Died Today

Died Today (September 9th): Burgess Meredith (1907–1997)

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burgessmeredith.jpgBurgess Meredith (1907–1997)

Born: November 16, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Died: September 9, 1997 (age 89) in Malibu, California, USA

Married:
Kaja Sundsten (8 January 1951 – 9 September 1997) (his death) (2 children)
Paulette Goddard (21 May 1944 – 8 June 1949) (divorced)
Margaret Perry (10 January 1936 – 19 July 1938) (divorced)
Helen Derby Berrien (1932 – 20 August 1935) (divorced)

[on his childhood] All my life, to this day, the memory of my childhood remains grim and incoherent. If I close my eyes and think back, I see little except violence and fear. In those early years, I somehow came to understand I would have to draw from within myself whatever emotional resources I needed to go wherever I was headed. As a result, for years, I became a boy who lived almost totally within himself.

Advise and Consent
1962
dir. Otto Preminger
starring
Henry Fonda
Meridith		 Batman 1966Batman
1966
dir. by Leslie H. Martinson
starring
Adam West
Burt Ward
ROCKYRocky
1976
dir. John G Avildsen
starring
Sylvestor Stallone
Tia Shire
Burt Young		 Burnt OfferingsBurnt Offerings
1976
dir. by Dan Curtis
starring
Karen Black
Oliver Reed
Rocky II
1979
dir. Sylvestor Stallone
starring
Sylvestor Stallone
Carl Weathers		 ROCKY IIIRocky III
1982
dir. Sylvestor Stallone
starring
Sylvestor Stallone
Talia Shire
Mr. T
SANTA CLAUSSanta Claus
1985
dir. Jeannot Szwarc
Starring
Dudley Moore
John Lithgow		 ROCKY VRocky V
1990
dir. John G Avildsen
starring
Sylvestor Stallone
Tommy Morrison
MOVIE POSTERGRUMPY OLD MEN
1993
dir. Donald Petrie
Stars:
Jack Lemmon
Walter Matthau

THE HINDENBURG
1975
dir. Robert Wise
Starring:
George C. Scott
Anne Bancroft

Died Today (September 8th): Zero Mostel (1915–1977)

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zeromostel.jpgZero Mostel (1915–1977)

Born: February 28, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died: September 8, 1977 (age 62) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Married to:
Kathryn Harkin (2 July 1944 – 8 September 1977) (his death) (2 children)

[Commenting on Jim Henson’s Muppets:] “He has the best possible actors. If you have a disagreement with them, you can always use them to wash your car.”

If people know your name, you’re famous. If they only know your face, it doesn’t count. It’s the name. One reason I became Zero was so if I accomplished only a middle level of fame, I still wouldn’t be a zero. If you know my name, how can I be a zero? Smart, huh?

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
1966
dir. Ricard Lester
Starring
Mostel
THE PRODUCERSThe Producers
1968
dir. Mel Brooks
starring
Gene Wilder
Mostel
Watership Down
1978
dir. Martin Rosen
Starring
John Hurt
Richard Briers
Best BoyBest Boy
1979
dir. Ira Wohl
Cast
Mostel
Philip Wohl

Died Today (September 8th): Dorothy Dandridge (1922–1965)

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dorothydandridge.jpgDorothy Dandridge (1922–1965)

Born: November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Died: September 8, 1965 (age 42) in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

It [prejudice] is such a waste. It makes you logy and half-alive. It gives you nothing. It takes away.

If I were white, I could capture the world.

CARMEN JONESCARMEN JONES
1954
dir. Otto Preminger
Starring:
Harry Belafonte
Dorothy Dandridge

 

Died Today (September 6th): Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998)

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akirakurosawa.jpgAkira Kurosawa (1910–1998)

Born: March 23, 1910 in Tokyo, Japan
Died: September 6, 1998 (age 88) in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan

Married tO:
Yôko Yaguchi (21 May 1945 – 1 February 1985) (her death) (2 children)

With a good script, a good director can produce a masterpiece. With the same script, a mediocre director can produce a passable film. But with a bad script even a good director can’t possibly make a good film. For truly cinematic expression, the camera and the microphone must be able to cross both fire and water. The script must be something that has the power to do this.

SUGATA SANSHIROSugata Sanshiro
1943
dir. Kurosawa
Cast
Denjirô Ôkôchi
Susumu Fujita		 STRAY DOGStray Dog
1949
dir. Kurosawa
starring
Toshirô Mifune
Takashi Shimura
RASHOMONRashomon
1950
dir. Akira Kurosawa
Starring
Toshirô Mifune
Machiko Kyô
IKIRUIKiru
1952
dir. Kurosawa
Starring
Takashi Shimura
Shinichi Himori
SEVEN SAMURAISeven Samurai
1954
dir. Akira Kurosawa
Starring
Takashi Shimura
Toshirô Mifune		 YOJIMBOYojimbo
1961
dir. Akira Kurosawa
starring
Toshirô Mifune
Tatsuya Nakadai

Of all the director’s on this list, none except Kubrick were as skilled at as many different types of films. He’s well remembered for his samurai films, but he was just as skilled at crime stories, dramas and even comedy.

Though “The Seven Samurai” and his other samurai films are probably the most well known, his influence among filmmakers and their films was far more wide ranging, from western and adventure directors to surrealists like Fellini. Other directors on the list were as practiced in pure cinema storytelling, but no one else was quite as good at it. Besides unifying certain techniques that we take for granted now–like slow motion, weather for atmosphere, and the frequent use of long lenses–he told stories through images in a way no one else could ever quite match. Which is probably why so many different types of filmmakers have found so much to be inspired in by him.

Died Today (September 3rd): Frank Capra

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frankcapra.jpg Frank Capra

Born: Francesco Rosario Capra

May 18, 1897 in Bisacquino, Sicily, Italy

Died: September 3, 1991 (age 94) in La Quinta, California, USA

Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film.

The Strong Man
1926
dir. Capra
Starring
Harry Langdon
Priscilla Bonner		 LONG PANTSLong Pants
1927
dir. Capra
Starring
Harry Langdon
Gladys Brockwell
PLATINUM BLONDEPlatinum Blonde
1931
dir. Frank Capra
starring
Loretta Young
Jean Harlow		 It Happened One NightIt Happened One Night
1934
dir. Capra
starring
Clark Gable
Claudette Colbert
MOVIE POSTERIT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
1946
dir. Frank Capra
Stars:
James Stewart
Donna Reed

Died Today (September 2nd): J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973)

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jrrtolkien.jpgJ.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973)

Born: January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa
Died: September 2, 1973 (age 81) in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK

Married to:
Edith Bratt (22 March 1916 – 29 November 1971) (her death) (4 children)

The Inklings (Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams & Owen Barfield) met on Tuesdays for lunch at the ‘Eagle and Child’ pub in Oxford where they would read out pages from their books.

‘The Lord of the Rings’ is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out practically all references to anything like ‘religion,’ to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and symbolism.

Died Today (September 2nd): Bob Denver

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bobdenver.jpgBob Denver (1935–2005)

Born: January 9, 1935 in New Rochelle, New York, USA
Died: September 2, 2005 (age 70) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

[on his character Gilligan] People thank me for giving them a break from life.

[on his late Gilligan’s Island (1964) co-star, Alan Hale Jr.] He was a big, lovable man who made everybody feel good. He had a great time with his life.

[on Gilligan’s Island (1964)] It’s silly, yes, but children laugh and adults can if they want to. It’s aimed at the vast everybody.

Died Today (September 1st): Jerry Reed

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jerryreed.jpgJerry Reed (1937–2008)

Born: March 20, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Died: September 1, 2008 (age 71) in Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Married to:
Priscilla Mitchell (9 July 1959 – 2 September 2008) (his death) (2 children)

Talking about Gene Hackman in Bat*21 (1988): “He don’t act. He just shows up and he ‘be’s.”

I used to watch people like Richard Burton and Mel Gibson and think, ‘I could never do that.’ When people ask me what my motivation is, I have a simple answer: money. — JR, regarding his acting ability

THE WATERBOY
1998
dir. Frank Coraci
Stars:
Adam Sandler
Kathy Bates

 

Died Today (September 1st): Tommy Morrison (1969–2013)

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rommymorrison.jpgTommy Morrison (1969–2013)

Born: January 2, 1969 in Gravette, Arkansas, USA
Died: September 1, 2013 (age 44) in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

(On boxing): “It was a life changing experience. Very interesting and something I look forward to doing again. Acting is a different challenge.”

[on how he sexually-contracted HIV]: “Wilt Chamberlain had nothing on me. Infidelity was one of my biggest battles in life. I couldn’t overcome it. It probably helped my first marriage crumble”.

Died Today (August 31st): Princess Diana (1961–1997)

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princessdiana.jpgHappy Birthday Princess Diana (1961–1997)

Born: July 1, 1961 in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK

Died: August 31, 1997 (age 36) in Paris, France

Married to:
Prince Charles (29 July 1981 – 28 August 1996) (divorced) (2 children)

QUOTES:

[interview in “Panorama” magazine, 1995] There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.

Any sane person would have left long ago. But I cannot. I have my sons.

I’d like to be a queen in people’s hearts but I don’t see myself being queen of this country.

My role is about 80% slog and 20% fantastic.

If I’m going to comfort the suffering, I have to understand what they’ve been through.

[describing her relationship with the press] Wherever I go, it waits for me, and it tracks me down. Whatever I do, whatever I say, it will always look for controversy and contradiction. It will always criticize me.

My father always taught me to treat everybody as an equal. I have always done and I am sure that [Prince William and Prince Harry Windsor] are the same.

I was always told by my family that I was the thick one. That I was stupid and my brother was the clever one. And I was always so conscious of that. I used to go to the head mistress crying saying I wish I wasn’t so stupid.