Dead Celebrity Alert

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 25 — Parley Baer, a character actor who was the mayor on “The Andy Griffith Show,” the voice of the Keebler cookie elf in television commercials and the voice of Chester on “Gun- smoke” on radio, died here on Friday. He was 88.

Mr. Bear, a jowly, balding actor appeared in more than 50 movies, including westerns in the 1950’s and 1963’s “Gypsy.” He was the Senate majority leader in the 1993 movie “Dave.”

He also made scores of television appearances in shows ranging from “Bonanza” and “Hogan’s Heroes” to “L.A. Law” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” … Read full obituary

Moors murderer Myra Hindley has been cremated.

A private funeral service held for the child killer was attended by only a handful of mourners… Read full story

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U.K. child killer Myra Hindley, 60

UK ‘Moors Murderer’ Myra Hindley dies

LONDON, Nov. 15 (UPI) — Serial killer Myra Hindley, one of Britain’s infamous “Moors Murderers” who with her lover Ian Brady tortured and killed at least four children in the 1960s, died Friday after 36 years in prison as one of the nation’s most hated criminals.

The 60-year-old Hindley was hospitalized at Bury St. Edmunds, England, after suffering a heart attack complicated by a severe chest infection. She died only hours after a Roman Catholic priest administered the last rites, without gaining the freedom she had fought for years to regain… Read full obituary

The Oscar-winning actor James Coburn died yesterday of a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. He was 74 years old.

After appearing in over 70 movies, Coburn won a belated best supporting actor Oscar for his role as an abusive New England father in Paul Schrader’s acclaimed 1997 thriller Affliction. “I finally got one right, I guess,” quipped Coburn at the Oscar ceremony.

A cool, rangy presence, Coburn enjoyed his career heyday in the 1960s, when his laconic style upstaged his more illustrious co-stars in The Magnificent Seven. Other notable films include The Great Escape, Major Dundee, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and the voguish Bond spoof Our Man Flint. … Read full obituary

The actor who played Wally of Wally World in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” has died.

Eddie Bracken was 87. He died of complications after recent surgery.

Bracken appeared in several movies — mostly comedies — in the 1940s and early ’50s.

In the ’40s, Bracken was best known for his roles in “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek” and “Hail the Conquering Hero,” both directed by Preston Sturges.

Bracken also guest starred on a lot of television shows… Read full obituary

Merlin Santana, a television and film actor who appeared in this year’s Eddie Murphy movie “Showtime,” was shot to death while sitting in a parked car, authorities said Sunday.

Santana, 26, was killed early Saturday in South Los Angeles, police spokeswoman Lucy Diaz said.

He was sitting in the passenger seat shortly after 2:30 a.m. when at least one person approached the car and fired, Lt. Clay Farrell said. …

The New York-born Santana had a recurring role on “The Steve Harvey Show,” playing Romeo Santana. The role won him nominations for NAACP Image Awards and ALMA Awards, which honor Hispanic performers.

One of his earliest roles was as Stanley, the faithful admirer of Rudy Huxtable on the hit series “The Cosby Show.” He also had guest appearances on several television shows, including “Major Dad,” “Moesha” and “Sister, Sister.” … Read full obituary

Prolific Italian film director Antonio Margheriti, who sometimes used the name Anthony M. Dawson and who specialized in making science fiction, horror and adventure movies, has died. He was 72.

Margheriti died Monday of a heart attack in Monterosi, near Rome, said the town’s parish priest, the Rev. Leonardo Sterpa.

Born in Rome on Sept. 19, 1930, Margheriti started his film career in the 1960s, directing science fiction films such “Space Men,” and “The Battle of the Worlds.”

He later moved into the horror genre, with “The Virgin of Nuremberg,” which was released in 1965 in the United States with the title “Horror Castle” and carrying the name Dawson as its director. …

In a career that spanned four decades and more than 50 films, Margheriti’s work was often filled with blood and gore. … Read full obituary

Jonathan Harris, the flamboyantly fussy actor who portrayed the dastardly, cowardly antagonist Dr. Zachary Smith on the 1960’s sci-fi show “Lost in Space,” has died. He was 87.

Harris died Sunday from a blood clot in his heart while receiving therapy at an Encino-area hospital for a chronic back problem, family spokesman Kevin J. Burns said Monday.

Born Jonathan Charasuchin in the Bronx to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Harris adopted the stage persona of a classically trained British actor with his grandiloquent accent, crisp enunciation and professorial manner.

When people would ask him if he was from England, Harris would confess: “‘Oh no, my dear, just affected”… Read full obituary

Larry Dobkin, a veteran character actor whose television and film career spanned seven decades, has died. He was 83.

Dobkin, who appeared in more than 65 feature films including “The Ten Commandments” and “Sweet Smell of Success,” died of heart failure Oct. 28 at his Los Angeles home.

Born in New York City in 1919, Dobkin began acting off-Broadway in his teens. On radio in the 1940s, he was one of five actors who played famed detective Ellery Queen.

Turning to television in the 1950s, Dobkin appeared in shows such as “I Love Lucy” and “The Adventures of Superman.” He also appeared in a number of TV westerns, including “Gunsmoke,” “Lawman,” “The Rifleman” and “Rawhide.”

Most recently, Dobkin appeared in episodes of “NYPD Blue” and “Judging Amy.” … Read full obituary