RIP Anna Gross

 Anna Gross, film executive and producer, dies at 68

 

Variety

By Ellise Shafer

July 1, 2021

Anna Gross, a film executive and producer who worked on films such as “The NeverEnding Story” and “Tootsie,” died on July 23. She was 68.

Gross’ cousin, Mikie Heilbrun, confirmed her death to Variety. “Everyone’s life she touched she enriched,” Heilbrun wrote in an email. “She made them better more full beings and forever changed them.”

Gross began her career in film in the 1970s with an 8-year stint working for famed Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, during which she worked on 14 films, including “Death Wish” (1974), “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), “The Shootist” (1976), “King Kong” (1976) and “Ragtime” (1981). Gross then became vice president of production for director Sydney Pollack, working to develop his films “The Electric Horseman” (1979), “Tootsie” (1982) and “Out of Africa” (1985).

Throughout the 1980s, Gross spent time in Germany working with producer Bernd Eichinger, where she oversaw the production on “The NeverEnding Story” (1984), “The Name of the Rose” (1986) and “Last Exit to Brooklyn” (1989). She then returned to Los Angeles, and established Constantin Film’s local operation.

In the ’90s, Gross became VP of production for Italian producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori and was the key executive for Oscar winners and nominees, including “Mediterraneo” (1991), “The Starmaker” (1995) and “Il Postino” (1994). Gross handled U.S. distribution for these films and oversaw their Oscar campaigns, which led to Gross beginning her own business dedicated to running Oscar campaigns for foreign films. In total, Gross handled the campaigns for 11 Oscar-nominated films.

In addition, Gross was a founding board member of the nonprofit organization FilmAid International, and was the director and corporate secretary for Hypomania Content.

Gross is also survived by two nieces and three nephews.

 

GROSS, Anna

Born: 10/25/1952, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 7/23/2021, Twentynine Palms, California, U.S.A.

 

Anna Gross’ western – production assistant:

The Shootist – 1976

The Electric Horseman – 1979

RIP Jay Pickett

Veteran Soap Opera Star Jay Pickett Dies on Set of Movie at 60

 

California News Times

By Martin E. Robert

8/1/2021

 

Longtime soap opera actor Jay Pickett died while he was actually working in front of the camera.

Jay passed on Thursday with a new movie set he was working on called “Treasure Valley” in Idaho-so his co-star and co-producer of Flick says, Jim Heffel, Shared tragic news on Facebook … explained that he actually died while they were preparing to shoot the scene. 

 

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“Jay died in the movie Treasure Valley, Idaho, sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer. It’s a true cowboy path,” he wrote. There wasn’t much debate about how he keeled over, but it seems to have been sudden … and the official cause of death has not yet been clarified. 

 

Another star in the movie, Travis Mills, Visited his own FB page and speculated that it looked like some kind of heart attack. He also noted that everyone around him worked hard to keep him alive … and he continues to call it a shocking tragedy. 

 

This is a project that Jay was working on-he wrote, produced, and starred as the main character. It sounds like a good old western … It was scheduled to be released next year.

Jay certainly has film experience over his long career, but he’s definitely more famous for his television productions … or daytime television, we should say-he’s in the 90’s. Started with “Days of Our Lives”, “he played Dr. Chipleykin.

He was only on “Days” for about a year, but then moved on to the more legendary soaps … where he played a long-term role. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Jay starred in more than 700 episodes of “Port Charles” and played Frank Scanlon in great fanfare. 

 

After that, Jay continued to star in “General Hospital” for several years. At that point, he played a variety of roles, including “Dexter,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “Hotline.” “Saving Grace” … and then “NCIS”, “The Mentalist” and other shows and movies until very recently. 

 

He survived by his wife, Elena, And his child. Jay was only 60 years old.

PICKETT, Jay (Jay Harris Pickett)

Born: 2/10/1961, Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

Died: 7/30/2021, Idaho, U.S.A.

 

Jay Pickett’s westerns – actor:

A Soldier’s Revenge – 2020 (Kennedy)

Catch the Bullet – 2021 (Britt)

Heart of the Gun – 2021 (John White)

Shooting Star – 2021 (Walt)

The Siege at Rykers Station – 2021 (Twigs)

RIP Alvin Ing

Obituary: Alvin Ing Dies at 89

 

Ing performed in more productions of FDS in the role of Wang Ta than any other actor

Broadway world

By Robert Diamond

August 1, 2021

BroadwayWorld is sad to report that legendary actor Alvin Ing has passed away at 89 years old.

Born in Hawaii, Mr. Ing matriculated at the U of Hawaii and Columbia University in New York with a Bachelor and a Master's in Music Education. He began his singing and acting career in summer stock (South Pacific, Song of Norway, Oklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun), and landed his first principal role in stock as Lun Tha in The King and I.

He has performed in five national tours, including The World of Suzie Wong, Two Gentlemen of Verona and City of Angels. Mr. Ing portrayed the Shogun's Mother in the original Broadway production of Pacific Overtures in 1976, and reprised the role 28 years later in the 2004 revival, and at East West Players. Mr. Ing toured with Flower Drum Song and has performed in more productions of FDS in the role of Wang Ta than any other actor. He starred as Chin in David Henry Hwang’s 2002 revisal of the Flower Drum Song on Broadway and at the Matk Taper Foeum.

Mr. Ing's TV credits include "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Third Watch," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "Highway to Heaven," "Dynasty," "Dallas," "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island," "Falcon Crest" and "All-American Girl". He has appeared in numerous films including Final Countdown, Smilla's Sense of Snow, and the 2014 release of The Gambler opposite Mark Wahlberg as Mister Lee, a Korean casino owner. Mr. Ing released a CD, Swing with Ing in 2010, and competed on "The X Factor" in 2013. Mr. Ing resided in Los Angeles.

ING, Alvin (Alvin F. Ing)

Born: 5/26/1938, Honolulu, Hawaii

Died: 8/1/2021, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Alvin Ing’s western actor:

How the West Was Won (TV) – 1999 (Sam Yup broker)