RIP Dean Tavoularis

 

Dean Tavoularis, Production Designer on the ‘Godfather’ Films and ‘Apocalypse Now,’ Dies at 93

The Oscar winner and five-time nominee teamed with Francis Ford Coppola on 13 features after getting his start as the art director on 'Bonnie and Clyde.'

The Hollywood Reporter

By Mike Barnes

April 23, 2026

 

Dean Tavoularis, the revered Oscar-winning production designer who collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola on 13 films, including all three Godfather movies, Apocalypse Now and One From the Heart, has died. He was 93.

He died Wednesday night in a Paris hospital of natural causes, THR writer and film critic Jordan Mintzer reported. The two teamed on the 2022 book Conversations With Dean Tavoularis.

Tavoularis received his Academy Award in the best art direction-set decoration category for The Godfather Part II (1974) and also was nominated for his work on three other Coppola-directed films — Apocalypse Now (1979), Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) and The Godfather Part III (1990) — plus William Friedkin‘s The Brink’s Job (1978).

In his first movie as art director, Tavoularis came up with the bleak Dust Bowl look for Arthur Penn’s fabled Bonnie and Clyde (1967), the first of six best picture nominees on which he worked. Two of those — the first two Godfather films — took home the ultimate prize.

Tavoularis also teamed with director Coppola on The Conversation (1974), The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Gardens of Stone (1987), New York Stories (1989) and Jack (1996).

Talking about Coppola, “There are many partnerships in all different kinds of businesses that can always turn out badly, but sometimes it can turn out to be a collaboration. You see eye to eye; you feel supportive,” Tavoularis said in a 2018 interview. “When you’re doing a film, no matter how tough you are, no matter how strong you are, you need a feeling of support. And I always had that with Francis.”

“Like all great collaborations,” Coppola said in 1997, “I began to depend on Dean. This grew into a natural and wordless collaboration, which provided so much comfort to me and added to the style of the films we worked on together.”

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Guild in 2007.

For The Godfather Part II, Tavoularis transformed East Sixth Street between Avenues A and B in Lower Manhattan into Little Italy in 1918, complete with a dirt road and quaint, old-fashioned storefronts.

There was nothing quaint about the making of Apocalypse Now, for which Tavoularis created a nightmarish jungle kingdom with a decaying temple — inspired by the ancient Angkor Wat in Cambodia — as its centerpiece. His scheduled 14-week stay in the Philippines wound up lasting two years. (In all, the movie took four years to finish.)

“You never had the feeling at the end of the day that it is one day less and you were one day closer to completion,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2012.

And for the nostalgic (and pricey) love story One From the Heart (1981), who needed to trek to Las Vegas when you could have Tavoularis construct a multimillion-dollar, high-tech version of Sin City at Coppola’s American Zoetrope in San Francisco?

Covering nine soundstages, his set included replicas of casinos and Fremont Street with loads of neon lights and a paved intersection, a residential neighborhood, a desert motel and a faux runway at McCarran International Airport.

“I’ve bought a movie studio, which is like getting a theater. What the hell am I going to Las Vegas for?” Coppola told Rolling Stone in 1982. “Let’s build it inside the studio and totally control it and have the sets be on one stage, as on Saturday Night Live, and have the actors literally perform it like a play — ‘Ready, begin!’ — and do the whole movie as a performance and then go back and put the cameras in different places with the transitions, music, everything. There’d be nothin’ like it!”

He continued, “Dean, in his mind, couldn’t get with the idea of creating the illusions of the movie with matte shots and trickery on that level. He wanted to build the fantasy — that’s what cost the extra 10 or so million dollars.”

On Thursday, Coppola called Tavoularis “a dear friend” and said his death is “a profound loss. I would be unable to list the many ways he benefited my work and my personal life. He was a great artist, a great friend, a great production designer and a great man.”

Constantine Tavoularis was born on May 18, 1932, in Lowell, Massachusetts. When he was a kid, the family moved to Los Angeles, where his dad was in the coffee business.

“We are Greek Americans, and one of [his father’s] clients was Fox studio, which was owned by [Greece native] Spyros Skouras,” Tavoularis said. “In the summer sometimes I would go with my dad and spend a day going around on his deliveries. We would drive back to the commissary, and you saw stage pieces and ladies dressed in their period gowns. It was a mysterious, magical paradise.”

He studied architecture and painting at Otis College of Art and Design and joined Disney as an in-betweener in its animation department, where one of the first films he worked on was Lady and the Tramp (1955).

He served under art director Robert Clatworthy on the live action Disney films Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961), then was Clatworthy’s assistant at Warner Bros. on Robert Mulligan’s Inside Daisy Clover (1965), set in Santa Monica in 1936.

Despite Tavoularis’ lack of experience, Penn gave him a great opportunity on Bonnie and Clyde, and he delivered.

“We made Bonnie and Clyde on a minuscule budget. It was barely more than a couple of million dollars,” Penn said. “But Dean Tavoularis and Theadora Van Runkle, who designed the costumes, created a whole era.”

After working on Michelangelo Antonioni’s Death Valley-set Zabriskie Point (1970), he reteamed with Penn on Little Big Man (1970), a Western filmed in Montana and Calgary.

Tavoularis first met Coppola while he was an assistant art director on the Marlon Brando-starring Candy (1968).

He said that Paramount execs pushed for the director to make The Godfather (1972) in St. Louis. “Why St. Louis? I went over there and looked around; it was ridiculous. It wouldn’t have made the picture better; they only wanted to escape the New York unions,” he said. “Everything that Paramount wanted would have made this movie a flop. Everything that Francis fought against and fought for made The Godfather a screen classic.”

For Apocalypse Now, Tavoularis went in search for helicopters and a river.

“We went to the Pentagon, this huge mythical Pentagon building, but the Department of Army read the script and they said, ‘No.’ No helicopters from the United States,” he recalled. “So we started looking for helicopters elsewhere — and we needed a river. … I went to Thailand, Borneo, Jakarta, Malaysia — it was educational, and I still remember the weirdness of these trips. I ended up in the Philippines, and like a lot of war films finally did, the government co-operated and gave us helicopters, and they had the rivers. So we shot the film in the Philippines.”

He once described the shoot as “living in the house of death that I was making.”

Tavoularis’ other credits included Farewell, My Lovely (1975), Caleb Deschanel’s The Escape Artist (1982), Wim Wenders’ Hammett (1982), Shelf Life (1993), Philip Kaufman’s Rising Sun (1993), Warren Beatty’s Bulworth (1998), Nancy Meyers’ The Parent Trap (1998), Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate (1999) and Roman Coppola’s CQ (2001).

After a decade away to paint, he returned to work for Polanski again on Carnage (2011), his final feature.

In The Offer, Paramount+’s 2022 limited series about the making of The Godfather, Tavoularis was portrayed by Eric Balfour.

Survivors include his second wife, French actress Aurore Clément, whom he met on the set of Apocalypse Now and then married in 1986 at Coppola’s home, and his daughters, Alison and Gina.

(His wife’s scenes in the mesmerizing French plantation sequence of Apocalypse Now were cut from the original release but restored for the expanded redux version.)

In an introduction to a 2007 exhibit that showcased Tavoularis’ career as a film designer and painter, writer Jean-Paul Scarpitta said the designer “attained a higher reality, that of poetry.”

“In his art, he doesn’t dwell on magic, visual deception, optical illusion or unreality … His penetrating eyes allow him to watch and feel things deeply, which leads him to capture what others are not privy to see: the gimmicks, the artifices, the tricks, the element of life upon which the veil of illusion is cast,” Scarpitta wrote. “In his mind, there is a clear parallel between painting and cinema, in that he considers one and the other as different yet compatible means to create an illusory world that only exists in a dimension of its own.”

TAVOULARIS, Dean (Constantine Tavoularis)

Born: 5/18/1932, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.A  

Died: 4/22/2026, Paris, Île-de-France, France

 

Dean Tavoularis’ western – production designer:

Little Big Man -

RIP Karina Duprez

 

Karina Duprez, actress of 'Wild Rose' and director of 'The Usurper', died at the age of 79 

RPP

By Renzo Alvarez

April 22, 2026

 

She was the daughter of actress Magda Guzmán, remembered for her participation in productions such as Cuna de lobos and María la del barrio.

Mexican actress Karina Duprez, who participated in more than twenty Televisa productions, died on Wednesday at the age of 79, the National Association of Interpreters (ANDI) confirmed through its social networks. The institution mourned the loss of who also served as a director and participated in productions such as Rosa salvaje, Mundo de juguete and La rosa de Guadalupe.

"The Board of Directors and the Vigilance Committee of the National Association of Interpreters communicate the sensitive death of our interpreter partner Karina Duprez. Mexican actress and director with an extensive career in the television industry. To her family and friends we send our most heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Board of Directors and Vigilance Committee of ANDI," the statement reads.

From a very young age, Duprez participated in plays and his career soon extended to film and television, where he came to direct productions such as Agujetas de color de rosa, Esmeralda, La usurpadora and Sortilegio.

According to information from the newspaper El Universal, no wake will be held in compliance with his wishes. His remains will be cremated and on Saturday, April 25, a mass will be held in his honor.

Who was Karina Duprez?

Karina Duprez came from a family that was no stranger to art. She was the daughter of actress Magda Guzmán, remembered for her participation in films and soap operas such as El ángel exterminador, Cuna de lobos and María la del Barrio.

In 1979, she married actor Carlos Ancira, a relationship that continued until his death in 1987. From that marriage was born the actress Magda Karina, who continued the family tradition in acting.

Her grandson, actor Chris Pazcal, dedicated a message to her on social networks, accompanied by 10 family photos.

"Thank you for your unconditional love, for your complicity, for every moment shared and for always being my guide. Thank you for believing in me, for pushing me and for being a fundamental part of my career. Without a doubt, I would not be the actor I am today if it were not for you, for your teachings, for your passion and for everything you gave me. But, above all, thank you for being the best grandmother. For being there, for taking care of me, for loving me," she said.

DUPREZ, Karina (Karina Julia Descalzo Guzmán)

Born: 12/25/1946, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Died: 4/22/2026, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Karina Duprez’s westerns - actress

El caudillo – 1968 ((Lupe Garcia)

Furias bajo el cielo – 1971 (Juanita)

Uno para la horca – 1974 (Millie)

RIP Luis Puenzo

 

Maker of Argentina's first Oscar-winning film, Luis Puenzo, dies at 80

CBS News

April 21, 2026

 

The director of the first Argentine film to win an Oscar, Luis Puenzo, died on Tuesday aged 80, the main organization representing Argentine creatives said Tuesday.

"With deep sorrow we bid farewell to the outstanding screenwriter, director, producer and partner in our organization, Luis Puenzo, who passed away today in the city of Buenos Aires at the age of 80," the General Society of Argentine Authors said in a statement.

No cause of death was given but Puenzo had been absent from public life for an extended period due to health issues.

His drama "The Official Story," about the adoption by military families of children snatched from activists during Argentina's 1976-1983 dictatorship, won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1986.

He also directed the 1989 drama "Old Gringo" starring Jane Fonda as an American teacher who becomes swept up in the Mexican Revolution and "The Plague" (1992) based on the Albert Camus novel of the same title, starring William Hurt and Robert Duvall.

PUENZO, Luis (Luis Adalberto Puenzo)

Born: 2/19/1946, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Died: 4/21/2026, Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Luis Puenzo’s western – director, writer:

Old Gringo - 1989

RIP Rif Hutton

 

Rif Hutton Dies: ‘Doogie Howser, M.D.’, ‘General Hospital’ Actor Was 73

DEADLINE

By Greg Evans

April 20, 2026

 

Rif Hutton, an actor whose prolific work in television included roles on Doogie Howser, M.D., JAG and General Hospital, among many other series, died Saturday, April 18, at his home in Pasadena following a yearlong battle with the brain cancer Glioblastoma. He was 73.

His death was announced by family to TMZ and by close friends on Facebook.

“A remarkable human being has left this earthly plane,” wrote his friend and voice-over colleague Steve Apostolina. “To say that Rif Hutton was one of a kind is a gross understatement…People knew when they hired him for a voice job that he was going to be the most prepared – he always was. He was also always first to show up on a gig – I had the great pleasure of beating him a few times and scooping a treasured chair, but those were few and far between.”

Many of Hutton’s nearly 200 TV credits were guest shots on such shows as The Jeffersons, Remington Steele, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, 227, Night Court, A Different World, Knots Landing, Full House, Married…With Children, Wings, Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Sister, Sister, Home Improvement, Family Matters, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Seinfeld, American Horror Story, Grace and Frankie and NCIS: Los Angeles.

But he had longer runs on series including 1990’s Tribes (95 episodes), Doogie Howser, M.D. (17 episodes from 1989-93), 15 episodes of JAG (1997-2001) and, in 2021 and 2022, 32 episodes of daytime soap General Hospital.

Film credits include the 2022 crime comedy Rattled! and, in 2016, Ice Age: Collision Course.

“When the SAG strike broke out,” Apostolina notes, “he was on the line every day at Warner Bros. – a constant vision of support.”

Hutton learned he had a brain tumor in March of 2025, and later took part in the National Brain Tumor Society’s Southern California Brain Tumor Walk. At the time, he wrote, “Every person facing Glioblastoma, or any brain disorder, deserves this kind of support – to be  surrounded by encouragement, by prayer, and by stalwart champions of hope and light. There continues to be meaningful advancements in the fight against [Glioblastoma], and that fight needs all  of us. Please support it in whatever way you can.”

He is survived by his wife, the voice actor Bridget Hoffman, and son Wolfy. Additional survivor information was not immediately available.

HUTTON, Rif

Born: 11/28/1955, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 4/18/2026, Pasadena, California, U.S.A

 

Rid Hutton’s westerns – additional crew member:

3:10 to Yuma – 2007

Rango – 2011

RIP Alan Osmond

 

Alan Osmond, Oldest Member of The Osmonds, Dies at 76

The musician died on the evening of Monday, April 20, a spokesperson for the family said in a statement

People

By Becca Longmire

April 21, 2026

 

Alan Osmond, the oldest member of The Osmonds, has died. He was 76.

Alan, who was born in Ogden, Utah, died at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Monday, April 20, a spokesperson for the family confirmed to ABC4 Utah and CBS affiliate KUTV.

Alan’s wife, Suzanne Pinegar Osmond, and their eight sons were by his side when he died, KUTV reported. The singer had retired from performing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 40 years ago, the outlet stated.

Alan’s brother, Merrill Osmond, 72, was among those paying tribute.

He said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of my beloved brother, Alan Osmond. I was grateful to be with him shortly before he passed and to share a final meaningful moment together. Alan was a gifted creator, a man of faith, and a deeply loving soul whose life blessed many."

"Our family is thankful for the outpouring of love and prayers. We will honor his memory and the message he cared so deeply about. He will be missed beyond words," Merrill added.

Merrill also wrote on Facebook, “My dear friends, Two days before my brother, Alan, passed, I was blessed to sit quietly with him. We talked as brothers do, heart to heart.”

“He was struggling, but when I shared a joke or two, he found the strength to chuckle… and then he smiled. In a tender moment I will never forget, he leaned close and whispered something into my ear. He said, ‘Merrill, you and I worked side by side,' ” the musician continued. “ 'We created, we produced, we directed… we gave our hearts to The Plan with Wayne. Please… do something with it. Let people know what we were trying to say.’ I want you to know, his request will be honored.”

Merrill wrote, “My brother has now stepped into the presence of our Father in Heaven with honor and peace. His life was not measured in years, but in love, sacrifice, and purpose.”

Merrill said Alan’s “creativity, his vision, and his deep understanding of the Savior’s teachings were simply part of who he was,” adding, “He lived it. He felt it. He shared it. He wanted me to tell you how much he loved you, and I believe that with all my heart. He gave everything he had to the Lord, to his family, and to all of you. He truly was a missionary. He truly was a saint.”

“And I need you to know this… he has not left me. I have felt him. I have felt his quiet encouragement telling me to keep going… to keep building faith… to keep sharing light. His testimony is not gone, it lives on, and it will continue to be felt far beyond this life,” Merrill said.

The musician continued, “So please, don’t let your hearts be heavy. Don’t weep for him. Rejoice, knowing that your brother, your friend, your hero is no longer in pain. He is free. He is whole. He is home.”

“Before he passed, I whispered one request to him. I asked him, when he gets there… please give my son Troy a big hug for me. He looked at me and promised he would,” Merrill concluded. “And somehow… I believe that promise has already been kept.”

Brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and later Donny, formed The Osmonds in the 1970s, before they skyrocketed to fame. The brothers were raised by parents George Virl Osmond and Olive May, in Utah, alongside their brothers Virl, Jimmy and Tom, and sister Marie Osmond.

Alan was the leader of the band at just 8 years old, and his brothers called him "No. 1," PEOPLE previously reported.

Though they weren’t in the band, the oldest Osmond siblings, Virl and Tom, who were born almost completely deaf, took part in the musical side of their family as well. Virl taught his brothers how to tap dance, among other things, it was previously revealed in the Being the Osmonds documentary.

Donny was also among those paying tribute to Alan on Instagram on Tuesday, April 21, sharing a throwback black-and-white photo of the pair, alongside the caption, “This is one of the earliest pictures I have of my brother Alan and me. Even back then, you can see that he had his arm around me, watching over me.”

“That’s who he was. My protector. My guide. The one who quietly carried so much responsibility so the rest of us could shine,” he added. “Alan was our leader in every sense of the word. His tireless work helped build everything we became.”

Donny wrote, “I will always be grateful for the sacrifices he made and the love he showed—not just to me, but to every member of our family.”

“I owe him more than I can ever fully express,” he shared. “I love you, Alan. Thank you for always being there for me. Till we meet again,” signing off the post with, “Brother Donny.”

Alan is survived by his wife, Suzanne, of 51 years, as well as his sons sons Michael, Nathan, Doug, David, Scott, Jon, Alex, and Tyler, KUTV reported. He also has 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, according to the outlet.

Through the years, Alan helped create the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, which has raised over $2 billion for children’s hospitals, as well as launching the One Heart Foundation to help support orphans, ABC4 Utah reported.

The family spokesperson said, “Upon meeting the entertainer, an ever-ready smile was ever prevalent. One might feel as though they had known him all their life,” per the outlet.

“Others’ importance seemed to outshine his own, and he especially treasured the countless fans who supported the group,” they added, according to ABC4 Utah.

OSMOND, Alan (Alan Ralph Osmond)

Born: 6/22/1949, Ogden, Utah, U.S.A.

Died: 4/20/2026, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.

 

Alan Osmond’s westerns – actor:

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV) – 1963-1964 (Micah Kissel)

RIP Gianni Quillico

 

Gianni Quillico, actor and voice actor of many films and television series, has died

La Voce dei Giornalisti

By Alessandra Rissotto

4/19/2026

 

Today we were left with a dear friend, Gianni Quillico, a special person for those who loved him and for the whole world of Milanese culture.

His voice has been the protagonist in many movies, television series, advertising, cartoons, and even video games. Of the dubbing, Gianni was a highly appreciated master in Italy and abroad, friends loved to tell secrets and anecdotes of those “voices in the shadows” lent to movie stars whose success is determined, in large part, by the charm of the voice of the voice actor but Gianni, despite being aware of his skill, has always remained a balanced person never over the top, no hint of pride.

Gianni Quillico

Born in Milan in 1947, he loved his city and, in a particular way, his theaters: a wonderful Marquis of Forlimpopoli in La Locandiera, the most famous opera by Goldoni, with Dario Fo had participated in the Palazzina Liberty in Milan at the Colletivo Teatrale from which it would be produced “We Talk About Women” written and directed by the future Nobel Prize. Many famous directors with whom he worked from Anton Giulio Majano to Sandro Bolchi to Giuseppe Piccioni.

He had been the voice of the Spider-Man in the first animated series dedicated to the character; the Black Knight in King Arthur; Jobback in Calimer and Hamber in the series Orizzonti Pokemon.

His latest works with Massimiliano Finazzer Flory in “Being Leonardo da Vinci” and “Rocco Schiavone”, the television series he had worked on in 2025.

Always elegant, with a somewhat English style, Gianni shared the passion for theater, music, the mountain with his wife, Raffaella, who reconciled his commitment as a journalist in the editorial culture of Rai, with the long times of Gianni’s theater rehearsals and then with the debuts and the many evenings of entertainment.

The last greeting to Gianni Quillico will be in the farewell room inside the cemetery of Lambrate.

QUILLICO, Gianni

Born: 4/9/1947, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Died: 4/19/2026, Italy

 

Gianni Quillico’s westerns – voice actor:

Tex and Company (TV) – 1980 (Cico)

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (TV) – 1993-1998 [Italian voice of Frank Collison]

Cocco Bill (TV) – 2002 (Bob)

 Outer Range (TV) – 2022 [Italian voice of Will Patton]

RIP Don Schlitz

 

NC Native Don Schlitz, storied country songwriter behind such hits as ‘The Gambler,’ dies at 73

WPTF

By Maria Sherman

April 17, 2026

 

Don Schlitz, the storied country music songwriter known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand” and “Forever and Ever, Amen,” died Thursday at a Nashville hospital. He was 73.

The cause of death was not immediately known. A press release from the Grand Ole Opry described it as a sudden illness.

Schlitz, a North Carolina native, was born in 1952 and raised in Durham before packing his bags and heading to Nashville

The two-time Grammy Award winner was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. “I will never be able to believe that I deserve this, unless I receive it as a representative of my family, my mentors, my collaborators, my promoters and my friends,” Schlitz said in 2017, when he learned of the Country Music Hall of Fame honor. “That’s the only way I can deal with this.”

Schlitz made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2017 and was later inducted in 2022. He is the only non-artist to receive the honor in the Opry’s 100 years. The historic venue’s Saturday night show will be dedicated in his honor.

He was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year for four consecutive years, from 1988 through 1991. He also wrote music and lyrics for “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” the 1999 Broadway musical.

Schlitz’s songs are widely considered some of the most unwavering in country music, and have been recorded by such hitmakers as Kenny Rogers (“The Gambler,” “The Greatest”), Randy Travis (“On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen”), The Judds (“I Know Where I’m Going”), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (“I Love Only You,”) Tanya Tucker (“I Won’t Take Less Than Your Love,”) Mary Chapin Carpenter (“He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”) and many others.

He also wrote “You Can’t Make Old Friends” for Rogers and Dolly Parton; their first duet since 1983’s “Islands in the Stream.”

His first recorded song, “The Gambler,” is perhaps his most enduring hit and the tent-pole of his legacy. The song, which was recorded by Rogers in 1978 and certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), opened doors for country music in the ’70s, a track that was not only a huge genre hit but also a pop crossover one.

As Rogers said when he inducted Schlitz into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012, “Don doesn’t just write songs. He writes careers.”

“We are heartbroken by the news of the passing of Don Schlitz. Don loved his family, his home state of North Carolina, and above all, songs and songwriters. He carried that love into every room, every stage and every lyric he ever wrote,” Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO, wrote in a statement Friday. “Not long ago, we shared a dinner, and as we were leaving, Don picked up a guitar and began to play. That is how I will always remember him, smiling and with a guitar in his hand. His legacy lives on through his music and the many artists and writers he inspired. He will be deeply missed.”

“Don Schlitz’s place as a songwriting great would be secure had he never written ‘The Gambler’ or had he only written ‘The Gambler,’” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, wrote in a statement Friday. “Nashville was richer for his presence and is lesser for his absence.”

Schlitz is survived by his wife Stacey, daughter Cory Dixon and her husband Matt Dixon, son Pete Schlitz and his wife Christian Webb Schlitz, grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla and Lilah, brother Brad Schlitz and sister Kathy Hinkley.

SCHLITZ, Don (Donald Alan Schlitz Jr.)

Born: 8/29/1952, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Died: 4/16/2026, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.

 

Don Schlitz’s westerns – writer:

The Gambler (TV) 1980

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (TV) – 1983

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (TV) – 1991

Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (TV) - 1994

RIP Alexander Morton

 

Monarch of the Glen actor Alexander Morton dies aged 81

BBC

By Craig Williams

4/16/2026

 

Actor Alexander "Sandy" Morton, who played Golly Mackenzie in the TV series Monarch of the Glen, has died aged 81.

The Glasgow-born actor played the loyal ghillie of the fictional Highland estate Glenbogle in all 64 episodes of the popular BBC Scotland series between 2000 and 2005.

He was also known for playing hard-men and villains in films and series as diverse as Get Carter, The Silent Scream, Valhalla Rising, and Take the High Road.

Morton, who trained at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London, was also a noted stage actor who founded the Raindog Theatre Company with fellow actors Robert Carlyle and Caroline Paterson.

Morton began working in the 1970s in London and Scotland and he built a long and varied career on stage and screen.

He made an impact as the villain Andy Semple in the Scottish Television soap opera Take The High Road, a part he played for 14 years between 1980 and 1994.

His stage roles included Macbeth, Robert Burns and William Wallace.

He also appeared in River City and Shetland.

Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said: "We're saddened to hear the news about Alexander Morton who made a significant contribution to Scottish television and theatre.

"His portrayal of Golly Mackenzie in Monarch of the Glen was a key part of the long-running drama's success.

"He will be remembered fondly for the depth and authenticity he brought to one of BBC Scotland's most cherished dramas."

Paying tribute to Morton on social media, Robert Carlyle wrote:

"So sad to hear of the passing of the great Sandy Morton. Not only a brilliant actor, but one of the kindest men I ever knew. Working with him through the years with Raindog Theatre Company was an education.

"His unique, naturalistic style was a thing of beauty. So real that you would forget he was even acting at all. I've never seen anyone do it better than Sandy.

"He taught me so much. I owe him so much, and he will forever be in my heart. RIP Alexander Morton."

'Exceptional talent'

Gavin Mitchell, who plays Boaby the barman in Still Game, said: "Such devastating news to hear of the passing of Sandy Morton today from his son Jamie.

"He taught and gave me so much. Warm, wise, encouraging, generous and gentle. An exceptional talent. I was lucky enough to work with him on various things over the years, from the inception of Raindog Theatre Company and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, panto, radio, Monarch of the Glen, of course, and much more.

"His door was always open and always tales to share. He loved music, history, politics, radio, and remained eternally curious.

"I loved him dearly and I owe him a lot. I'll miss our chats and I'll miss catching him off guard and making him chortle. We've lost one of the best. All my love. Travel well Sandy".

Actor and singer Tom Urie, who played Big Bob O'Hara in River City, wrote: "Sad to hear about the passing of Sandy Morton. Our paths crossed briefly on River City and he was an absolute gentleman."

MORTON, Alexander

Born: 3/24/1945, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.

Died: 4/15/2026, Bath Somerset, England, U.K.

 

Alexander Morton’s western – actor:

The Campbells (TV) – 1987, 1988 (cellmate, Thomas)

RIP Husein Cokic

 

Husein Čokić passed away: He started his career in Banja Luka, starred in the film "March on the Drina"

Nezavisne

By Ratko Bogosavac

4/16/2026

 

It started at the Banja Luka Theatre

Čokić was born in 1931 in Ključ, and spent his working life in Banja Luka.

According to the regionalexpress.hr portal, which published the news of his death, Čokić began his acting career in 1953 at the National Theater of Bosanska Krajina in Banja Luka, where he performed a whole range of roles.

What he's been playing

He gained full recognition as an actor in film, collaborating with leading ex-Yugoslav directors, such as Branko Bauer in the film “Face to Face”, “Steps Through the Fog” and “Cat Under the Helmet” by Žorž Skrigin, “March on the Drina” by Žika Mitrović, “Horse on the Mountain” by Fadil Hadžić, “Doctor Mladen” by Midhat Mutapčić, “Saboteurs” and “Valter Defends Sarajevo” by Hajrudin Šiba Krvavac, “Shepherd” by Bakir Tanović, “The Ninth Miracle in the East” by Vlatko Filipović and “Ljubica” by Krešo Golik.

He has also successfully appeared in numerous co-production films and TV series, as well as in drama productions of Sarajevo Television.

He has made a total of 28 feature films and about twenty TV films, TV series, short films and television dramas.

He also starred in a foreign film

Together with Bekim Fehmiu, he paved the way for ex-Yugoslav actors in foreign films. Among other things, he starred in the classic "Vineta" (1963).

The monodrama "Socrates' Defense and Death", which he performed extremely successfully at a time when Ljuba Tadić played the same monodrama on stage, will remain inscribed and remembered in the golden letters of the theatre.

COKIC, Husein

Born: 6/16/1931, Kljuc, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia

Died: 4/14/2026, Pula, Croatia

 

Husein Cokic’s westerns – actor:

Apache Gold – 1963 (Will Parker)

The Jack London Story (TV) – 1973 (Jim Goodman/Gustavson) [as Husein Cokie]

RIP Lucha Moreno

 

Lucha Moreno, actress and diva of ranchera music, dies at the age of 86

"He left us soft and surrounded by a lot of love," says his daughter Mimí, a member of the group Flans.

Billboard

By Natalia Cano

4/16/2026

 

Singer and actress Lucha Moreno, one of the great voices of ranchera music who was part of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, died on Wednesday (April 15) at the age of 86. The death was confirmed by her daughter Irma Hernández, better known as Mimí of the group Flans.

"How difficult... Today my adored mommy climbed on a cloud surrounded by a lot of little angels to return home ... She left us soft and surrounded by a lot of love," Mimí said in a post on her Instagram account, accompanied by a photograph with her mother. "Warrior, tireless, noisy, big and with the purest heart. Have a good trip beautiful mommy. We are going to miss you very much... Fly happy!"

The cause of death of the Mexican diva was not revealed. Billboard Español has sent requests for details to Mimí and her representatives.

Irma Gloria Ochoa Salinas, Moreno's real name, was born on April 23, 1939 in Guadalupe, Nuevo León. Marked by interpretive intensity and roots in traditions, her artistic work included music and television, in addition to being part of the last stage of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, standing out for her vocal interpretation and stage presence.

In the 1960s, she formed a successful duo with her husband, José Juan, with whom she also formed a family. The duo managed to become one of the most important vernacular music of the time, recording a score of albums under the Orfeón and RCA Victor labels. Among her hits are songs such as "Tú y yo", "Deja deja" and "La Margarita". Her most famous albums, which positioned her as one of the most powerful voices in traditional Mexican music, include Tú y Yo (1970), Lucha Moreno Y José Juan Con El Mariachi Monumental De Silvestre Vargas – Amor Perfecto (1970) and Serenata De Amor Con Lucha Moreno Y José Juan (1976).

In cinema, Moreno made her debut in 1957 in the film Asesinos, S.A. (1957) — written and directed by Adolfo Fernández Bustamante and starring Adalberto Martínez Resortes, Kitty de Hoyos and Sara Guasch – in which she performed the song "La noche de mi mal." On TV, she participated in soap operas that marked an era, such as Quinceañera, Amor en Silencio, Amor de Nadie, Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma and Te Sigo Amando.

In addition to Mimí, Moreno had two other children: Ileana, who died a few years ago, and José Juan Hernández Ochoa, who also ventured into music and now works as a businessman. Her husband, José Juan, died in January 2025, at the age of 89, after almost six decades of marriage.

MORENO, Lucha (Irma Gloria Ochoa Salinas)

Born: 4/23/1939, Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Died: 4/5/2026, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

 

Lucha Moreno’s westerns – actress:

No soy monedita de oro – 1959 (Lucha Moreno)

El gato – 1961 (María)

Tirando a matar – 1961 (María)

Los hijos del diablo – 1989 (Leonor Contreras

RIP Joy Harmon

 

Joy Harmon

'Cool Hand Luke' Car Wash Scene Actress Dead at 87

TMZ

April 15, 2026

 

Joy Harmon -- the blonde actress known for her brief but iconic car wash scene in the classic 1960s film "Cool Hand Luke" -- has died, TMZ has learned.

A family member tells TMZ ... Joy passed away at her Los Angeles-area home Tuesday surrounded by family, after getting sick with pneumonia several weeks earlier. We're told she fought until the end and fully expected to recover and get back to work at her beloved Burbank bakery, Aunt Joy's Cakes.

Joy was working at Aunt Joy's until the very end ... we're told she was working the day before she went to the hospital to receive medical care.

According to her family member, she spent 1 to 2 weeks in the hospital, followed by a several-week stint at a rehabilitation center, and then returned home to spend her final days on hospice care and with her loved ones.

Her role as Lucille in the famous car-wash scene was an image that stuck in cinema culture for decades to come. But she had been honing her craft long before -- she kicked off her career as a child model and pageant queen, becoming a finalist in the Miss Connecticut pageant.

She had several on and off-Broadway stints before breaking into Hollywood as a contestant on the "You Bet Your Life" quiz show. From there, she became a regular on the "Tell It To Groucho" comedy show.

She appeared in classic films such as "Village of the Giants," "One Way Wahine," "Under the Yum Yum Tree" and "Angel in My Pocket" and landed several roles on the small screen, appearing in "Batman," "The Monkeys," "Bewitched," and more.

She stepped away from Hollywood to focus on raising her family -- she had 3 children, Jason, Julie and Jamie -- with her ex-husband, film editor Jeff Gourson. The pair were married between 1968 and 2001. She had 9 grandchildren, some of whom she's seen smiling with in the photo above.

She founded her bakery in 2003, and it quickly became a local favorite. We're told fans always knew to find her there, and she would happily hand out autographs when asked.

Her family tells TMZ Joy was a positive thinker full of life and vibrancy and certainly had no problem spreading joy throughout her life.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with her medical costs.

Joy was 87 years old.

RIP

 

HARMON, Joy (Joy Patricia Harmon)

Born: 5/1/1940, Flushing, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 4/14/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Joy Harmon’s western – actress:

The Rounders (TV) - 1966 (Rosetta)

RIP Tony Williams

 

Tony Williams, professor of film studies, dead at 80

Wellesnet

April 13, 2026

 

Sad to learn tonight that Tony Williams, a longtime Wellesnet supporter and contributor, has passed away after a brief illness. He was 80.

News of his passing was shared by friends on social media, one of whom described him as “outspoken and brilliant in a way few are—an academic who wasn’t concerned with the etiquette or appearance that so many of his peers were.”

Tony was a professor of English and Area Head of Film Studies at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

He was among the first members of the Wellesnet community when the website was launched in March 2001 and contributed more than 1,000 posts to the Message Board. He was unfailingly loyal to the site and penned several articles. In recent years, he wrote an analysis of The Trial and a review of Dany Wu’s documentary American: An Odyssey to 1947.

Educated at Manchester and Warwick Universities, Tony authored and/or co-authored  Italian Western: The Opera of Violence (1975); Jack London: The Movies (1992); Vietnam War Films (1994/2011); Hearths of Darkness: The Family in the American Horror Film (1996); Larry Cohen: The Radical Allegories of an American Filmmaker (1997); Jack London’s The Sea Wolf: A Screenplay by Robert Rossen (1998); The Cinema of George A. Romero: Knight of the Living Dead (2003); Body and Soul: The Cinematic Vision of Robert Aldrich (2004); John Woo’s Bullet in the Head (2009); and James Jones: The Limits of Eternity (2016).).

His articles also appeared in Asian Cinema, cineACTION, Cinema Journal, Excavatio, Film Criticism, Film History, Journal of Chinese Cinemas,Movie, Postscript, Vietnam Generatio.

Tony is survived by his wife and a daughter.

 

WILLIAMS, Tony (Anthony J. Williams)

Born: 1/11/1946, Swansea, Wales, U.K.

Died: 4/14/2026, Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A.

 

Tony Williams westerns – author:

Italian Western: The Opera of Violence (1975

RIP Elisabeth Waldo

 

WA-born Elisabeth Waldo dies at 107; fused Indigenous and Western sounds 

The Seattle Times

By Adam Nossiter

April 6, 2026

 

Elisabeth Waldo, a musician and composer who used pre-Columbian instruments in Western-style scores that sought to evoke the atmosphere of Latin America, died March 16 at her home in Northridge, California. She was 107.

Her death was confirmed by her niece, Lucy V. Lee.

Waldo began her musical life in the 1930s at a sharply different end of the spectrum. She was a classically-trained violinist who had been endorsed by the eminent Jascha Heifetz and studied with Russian-born virtuoso Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

But her travels through Latin America in the 1940s, and especially a stay in Mexico, radically reoriented her sound world. “I just couldn’t sit and play only Bach,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1994.

Through albums in the late 1950s and ’60s with titles including “Rites of the Pagan,” “Realm of the Incas” and “Maracatu,” Waldo (and an ensemble she created) fused her fascination with bone flutes, conch shell trumpets and Indigenous percussion with her training in Western-influenced harmonies, creating an atmospheric canopy of lush sounds that some likened to the Polynesia-themed easy-listening “exotica” genre that was popular in the ’50s.

Waldo rejected that comparison, contrasting exotica’s commercialism with her devotion to the authentic instruments of Latin America.

“They wanted me to be like them because they were big sellers,” she said of the exotica purveyors, “but I said, ‘No, to me it’s not authentic, it’s very pop-oriented,’” she told musician Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker in an interview included in the 2017 book “The Tide Was Always High: The Music of Latin America in Los Angeles,” a compilation of essays edited by Josh Kun.

She added: “I don’t like the synthesized flutes because I’m so used to the real concert flute or these Aztec flutes that are over a thousand years old — they have such a beauty and I think that’s the best.”

Verdicts from critics were mixed.

“Similar to other exotica albums released at the time, Waldo’s compositions are enjoyable, if rather kitschy fantasies,” Nicholas Limansky wrote in his 2008 biography of Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, with whom Waldo toured as a violinist in the 1950s.

Earlier in Waldo’s career, critics in a less multicultural age were mostly intrigued by her experiments. “There are no visible savages, but their spirits certainly have been reincarnated in one way, at least, into this modern world of 1960,” a critic for the Los Angeles Times wrote that year of Waldo’s efforts.

Three decades later, reactions were sharper. Lewis Segal, also in the Los Angeles Times, wrote in 1989: “Though she led a chamber ensemble bristling with exotic winds and percussion, composer-conductor Elisabeth Waldo inevitably reduced such ‘ethnic’ elements to teasers or dabs of local color in her sweetly melodic evocations of the Spanish conquistadors, Central American Maya, Peruvian Incas, Chinese Silk Route and California Indians.”

He rebuked Waldo for having “celebrated the forced Christianization of Mexico as if this bloody process of enslavement had been merely a matter of gentle padres winning hearts.”

Waldo continued to perform and compose until she was older than 100, largely on the West Coast.

Elisabeth Ann Waldo was born in Tacoma, Washington, on June 18, 1918, the third of four children of Benjamin Franklin Waldo, a telegraph operator for the Northern Pacific Railroad, and Jane Althea (Blodgett) Waldo, who had studied singing at the New England Conservatory of Music.

She grew up southeast of Tacoma on a 40-acre ranch — purchased with her mother’s family money — at the edge of the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington; started playing violin at age 5; studied the instrument at the Cornish School of Music in Seattle; and, as a teenager, played for Heifetz, who was hearing prospective students on behalf of the Curtis Institute.

Waldo was “scared” in the presence of one of the 20th century’s greatest virtuosos, she recalled in a 2023 film about her life, “La Maestra,” by Ted Faye.

He called on her to play the notes being sounded by a pianist. “Heifetz said, ‘Just turn your back to me,’” Waldo recalled. “He didn’t want me to watch the piano.”

She passed the test with flying colors, and Heifetz recommended her for Curtis, from which she graduated in 1938.

She came by her affinity for the music of the Americas when she first toured the region as a violinist with Leopold Stokowski’s All-American Youth Orchestra in 1940. After several seasons playing in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, she returned to Colombia, Panama and Guatemala, playing American music — William Grant Still and George Gershwin — on a solo concert tour sponsored by the governments of those countries.

Conventional orchestra life for her was soon over. “I just couldn’t stay put,” she said in the film. “All these ideas began to combust. I just took off and barnstormed all over Latin America.”

A stay in Mexico City in the mid-1940s, a meeting with painter Diego Rivera and a trip to the city’s main open-air market in search of folk instruments “made me get out of Bach and Brahms,” she said.

“You hear this cacophony of sound, and you become very excited,” she told Faye. The course of her future was set.

WALDO, Elisabeth (Elisabeth Ann Waldo)

Born: 6/18/1918, Tacoma, Washington, U.S.A.

Died: 3/16/2026, Northridge, California, U.S.A.

 

Elisabeth Waldo’s western – additional crew:

The West (TV) – 1996 [additional crew]

RIP Sid Krofft

 

Sid Krofft, Co-Creator of Mind-Blowing Kids TV Shows, Dies at 96

The puppeteer and his late brother Marty partnered on 'The Banana Splits Adventure Hour,' 'H.R. Pufnstuf,' 'Land of the Lost' and much more.

The Hollywood Reporter

By Andy Lewis

April 13, 2026

 

Sid Krofft, the wildly imaginative puppeteer who teamed with his younger brother Marty to build an entertainment empire behind such trippy TV shows as The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, has died. He was 96.

Krofft, eight years older than Marty and the creative force of their business, died Friday in his sleep at the Los Angeles home of friend and business partner Kelly Killian. Marty died in November 2023 at age 86. 

“I get a dream, and Marty gets it done,” Sid said of their partnership in a 2000 interview for the TV Academy Foundation.

The pair were well-known theatrical puppeteers in 1968 when they were recruited to design the costumes for the live-action portion of NBC’s The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Their furry animal characters (Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky), members of a rock band, were an instant hit on the Saturday morning show, which ran from 1968-70 (and in reruns since then).

The next year, NBC asked them to create a Saturday morning kids show, and they came up with H.R. Pufnstuf, about a shipwrecked boy (Jimmy, played by Jack Wild) who lands on a magical island. The title character, Pufnstuf, was a revamp of Luther, a friendly dragon that they had created for a show at the 1968 HemisFair in San Antonio.

NBC wanted a second season to follow the 17-episode first but offered only a small increase on the rights fee, already far below what it was costing the brothers to make the show, so they declined. Pufnstuf was canceled in 1970 but lived on in reruns as well.

Pufnstuf‘s psychedelic sets and costumes were a big hit with college kids, and The Beatles asked for a full set of episode tapes to be sent to them in England. The look of the show prompted many whispers that the brothers took drugs (pot for sure, maybe LSD as well?), something Marty denied.

“You can’t do a show stoned,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2016 during a visit to explore the Krofft archives.

The duo followed Pufnstuf with The Bugaloos (1970-72), the Claymation series Lidsville (1971-73), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-75) and Land of the Lost (1974-76), which spawned an ill-fated Will Ferrell movie adaptation in 2009. Those shows were wildly popular in syndication as well.

“We screwed with every kid’s mind,” Marty told THR. “There’s a Krofft look — the colors. There’s an edge. Disney doesn’t have an edge.”

Indeed, the Kroffts‘ style was so popular that McDonald’s copied it to create Mayor McCheese and McDonaldland for an early 1970s advertising campaign. The Kroffts sued, winning a reported seven-figure settlement in 1977.

A year earlier, the brothers opened The World of Sid & Marty Krofft theme park in downtown Atlanta’s new Omni Complex (now CNN’s headquarters). Spread over six levels, it was billed as the world’s first vertical amusement park. About 600,000 visitors came during the recession-plagued ’70s, but it wasn’t enough to cover the costs and interest payments, and the park closed after just six months.

Long after other smaller kids producers like Hanna-Barbera had sold out to conglomerates, the Kroffts were still developing shows as the last of the great 1960s independents. As late as 2015, they had a hit on Nickelodeon with Mutt & Stuff (one episode even featured a guest appearance from Pufnstuf).

The Kroffts also developed numerous live-action variety shows including The Brady Bunch Hour, The Donny & Marie Show, The Bay City Rollers Show and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.

They produced another kids show hosted by Richard Pryor, based on his childhood, and their puppets toured with such acts as Judy Garland, Liberace, The Mills Brothers, Tony Martin & Cyd Charisse and Frank Sinatra.

Krofft was born in Montreal on July 30, 1929, and when he was young, he and his family lived in Maine, Rhode Island and the Bronx. For PR, the brothers liked to say that they came from a long line of puppeteers going back many generations. In truth, the story was fabricated. Their father was a clock salesman who emigrated from Greece in the early 1900s.

“The Kroffts have been playing with dolls their whole lives,” Marty joked about the brothers’ boyhood interest in puppeteering. By the time he was 15, Sid was already working clubs in New York.

(They had two other brothers; Hy died during fighting in World War II, and Harry, who died last year, briefly worked for their company before going into real estate.)

At 20, Sid got hired by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Marty joined his brother full-time in 1958 after an assistant left. They opened Les Poupees de Paris, an adults-only burlesque puppet show that was a huge hit, playing to sold-out crowds at a dinner theater in the San Fernando Valley.

“Les Poupees took us from an act, Sid’s act, to a business,” Marty said. Shirley MacLaine was there on opening night, and Richard Nixon came during his run for president.

Les Poupees took to the road and played the world’s fairs in Seattle in 1962, New York in 1964 and San Antonio in 1968. It featured 240 puppets, mostly topless women, and Time magazine called it a “dirty puppet show.”

After that, it was so popular, “we couldn’t even get our own best friends in the theater,” Sid said. It drew an estimated 9.5 million viewers in its first decade of performances.

All this led to shows at Six Flags amusements parks around the U.S. — they employed more than 100 puppeteers at one point — and appearances on TV, including a regular gig on The Dean Martin Show (they created a chorus line of attractive girl puppets for the variety program before they were replaced by The Golddiggers).

Survivors include his three nieces (Marty’s daughters), Deanna, Kristina and Kendra. Publicist Adam Fenton said Krofft had surgery in November and his recovery proved “difficult and frustrating.”

Until recently, Krofft and Killian interviewed celebrities for their Instagram Live show, Sundays With Sid. At the time of his death, they were finalizing two books about his life and career, one from the perspective of Krofft as a performer, the other from Krofft as a person behind the scenes.

“I loved Sid with my whole heart. He taught me more than I could ever put into words — about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage and the depth and complexity of human nature,” she said. “I didn’t know Sid for his shows — I only knew the man who created them. And that man was extraordinary. I wish so very much that I had more time with him. I will miss his big blue eyes, his cheerful smile with his dimples and the warmth that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.”

KROFT, Sid (Cydus Yolas)

Born: 7/30/1920, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Died: 4/10/2026, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Sid Kroft’s westerns – producer:

Harry Tracy: The Last of the Wild Bunch – 1982

RIP Nancy Sheppard

 

Discover Gila County

April 9, 2026

 ·

Today, we pause to remember a true legend of the West… and one of our own.

Nancy Sheppard, a proud cowgirl with deep roots in Gila County, peacefully passed away yesterday at her home in Globe, AZ. We learned of her passing this afternoon, and our hearts are with her family, friends, and all who were touched by her incredible life.

Nancy wasn’t just part of rodeo history—she helped define it. A world-renowned trick rider and roper, she captivated audiences from small-town arenas to Madison Square Garden, becoming the only woman to stand on a running horse while spinning two ropes at once.

But beyond the spotlight, Nancy’s story is deeply woven into the fabric of Gila County. She grew up here, performed at the Payson and Globe Rodeos, and inspired generations of young riders who dreamed of being just like her across the globe.

Over a career that spanned decades, she carried the spirit of the West across the country—and even the world—earning her place in both the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Nancy Sheppard was more than a performer—she was a culture keeper, a trailblazer, and a proud ambassador of the Western way of life. Her legacy will live on in every rodeo arena, every rope swung, and every young cowgirl who dares to dream.

Rest easy, Nancy. You rode with the best… and you’ll always be one of Gila County’s finest

SHEPPARD, Nancy

Born: 12/29/1929, Ft. Worth, Texas, U.S.A

Died: 4/8/2026, Globe, Arizona, U.S.A.

 

Nancy Sheppard – rodeo performer:

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame - 1991

Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1996

ProRodeo Hall of Fame 2003

RIP Mario Adorf

 

Daily Jang

April 9, 2026

 

Mario Adorf, veteran German actor dies in Paris at 95

The legendary actor was part of several German and Italian films before he passed away at the age of 95

Mario Adorf, a German veteran actor who played iconic villain roles, has passed away at the age of 95.

Born in the Swiss capital, Zurich, in September 1930 to a German mother and an Italian father, Adorf grew up in the hilly rural Eifel region in western Germany.

He studied criminology but dropped out to start acting for the theatre before moving on to film.

Mario Adorf's cause of death

A prominent name in German and Italian cinemas, the actor had recently fallen ill and died after a short illness on April 8, 2026, aged 95, in his home in Paris.

Mario Adorf's acting career

From 1954 to 2023, he appeared in both leading and supporting roles in over 200 film and television productions, ranging from spaghetti westerns to the 1979 Oscar-winning film The Tin Drum.

In 1957, he played a murderer in The Devil Strikes at Night, directed by Robert Siodmak, who had returned from Hollywood.

Discussing his long streak of villanious roles, Adorf said in an interview, "In and of itself, the villain is the interesting role in the book. I don't love the villains as people, as characters, but I know their significance, so I'm happy to lend them my body, my face."

His roles in more recent years included a three-part German TV movie about Winnetou to a mafia film in 2019.

Mario Adorf's marriages

In the 1960s, Adorf married Lis Verhoeven, and the couple had a child, Stella, prior to their divorce. In 1985, he tied the knot with Monique Faye.

ADORF, Mario

Born: 9/8/1930, Zurich, Switzerland

Died:  4/8/2026, Paris, Île-de-France, France

Mario Adorf’s westerns – actor:

The Taste of Violence - 1960 (Chamaco)

Apache Gold – 1963 (Frederick Santer)

The Last Ride to Santa Cruz - 1963 (Pedro Ortiz)

Massacre at Marble City – 1964 (Matt Ellis)

Major Dundee - 1965 (Sergeant Gomez)

Sunscorched – 1965 (Abel Dragna)

And for a Roof a Sky Full of Stars – 1968 (Henry/Harry Jim)

Drop Them or I'll Shoot – 1968 (Francisco Rafael ‘El Diablo’ Fatorro)

Deadlock – 1970 (Charles ‘The Rat’ Drumm)

Winnetou the Myth Lives (TV) – 2016 (Frederick Louis Santer)

RIP Ursula Heyer

 German Synchron kartei dubbing site announced that German actress and voice dubber Ursula Heyer died in Berlin, Germany on March 25^th. She was 86. Ursula was known for her dubbing work in international films, including providing German voices for Stanley Kubrick's “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988), and Nicholas Hytner's “The Crucible” (1996). Born on February 15, 1940, in Berlin, Germany, Heyer maintained a long career primarily in German television and theater, with appearances in series such as “A Case for Two” (1981) and “Café Wernicke” (1979). She was married to the actor Rainer Brandt until his death in 2024. Her work spans decades, bridging German-language productions with dubbing for English-language features.

HEYER. Ursula

Born: 2/15/1940, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Died: 3/25/2026, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

 

Ursula Heyer’s westerns – actress, voice actress:

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek – 1950 [1986 German voice of Eve Arden]

Wanted Dead of Alive (TV) – 1958 [German voice of Mary Beth Hughes]

Gunsmoke (TV) – 1968, 1969 [German voice of Olga Velez, Jacqueline Scott, Beverly Garland, Donna Baccala]

Bonanza (TV) – 1961, 1963, 1969, 1973 [German voice of Sally Kemp, Margaret Hayes, Chanin Hale, Davey Davison, Julie Adams]

Yancy Derringer (TV) – 1959 [German voice of Joyce Jameson, Margaret Field, Gerrie Bender, Mari Aldon]

Apache Gold – 1963 [German voice of Dunja Rajter]

Frontier Hellcat – 1964 [German voice of Dunja Rajter]

The Sheriff was a Lady – 1964 [German voice of Beba Loncar]

A Fistful of Dollars – 1965 [German voice of Marianne Koch]

A Few Dollars for Django – 1966 [German voice of Gloria Osuna]

Texas Across the River – 1966 [German voice of Rosemary Forsyth]

Three Graves for a Winchester – 1966 [German voice of Milla Sannoner]

Django Kills Silently – 1967 [German voice of Giovanna Lenzi]

Django Kill – 1967 [German voice of Patrizia Valturri]

Killer Caliber .32 – 1967 [German voice of Agnès Spaak]

If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death – 1968 [German of Heidi Fischer]

Sonora – 1968 [German voice of Donatella Turri]

Have a Good Funeral – 1970 [German voice of Helga Liné]

Brett Maverick (TV) 1981 [German voice of Marcia Rodd]

RIP Michele Massimo Tarantini

 

Michele Massimo Tarantini, cult director of sexy comedies starring Lino Banfi and Edwige Fenech, has died.

Spettacolo

By Ivan Zingariello

April 3, 2026

 

Michele Massimo Tarantini—director and screenwriter of genre cinema, and above all of the "sexy comedies" starring Lino Banfi, Alvaro Vitali, and Edwige Fenech—has passed away. Sergio Martino remembers him: "He deserved more."

Michele Massimo Tarantini—a director and screenwriter synonymous with the "sexy comedy" genre, featuring stars such as Lino Banfi, Alvaro Vitali, and Edwige Fenech—has died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was 83 years old, and his passing was sudden, as confirmed by director (and his cousin) Sergio Martino, whom we reached by phone and who was the first to announce the death in a social media post.

Having moved to Brazil over 40 years ago—where he owned a *fazenda* that hosted events and lavish weddings—Tarantini was remembered for us by Sergio Martino in these words: "He was younger than me; it was a traumatic experience to see him pass away before I did. He even served as my assistant director; we grew up together from childhood, and eventually, we all went into filmmaking—a path paved by our family background, given my grandfather's cinematic 'chromosomes.' Later, my brother had the genius to create films with international appeal—even if, today, his work is truly recognized only abroad. He certainly deserved more recognition; much like his cinema, he was unjustly dismissed as 'trash.' We were in touch right up until a few days ago, when he mentioned he would be coming to Italy shortly. What can you do? That’s just how life is."

Who Was Michele Massimo Tarantini?

Michele Massimo Tarantini was an Italian film director and screenwriter, born in Rome on August 7, 1942. His name is primarily associated with genre cinema and the era of the "Italian sexy comedy"—a genre of which he was one of the most prolific practitioners.

Beginnings as an Assistant Director

Before moving into directing, Tarantini worked as an assistant director, gaining experience on Italian film sets—first as an assistant on Giuliano Carnimeo’s Westerns, and later for his cousin, Sergio Martino, on legendary films such as *Giovannona Coscialunga* and *I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale*, as well as Mariano Laurenti’s *Quel gran pezzo dell’Ubalda tutta nuda e tutta calda* and Nando Cicero’s *L’insegnante*.

Establishing Himself as a Director

Beginning in the mid-1970s, he established himself as a screenwriter and director, helming numerous films aimed at a mass audience. Among the most well-known titles in his filmography are many of the celebrated "sexy comedies" starring—either together or in rotation—Lino Banfi, Alvaro Vitali, and Gianfranco D’Angelo, alongside the legendary shower scenes featuring Edwige Fenech, Gloria Guida, Lilli Carati, Nadia Cassini, and others.

Films such as *La liceale*, *Taxi Girl*, *L’insegnante viene a casa*, *La poliziotta a New York*, *La moglie in bianco… l’amante al pepe*, *La dottoressa ci sta col colonnello* (or rather *cojonello*—"the big-balled one"—as Cassini used to call Banfi), *L’insegnante al mare con tutta la classe*, and *La dottoressa preferisce i marinai* are known by heart by fans and are constantly rerun on our TV channels.

In 1981, he also directed the little-known *Crema, cioccolata e… paprika*—the first film to mark the return of the duo Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia following their lengthy separation—which earned Franchi an accusation of Mafia association, given the presence of Giuseppe, the son of boss Michele Greco, as both co-writer and actor.

All these works make him one of the most representative names of the *commedia sexy all’italiana*—a genre that was very popular during that period.

Other Genres and Filmography

Throughout his career, Tarantini also worked in other genres, including crime and adventure cinema. Notable titles include *Napoli si ribella*, *Poliziotti violenti*, *Sangraal la spada di fuoco*, *Nudo e selvaggio*, and *Attrazione selvaggia*.

Active until 1990, he subsequently attempted a revival of the classic-style comedy in 2001 with *Se lo fai sono guai*—featuring his tried-and-tested team of Vitali, D’Angelo, Gammino, and Montanaro—though by then the moment had passed; his final directorial effort dates back to 2009 with the action TV movie *Il cacciatore di uomini*, starring Luca Ward.

TARANTINI, Michele Massimo, production department, art director, editor, writer, assistant director.

Born: 8/7/1942, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Died: 4/3/2026, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

Michele Massimo Tarantini’s westerns -   

$10,000 Blood Money – 1967 [production department]

Vengeance is Mine – 1967 [production department]

To Hell and Back – 1968 [assistant director]

Arizona Colt – 1970 [editor]

Light the Fuse… Sartana is Coming – 1970 [assistant director]

Dig Your Grave Friend... Sabata's Coming – 1971 [editor]

Guns for Dollars – 1971 [assistant director]

My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow – 1972 [art director]

His Name Was Holy Ghost – 1973 [assistant director]

Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar – 1975 [writer]