LOS ANGELES — Buddy Hackett, the squat, round, rubbery-faced funnyman who appeared for more than 50 years as a top act in nightclubs, Broadway shows, on television and in such movies as The Music Man, The Love Bug and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, has died, his son confirmed Monday night. He was 79. … Read full obituary
SAN ANTONIO — Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. James Burwell, one of the first military aviators to fly using cockpit instruments, died recently at age 100. … Read full obituary
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. — Katharine Hepburn, an icon of feminist strength and spirit who brought a chiseled beauty and patrician bearing to such films as “The Philadelphia Story” and “The African Queen,” died Sunday, her executor and town authorities said. She was 96. … Read full obituary
Died June 24, 2003. No links; profile from The Astounding B Monster Archive:
He’s a producer, screenwriter, publicist and film preservationist. But more importantly, Alex Gordon is a fan. His legendary B-movie productions, his years as cowboy legend Gene Autry’s publicist, and his tireless work in film restoration reflect the fact that his love for movies is unabashed. Growing up in Hampstead, London, Alex was hooked early on. “My brother and I and Bill Everson [the noted film historian] used to go to all the matinees and see all the westerns. I guess that stuck with me.” Following service in the second world war, Alex and his brother Richard, an esteemed B-movie producer in his own right, headed for the states with film careers in mind. “We arrived in New York in 1947,” Gordon remembers. “I moved to Hollywood permanently in 1952.”
Notes Wikipedia:
He produced 18 films, among these the American International Pictures films Day the World ended (1955) and The She-Creature (1956), and he wrote the script for 3 — notably 2 together with Edward D. Wood Jr.: Jail Bait and Bride of the Monster.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Police have been questioning Baylor University basketball players in the disappearance of a teammate, who authorities fear may be a victim of homicide.
No body has been found, but authorities say Patrick James Dennehy, 21, hasn’t been heard from in more than two weeks, and his sport utility vehicle turned up abandoned in a parking lot last week in Virginia with its license plates missing. … Read full story
Sara Ann Freed, who was the editor in chief of Mysterious Press, died on Wednesday after having received treatment for leukemia. She was 57. … Read full obituary
Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a central figure in the political transformation of the South and the longest-serving senator in American history, died yesterday in Edgefield, S.C. He was 100. …
Mr. Thurmond first came to national attention in 1948 as the States’ Rights candidate after Southerners walked out of the Democratic convention to protest the party’s new commitment to civil rights. … Read full obituary
See also:
Sir Denis Thatcher, husband of former prime minister Lady Thatcher, died today.
The 88-year old former oil businessman passed away in the Lister Hospital, London, a spokesman for the family said. … Read full obituary
Glen Grant, who told the ghost stories of Hawaii for more than 30 years, died Thursday after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 56. The storyteller and historian was best known for his collections of Hawaii’s obake, or ghost, stories. … Read full obituary
Lester Maddox, the restaurateur who became a symbol of segregationist defiance and then Georgia governor in a fluke election, died Wednesday, family members said. He was 87. … Read full obituary
ST. PETERSBURG — On a hot day in August 1952, George George climbed onto the roof of his downtown restaurant and wrote an invitation:
“Coffee Free Welcome Saucers” … Read full obituary
PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. — Former Negro Leagues pitcher Max Manning, who was once offered a major league tryout only to have it rescinded because of his race, died at 84. … Read full obituary
Leon Uris, a longtime Aspen resident whose panoramic novels depicted determined individuals caught in the grips of history, died at his New York home Saturday of natural causes. He was 78. … Read full obituary
Vic Taylor, a singer who performed with the Jamaican bands Tommy McCook and the Skatalites and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, died Monday at age 56, his daughter Vanessa Taylor said. … Read full obituary
Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first black mayor, died Monday in Washington, Democratic party officials said. He was 65. … Read full obituary
LOS ANGELES — George Axelrod, 81, a playwright who anticipated the sexual revolution with “The Seven Year Itch” and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?” and who later wrote screenplays for such films as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “The Manchurian Candidate,” died June 21 at his home here. … Read full obituary
Canadian-born Hume Cronyn, a veteran stage and screen actor who charmed audiences with his portrayals of irascible old men and frequently paired with his wife, Jessica Tandy, has died of cancer. He was 91. … Read full obituary
Veteran news anchor David Brinkley has died at his home in Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas. He was 82-years-old. … Read full obituary
He was the star of more than 60 films, including classics Cape Fear, Spellbound and Roman Holiday.
He was one of the most popular leading actors of the 20th Century and was nominated for five Oscars. … Read full obituary
Muscleman actor Trevor Goddard, a former boxer who once had a recurring role on the TV series “JAG” and plays a pirate in the upcoming movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” died in an apparent suicide, investigators said Monday. He was 37. … Read full story
Australian-born actor Trevor Goddard, who co-starred in the hit US TV series JAG, might have committed suicide, officials said after he was found dead in his Hollywood home.
The body of Goddard, 37, who played the role of Lieutenant Commander Mic Brumby in the CBS network’s tales of military legal eagles, was discovered in his home about 10:45 am yesterday … Read full obituary
Astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins, 75, died suddenly on May 26 doing what he loved: flying his remote-controlled model airplanes in the fields at his Rappahannock farm, Hawkridge. … Read full obituary
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