a future quake in the city itself.

Barnes briefly switched to the BBC Two series The Lively Arts to make documentaries on famous names who shared his anti-establishment leanings. For Jessica Mitford: The Honourable Rebel (1977), he took the author and former US Communist party member back to her childhood roots to talk about her aristocratic British family, their support for Hitler and how her own civil rights activity made her a target of the FBI.

In Jane Fonda (1978), he provided an insight into the upbringing of the Hollywood film star, daughter of the actor Henry Fonda, and her political activism. She told him: “There I was, with everything privilege can bring, feeling dead inside and somehow very old in my young skin.”

The two-part Horizon documentary The Mind of a Murderer (1984) focused on the American “hillside strangler” Kenneth Bianchi. Barnes obtained videotapes showing the part played by psychiatrists in assessing Bianchi, including the controversial use of hypnosis. Described by one critic as a “masterfully crafted documentary”, it won two Emmy awards in the US.

Barnes’s last programme for Horizon was The Pyramid Builders (1993), on the Egyptians’ extraordinary feats of construction, and, before leaving the BBC, he made the series Secrets of Lost Empires (1996). As an independent producer, he followed it with Secrets of Lost Empires II (2000) for Channel 4.

Inspired by Mitford’s bestselling book The American Way of Death, about rackets in the undertaking business, he also made a two-part World in Action documentary for ITV in 1998 focusing on concerns over the American multinational funeral company SCI’s move into the British market. His later programmes included Machines Time Forgot (2003) and Dogfight Over Guadalcanal (2006).

In 1964, Barnes married the TV producer and critic Elizabeth Cowley; the marriage ended in divorce. His second wife, the film editor Clare Douglas, whom he married in 1992, died in 2017. He married Farideh Dizadji in 2021. She, the children of his first marriage, Suzy and Mandi, and three grandchildren survive him.

 Michael John Barnes, producer, director and writer, born 23 December 1938; died 11 September 2025

BARNES, Michael (Michael John Barnes)

Born: 12/23/1938, Redhill, Surrey, England, U.K.

Died: 9/11/2025,

 

Michael Barnes’ westerns – producer, director, writer, additional crew member:

Horizons: Navajo: The Last Red Indians (1972) [producer, director]

Horizons: Geronimo’s Children – 1976 [producer, director, writer]

Last of the Dogmen – 1995

Brothers in Arms – 2005

Ghost Town – 2009

 

RIP Ben T Traywick

 

Tombstone historian Traywick dies at 97

Green Valley News

October 7, 2025

 

Ben Traywick, considered the foremost expert on Tombstone, died Tuesday in Sierra Vista. He was 97.

Traywick, Tombstone's historian for 39 years, was considered the ultimate authority on the wild West's most notable frontier town.

He wrote 36 books and more than 1,300 articles for newspapers and magazines spanning more than six decades.

Whether making a movie on the famous town or just curious, Traywick was the one to talk to. Notables that sought him out at his local bookstore included actors Jack Palance, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott and John Wayne, and history buff Gen. William Westmoreland.

Traywick was always a main source for a great number of authors covering the iconic Tombstone, Wyatt Earp  and the famous gunfight at the OK Corral.

Traywick was born in Tennessee in August 1927. He joined the Navy in 1943 at age 15.

"I was big for my age, and they were not too particular about such details at the time," Traywick said in a 2010 interview.

He served as a gunner's mate on the destroyer USS Jenkins, seeing combat for two years in the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Manila and Corregidor. The ship was awarded 15 major battle stars.

The Jenkins took a hit from Japanese fighters in 1945, killing seven sailors manning a turret next to Traywick's post. Later, the Jenkins was torpedoed and limped home on one engine to Long Beach, California. Traywick would re-up and serve the Navy in China where he barely escaped the advance of Mao's troops.

Traywick earned a degree in chemistry at Tennessee Tech and played a prominent role with Aerojet General and United Technologies. His work on propellants contributed to the Polaris project.

His interest in Tombstone prompted a move to the old silver camp in 1959. He began his quest, as he put it, "to get the real story." He uncovered many facets of the story surrounding the famous street fight. He also created a theatrical group that became a major draw for tourists and put Tombstone back on the front burner of national historical sites.

Colleague Scott Dyke lives in Sahuarita and has known and worked with Traywick for over 20 years.

"Nobody comes close to him in this field. Nobody," Dyke said. "He told me once that Tombstone was 'the place I was supposed to be.' They should name the town after him."

Services are private and will include a Navy ceremony. Traywick is survived by his second wife, Mary, and three children from his first marriage to Red Marie, who predeceased him and for whom his bookstore is named. He will be buried in Tombstone.

TRAYWICK, Ben (Ben T. Traywick)

Born: 8/3/1927, Watertown, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Died: 10/7/2025, Sierra Vista, Arizona, U.S.A.

 

Ben Traywick’s westerns – author, film actor:

Treasures of the Dead – 1967 [author]

Tombstone 1877 – 1900 – 1970 [author]

Historical Documents and Photographs of Tombstone – 1971 [author]

The Residents of Tombstone's Boot Hill – 1971 [author]

Big Jim Savage, Blonde King of the Indians and Discoverer of Yosemite – 1972 [author]

Tombstone's Immortals – 1973 [author]

Tombstone's Gastronomic Delilghts – 1974 [author]

Hell's Belles of Tombstone – 1984 [author]

Tombstone Outlaw Album – 1984 [author]

The National Tombstone Epitaph – 1985 [author]

Some Ghosts Along The San Pedro (Near Tombstone) – 1987 [author]

The Chinese Dragon in Tombstone – 1989 [author]

Madame Mustache Purveyor of Pleasure Tombstone Arizona - 1990 [author]

A Town Called Tombstone - Photos of the Old Town and it's People – 1990 [author]

Chronicles of Tombstone – 1992 [author]

Behind the Red Lights – 1993 [author]

Legendary characters of southeast Arizona: A sequel to the chronicles of Tombstone – 1993 [author]

A Man For Breakfast or Death's Doings in Tombstone – 1993 [author]

The Gunfight At O. K. Corral and Incidents Following – 1994 [author]

Legendary characters of southeast Arizona: A sequel to The chronicles of Tombstone- 1994 [author]

Tombstone Clippings – 1994 [author]

Chronicles of Tombstone – 1996 [author]

The Clantons of Tombstone – 1996 [author]

John Henry – 1996 [author]

Tombstone’s Boot Hill – 1996 [author]

Frail Prisoners In Yuma Territorial Prison – 1997 [author]

Wyatt Earp's 13 dead men – 1998 [author]

Minute book Common Council Village of Tombstone: September 10, 1880 to January 16, 1882. – 1999 [author]

Haunted History: Haunter Tombstone – 2000 [himself]

That Wicked Little Gringo – 2001 [author]

Wyatt Earp, Angel of Death – 2006 [author]

Camillus Fly – 2008 [author]

Analysis of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral – 2019 [co-author]

John Peters Ringo "Mythical Gunfighter" – 2019 [author]

RIP James Mitchum

 

Jim Mitchum, ‘Thunder Road’ Actor and Son of Robert Mitchum, Dies at 84

He also appeared in the 1960s war films ‘The Victors,’ ‘In Harm’s Way’ and ‘Ambush Bay.’

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

October 3, 2025

 

Jim Mitchum, who starred alongside his father, Oscar-nominated actor Robert Mitchum, in the 1958 moonshine drama Thunder Road while appearing in about three dozen films and TV shows during his career, has died. He was 84.

Mitchum died Sept. 20 at his ranch home in Skull Valley, Arizona, after a long illness, a family spokesperson announced.

The first-born son of Robert Mitchum and Dorothy Spence Mitchum, Jim Mitchum appeared in the war films The Victors (1963), starring George Peppard, Albert Finney and George Hamilton; the Otto Preminger-directed In Harm’s Way (1965), starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas; and Ambush Bay (1966), starring Hugh O’Brian and Mickey Rooney.

He also had a part in Dennis Hopper’s critical and financial disaster The Last Movie (1971) and made a short documentary about the experience working in Peru with Hopper, Peter Fonda and Kris Kristofferson called The Last Movie Movie.

Mitchum’s mom was determined to keep him out of show business as long as possible, but when he was 16, he was cast as Robert’s younger brother, Robin Doolin, in the cult classic Thunder Road. It was his first credited film role. (The part was originally written for Elvis Presley, a family friend of the Mitchums, but he wanted too much money.)

Also produced by Robert, the movie, about Southern whiskey runners pitted against federal agents and organized crime, was filled with car chases and stunts. Playing a car mechanic, James discovered a talent for tinkering with engines and had a stint as a stock car racer and real mechanic, notably working on Presley’s hot rods.

He also appeared with his father in the 1961 war comedy The Last Time I Saw Archie, directed by and starring Jack Webb.

Named for his paternal grandfather, James Robin Spence Mitchum was born in Los Angeles on May 8, 1941. When Dorothy went into labor, Robert was appearing as a Russian peasant in a small theater production, and he rushed to the hospital in full make-up.

Jim and his parents lived a converted chicken coop behind a rented West Hollywood bungalow that housed Robert’s mother, stepfather, three siblings and a nephew. By 1943, Robert was making enough money from acting to rent a house nearby — just in time for the birth of Jim’s brother, Christopher, who would also become an actor.

James appeared in his first film, Raoul Walsh’s Colorado Territory (1949), when he was 8, then attended University High School in West Los Angeles, where his classmates included Frank Sinatra Jr. He passed on college and a potential career in baseball to pursue acting.

Inspired by Presley, he also flirted in 1961 with becoming a singer and was given a contract by 20th Century Fox. A baritone, he recorded a single, “Lonely Birthday,” but it never caught on.

His acting résumé also included Ride the Wild Surf (1964), featuring Fabian and Shelley Fabares, and Moonrunners (1975), a comedy about the illegal whiskey business that echoed Thunder Road and was redeveloped as the CBS series The Dukes of Hazzard. He retired from acting in 1994.

In 1968, Mitchum married late actress Wende Wagner, whose daughter, Tiffany, was 3, and they lived in the hills above Malibu. The couple had a son, Will, in 1969, before their marriage ended in 1978.

While he was residing in Santa Barbara as the co-founder of a publishing company, Mitchum married Vivian Ferrand in 1985, and they moved to Paradise Valley, Arizona, where he managed his parents’ quarter horse ranch, overseeing the breeding and racing operations. They had two kids, Brian and Caitlin Ann, before divorcing in 1995.

After Robert Mitchum’s death in July 1997 at age 79, Jim continued to breed racing quarter horses at his ranch in Skull Valley. In recent years, he developed a line of premium moonshine, traditional corn whiskey and Robert’s Rye whiskey in tribute to his dad.

In addition to his children Will, Brian and Caitlin Ann, his brother and his stepdaughter, survivors include his third wife, former English professor Pamela K. Smith, whom he first met in 1993 and married this year; another daughter, Ana; grandchildren Jack, Wagner, Paige and Winnry; and sister Petrine.

His life will be celebrated privately by the family.

Robert Mitchum was known for his performances in such films as Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Out of the Past (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Not as a Stranger (1955), Cape Fear (1962), Ryan’s Daughter (1970) and Farewell, My Lovely (1975), to name just a few. He received his Oscar nomination for his supporting turn in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945).

He and Dorothy were married from March 1940 until his death from lung cancer and emphysema. She died in April 2014.

MITCHUM, James (James Robin Spence Mitchum)

Born: 5/8/1941, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 9/20/2025, Skull Valley, Arizona, U.S.A.

 

James Mitchum’s westerns – actor:

Colorado Territory – 1949 (child)

Young Guns of Texas – 1962 (Morgan Coe)

Have Gun – Will Travel – 1962 (Roderick Jefferson)

Massacre at Grande Canyon – 1963 (Wes Evans)

The Tramplers – 1966 (Hoby Cordeen)

The High Chaparral (TV) – 1969 (Johnny Keogh)

RIP Ron Silverman

 

Ron Silverman, ‘Brubaker’ Producer and Former Variety Critic, Dies at 92

Variety

By Leia Mendoza

September 30, 2025

 

Ron Silverman, producer of films including “Brubaker” and former dean at the American Film Institute, died in July in Medford, Ore. He was 92.

After working as a reporter on the Arizona Republic, Silverman joined Daily Variety, reviewing films with the tagline “Ron” starting in 1957. Silverman began his career in production with Red Lion Films, a 20th Century Fox independent company led by Mark Robson, working his way up into television at Leslie Steven’s Daystar Productions and Warner Bros. TV. 

Silverman had several credits as a TV writer, working on two episodes of the “Wild Wild West” series. For 18 years, Silverman collaborated with Ted Mann, the Minneapolis exhibitor who purchased the National General chain. During his years working alongside Mann, Silverman worked as a producer on projects such as “Brubaker,” “Buster and Billie,” “Lifeguard,” and “Krull.”

Silverman joined the faculty of the American Film Institute in 1981, working as a guide for the first-year fellows in their classes and on film production sets throughout Los Angeles. After serving as the Dean of Studies for three years, Silverman and his wife moved to Ashland, Ore. and then to nearby Medford, where he resided before his death.

In addition to his work in film and television, Silverman led on a number of non-profit boards including Southern Oregon Public Broadcasting, the Rogue Valley Symphony, and Medford’s performing arts center, the Craterian Theater.

Silverman is survived by his two children, Kathy Leininger and Mark Silverman, three stepchildren, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Donations may be made to the Myra & Ron Silverman Teen Musical Theater Fund at the Craterian Theater.

SILVERMAN, Ron (Ronald Myron Silverman)

Born: 6/13/1933, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A

Died: 7/28/2025, Ashland, Oregon, U.S.A.

 

Ron Silverman’s westerns – writer, producer:

Stoney Burker (TV) – 1963 [producer]

The Wild Wild West (TV) – 1967 [writer]