Celebrities That Died in 2015
Another year of those we lost way too soon.
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- Actress
- Soundtrack
An honest-to-goodness Southern Belle, similar to her most famous character role, "Elly May Clampett" on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Donna Douglas grew up in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, loving "critters". She got married soon after high school, had a son, divorced and won a couple of beauty contests, all within the span of a few years. She moved to New York and soon appeared on television series, including a well-remembered guest-star shot on The Twilight Zone (1959) in one of the series' most famous episodes, Eye of the Beholder (1960), in which she plays a woman who tries to undergo a series of experimental treatments to make her beautiful, only for the treatments to fail. The twist was she was beautiful, at least to the viewers, but considered hideous to the pig people of the planet, she was on. She immediately won the character role of "Elly May Clampett" on one of the greatest situation comedies of all time, The Beverly Hillbillies (1962). This extremely comical series debuted with The Clampetts Strike Oil (1962), on her 30th birthday, Wednesday, September 26th, 1962, which is among the narrowest & sheerest coincidences, that are hardest to believe.- Mario Cuomo was born to Andrea and Immaculata Cuomo on June 15th, 1932, in Queens, New York. He was the son of Italian immigrants. In Cuomo's early years he attended Saint John's University, summa cum laude in 1953. He then attended St. John's School of Law, and graduated tied for the top of his class in 1956. Cuomo became an advisor to Judge Adrian P. Burke that same year and then entered private practice in 1958. Cuomo also was a professor at St. John's law school throughout the sixties, and chaired the University Alumni Federation.
Cuomo was becoming a well known political figure and liberal in the state of New York about this time. In 1974, Cuomo was the Lieutenant Governor nominee on the Democratic ballot alongside Howard Samuels, but his ticket lost to the winners of the Democratic Nomination, Hugh Carey. Governor Hugh Carey was so impressed with Cuomo, Carey appointed him to Secretary of State.
In 1977 Cuomo ran for Mayor of New York, but lost in the primary to the eventual winner of the race Edward Koch. However Cuomo was elected to Lieutenant Governor in 1978. In 1982 Hugh Carey stepped down as Governor, and Cuomo won the primary over rival Ed Koch, and went on to defeat Republican Louis Lehrman. In his campaign, Cuomo's theme was the theme from Rocky, and his campaign can be detailed in the book Diaries of Mario M. Cuomo, about his rise to the Governor's office. Cuomo almost immediately became a national figure in Democratic Politics. A strong liberal who was against the death penalty, and for effective gun control, he was quite the contrast to the strong right values of Ronald Reagan.
In 1986 and 1990 Cuomo won the highest Margin ever for re-election to a second and third four year term. Cuomo became an extremely popular political figure. Cuomo made New York nationally known for progressive legislation. In his tenure Cuomo improved roads, revitalized education and infrastructure of New York City. Cuomo also created a large homeless assistance program, created investment in many high tech facilities, created programs to deal with AIDS and the mentally ill.
Cuomo was a devout Roman Catholic, and while he was opposed to abortion he felt the state had no right to ban it. As the decade progressed Cuomo focused attention on children's issues, and created 300,000 jobs for New Yorkers, and defied two Republican-led recessions. Mario Cuomo also created the first major ethics law for public officials and gave New York the largest tax cut in the states history.
Cuomo also created the nations first seat belt law. Cuomo also appointed all of the judges to the state's court of appeals. To add to his large list of accomplishments he appointed the first African-American, Hispanic, and the First two women. Cuomo's strong progressive record made him a rallying point for liberals all across the nation. He was a favorite to run for president in 1988 and 1992. Cuomo refused to run either year. He was the Keynote Speaker at the 1984 Democratic Convention. Rumours were abound as to why he didn't run, the most notable of which was supposed ties to the Mafia, which were never confirmed. Cuomo gave the nominating speech to Bill Clinton in 1992. That year there was a movement to write him in to become president. However Mario Cuomo's strong record could not defy the Republican Revolution. Cuomo looked good for re-election in 1994. He had the endorsement of much of the Democratic top brass in the state, and a good part of the top Republicans, including the newly elected New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Critics of his campaign said that against conservative George Pataki he did not give a strong campaign, and lost narrowly to the novice former Peekskill Mayor.
Part of Pataki's victory could be attributed to the powerful Senator Alfonse D'Amato, who helped his campaign considerably. D'Amato lost heavily in 1998, but Pataki was re-elected. Since September 11th Pataki has become viewed as a strong leader. Before September 11th, his two Democratic rivals, Carl McCall, and Cuomo's son Andrew looked to have a shot at the Governor's seat. Mario Cuomo's political legacy looks to rest to a certain degree on the potential career of his son. However Cuomo will be forever remembered as a champion of progressive ideas that are still being hailed as some of the best in the nation.
Cuomo's post political career has been quite impressive too. Cuomo has written many essays and books, speaks at many functions across the country and at one point hosted a nationally syndicated talk show. Mario is married to Matilda Cuomo and had five children: Margaret, Andrew, Maria, Madeline and Christopher. He has six grand children. - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Ninon Sevilla was a Mexican showgirl born in Cuba and raised by an aunt in the populous Centro Habana sector, Ninón Sevilla was graced with feline features, wonderful legs and exceptional vitality. She successfully danced her way through Havana night clubs and cabarets, and arrived in Mexico in 1946, where she made her film debut. Although she had already imposed her eccentric attires and hairdos, it was her association with filmmaker Alberto Gout that determined the creation of her erotic film persona. She rapidly became the icon of the rumbera, an archetype of the Mexican film musicals, a "bad girl" who is dignified by dancing. Ninón became an erotic myth and a superstar, working with the best talent in the film industry (Emilio Fernández, Pedro Armendáriz, Gabriel Figueroa, Agustín Lara, José Revuelta), in the biggest sound stages at Churubusco, choreographing her own complicated numbers, and her fame reached non-Spanish speaking markets, as Brazil and France. She was also among the first to introduce traces of the santería rites in her dances, and to acknowledge the presence of African elements in the Caribbean cultures in her films' stories. With the decline of Mexican cinema in the 50s, Ninón Sevilla retired, but she made a successful comeback in 1980, with "Noche de carnaval", winning the top Mexican award for an actress for the first time in her career.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Jeff Golub was born on 15 April 1955 in Akron, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Great Performances (1971), Rod Stewart: Lady Luck (1995) and Billy Squier: Rock Me Tonite (1984). He was married to Audrey Stafford. He died on 1 January 2015 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Little Jimmy Dickens was born on 19 December 1920 in Bolt, West Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Northern Exposure (1990), More American Graffiti (1979) and Last Night's Party (2014). He was married to Mona Evans, Anne Ernestine Jones and Dorothy (Connie) Chapman. He died on 2 January 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- Stuart Scott was born on 19 July 1965 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Kid (2000), The Game Plan (2007) and Drumline (2002). He was married to Kimberley Alice Emmons. He died on 4 January 2015 in Avon, Connecticut, USA.
- Director
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René Vautier was born on 15 January 1928 in Camaret-sur-Mer, Finistère, France. He was a director and writer, known for Avoir 20 ans dans les Aurès (1972), Les Anneaux d'or (1956) and Techniquement si simple (1971). He was married to Soazig Chappedelaine. He died on 4 January 2015 in Brittany, France.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Upendra Trivedi was born on 14 July 1936 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. He was an actor and director, known for Zer To Pidhan Jani Jani (1972), Nagmati Nagvalo (1984) and Khel Khilari Ka (1977). He died on 4 January 2015 in Mumbai, India.- Aahuthi Prasad was born on 2 January 1958 in Koduru, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was an actor, known for Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006), Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997) and Brindaavanam (2010). He died on 4 January 2015 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
- Francesca Hilton was born on 10 March 1947 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Dion Brothers (1974), Forever Fabulous (1999) and A Safe Place (1971). She was married to Joseph Piche. She died on 5 January 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Soundtrack
Ganesh Patro was born on 22 June 1945 in Parvatipuram, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a writer, known for Nirnayam (1991), 20va Shatabdam (1990) and Maatho Pettukoku (1995). He died on 5 January 2015 in Chennai, India.- Beau Kayser was born on 22 May 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for Taxi Driver (1976), The Young and the Restless (1973) and November Children (1972). He was married to Csilla Márki and Sharon Rae Lieurance Alkus. He died on 30 December 2014 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
- Khan Bonfils was born in 1972 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) and Skyfall (2012). He died on 7 January 2015 in London, England, UK.
- Tim Roberts was born on 27 December 1976 in Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for WWE Sunday Night Heat (1998), ECW on Sci-Fi (2006) and PWS: Revelation (2007). He died on 7 January 2015 in Haskell, New Jersey, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Georges Wolinski was born on 28 June 1934 in French Protectorate Tunisia [now Tunisia]. He was a writer and actor, known for Le cowboy (1985), Pizzaiolo et Mozzarel (1985) and Le roi des cons (1981). He was married to Maryse Wolinski. He died on 7 January 2015 in Paris, France.- Tignous was born on 21 August 1957 in Paris, France. He died on 7 January 2015 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
- Bernard Maris was born on 23 September 1946 in Toulouse, France. He was married to Sylvie Genevoix. He died on 7 January 2015 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.
- Charb was born on 21 August 1967 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Île-de-France, France. He died on 7 January 2015 in Paris, France.
- Actor
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- Director
Cabu was born on 13 January 1938 in Châlons-en-Champagne, Marne, France. He was an actor and director, known for Très insuffisant (1979), Le château du parking (1987) and The Army Game (1960). He was married to Véronique. He died on 7 January 2015 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Tadeusz Konwicki was born on 22 June 1926 in Nowa Wilejka, Wilenskie, Poland [now Naujoji Vilnia, Vilnius, Lithuania]. He was a writer and director, known for Lawa. Opowiesc o 'Dziadach' Adama Mickiewicza (1989), Dolina Issy (1982) and The Last Day of Summer (1958). He was married to Danuta Konwicka. He died on 7 January 2015 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Actor
- Music Department
- Writer
Suave and handsome Australian actor arrived in Hollywood in the 1950s, and built himself up from a supporting actor into taking the lead in several well-remembered movies. Arguably his most fondly remembered role was that as George (Herbert George Wells), the inventor, in George Pal's spectacular The Time Machine (1960). As the movie finished with George, and his best friend Filby Alan Young seemingly parting forever, both actors were brought back together in 1993 to film a 30-minute epilogue to the original movie! Taylor's virile, matinée idol looks also assisted him in scoring the lead of Mitch Brenner in Alfred Hitchcock's creepy thriller The Birds (1963), the role of Jane Fonda's love interest in Sunday in New York (1963), the title role in John Ford's biopic of Irish playwright Sean O'Casey in Young Cassidy (1965), and a co-starring role in The Train Robbers (1973) with John Wayne. Taylor also appeared as Bette Davis future son-in-law in the well-received film The Catered Affair (1956). He also gave a sterling performance as the German-American Nazi Major trying to fool James Garner in 36 Hours (1964). Later, Taylor made many westerns and action movies during the 1960s and 1970s; however, none of these were much better than "B" pictures and failed to push his star to the next level. Additionally, Taylor was cast as the lead in several TV series including Bearcats! (1971), Masquerade (1983), and Outlaws (1986); however, none of them truly ignited viewer interest, and they were cancelled after only one or two seasons. Most fans would agree that Rod Taylor's last great role was in the wonderful Australian film The Picture Show Man (1977), about a travelling sideshow bringing "moving pictures" to remote towns in the Australian outback.- Jethro Pugh was born on 3 July 1944 in Windsor, North Carolina, USA. He was married to Beverly J. Logan and Beverly Jo Etter. He died on 7 January 2015 in Irving, Texas, USA.
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- Director
Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was born on 7 September 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a producer and director, known for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) and Mystic Pizza (1988). He was married to Patricia Strawn, Peggy Elliott and Jennifer Howard. He died on 9 January 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
His father was a shipowner. After school, Rosi initially began studying law, which he soon dropped out to work as a broadcast journalist and book illustrator in Naples. From 1944 to 1945 he worked for "Radio Napoli". In the immediate post-war years, Rosi moved to Rome, where he came into contact with the film world. He initially acted as an assistant to several directors and thus played a key role in the development of Italian "Neorealismo". From 1947 to 1948, Rosi assisted Luchino Visconti in the filming of the masterpiece of neorealism "La terra trema". In addition to working on other Visconti films, he also studied with Michelangelo Antonioni. In 1957 Rosi celebrated his directorial debut with "La sfida".
The success led to a long series of films in the following decades, some of which courageously dealt with unpleasant and critical topics in Italian post-war society. Rosi's films such as "Le mani sulla città" (1963), "Cadaveri eccellenti" (1976) and "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli" (1979) are dedicated to the ruthless analysis of events in contemporary Italian history and the present. The director bluntly denounces the grievances resulting from war, crime and corruption as social processes that are tolerated, accepted or even intended by political power. With the film adaptation of the opera "Carmen" (1984) and the novel by Gabriel García Márquez "Cronaca di una morte annunciata" (1987), Rosi approached emotional productions, abandoning his previous materialistic analysis.
However, both films remain connected to the basic theme of Rosi's work, the Italian South, which the director deepened again through the pessimistic study of the global character of the Italian-American mafia in "Dimenticare Palermo" (1989). Rosi received numerous awards for his work. His directorial debut won an award in Venice in 1958. In 1962 he was awarded the Berlin Silver Bear for the film about "Salvatore Giuliano". In 2000 he received the "Grand Prix des Amériques" in Montreal for his life's work.
Francesco Rosi is married to Giancarla Rosi Mandelli and lives in Rome.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg was born on September 29, 1931 in Malmo, Sweden. Growing up with seven brothers and sisters was not an adventure, but Anita's adventure began when she was elected Miss Sweden in 1950. She did not win the Miss Universe contest but she got a modeling contract in the United States. She quickly got a film contract with Howard Hughes's RKO that did not lead anywhere (but Anita herself has said that Hughes wanted to marry her). Instead, she started making movies with Universal, small roles that more often than not only required her to look beautiful. After five years in Hollywood, she found herself in Rome, where Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) meant her breakthrough. She stayed in Italy and made around 20 movies during the next ten years, some roles memorable, some to be forgotten. Her two marriages gave her a great deal of attention from the press. During the 1970s, the roles became less frequent, but she made a marvellous comeback with Fellini's Intervista (1987).
Anita Ekberg retired from acting in 2002 after 50 years in the motion picture industry. In December 2011, she was destitute following three months in a hospital with a broken thigh in Rimini, during which her home was robbed of jewelry and furniture, and her villa was badly damaged in a fire. Ekberg applied for help from the Fellini Foundation, which also found itself in difficult financial straits. She died at age 83 from complications of an enduring illness on January 11, 2015 at the clinic San Raffaele in Rocca di Papa, Italy. Ekberg had a new film project with exclusively female Italian producer "Le Bestevem", in which her character, as movie star, should have been recovered again as an icon of the silver screen, a project that was interrupted by her death.
Her funeral was held on January 14, 2015, at the Lutheran-Evangelical Christuskirche in Rome, after which her body was cremated and her remains were buried at the cemetery of Skanor Church in Sweden.- Actor
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- Producer
Taylor Negron was born Brad Stephen Negron in Glendale, California, to Lucy (Rosario) and Conrad Negron, who was mayor of Indian Wells, CA. His parents were both of Puerto Rican descent. Negron attended UCLA, studied acting with Lee Strasberg, and studied comedy at a private seminar taught by Lucille Ball. He went on to join the cast of an improvisational comedy group, whose ranks included talents like Robin Williams, Martin Short and Betty Thomas. In 1982 Negron made his motion-picture debut as a love-struck, pill-popping, dancing intern in Young Doctors in Love (1982) and as the obviously peeved Mr. Pizza Guy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). He also played Rodney Dangerfield's son-in-law in Easy Money (1983).
Negron was honored with the distinction of being asked to teach one of the first comedy courses offered at UCLA.
Negron died of cancer on January 10, 2015.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Chashi Nazrul Islam was born on 23 October 1941 in Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Dhaka, Bangladesh]. He was a director and actor, known for Hangor Nodi Grenade (1997), Shuvoda (1986) and Devdas (1982). He was married to Jotsna Kazi. He died on 11 January 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Brian Clemens left school at the age of 14. After national service with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, he worked his way up from messenger boy to copywriter at an advertising agency, writing in his spare time. One of his scripts was accepted by the BBC in 1955. He joined a production company, literally writing scripts to order. With tight deadlines and plots often based on the availability of sets, props or location, he churned out scripts for B-films and TV series.
Clemens is best remembered for his work on British television in the 1960s and 1970s, especially on Danger Man (1960), The Avengers (1961) (for which he wrote many episodes, including the pilot in 1961), The Baron (1966), The Persuaders! (1971) and creating The Professionals (1977). He also wrote for the stage; his play "Strictly Murder" was performed by a cast including Brian Capron in 2017.
Clemens was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Broadcasting and to Drama. According to his son Samuel, the last thing he did before he died was to watch an episode of The Avengers (1961) and his last words were: "I did quite a good job".- Actor
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Hara Patnaik was born on 12 October 1958 in Cuttack, Odisha, India. He was an actor and director, known for Daiba Daudi (1990), Thank You Bhagban (2006) and Sathire (2004). He was married to Jharana Pattnaik and Jharana. He died on 13 January 2015 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.- Director
- Producer
- Composer
Sid Smith was a director and producer, known for The Bell Telephone Hour (1959), Hello London (1958) and America's Musical Theater (1985). He died on 15 January 2015.- Producer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Wesley Kenney Jr. was born in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Carnegie Tech (Mellon) and was hired in the 1950s by Dumont TV Network in New York as a director in an era where everything was live and shot with multiple cameras. He directed all genres, including dramas, kids shows, game shows, sports, and variety for ten years - on some days up to 12 live broadcasts a day. The next twenty years were spent directing for film and television, including Gidget (1965), All in the Family (1971) and The Jeffersons (1975). After that, Kenney turned to a new field and became executive producer on soap operas Days of Our Lives (1965) (1968-1979), The Young and the Restless (1973) (1982-1987) and General Hospital (1963) (1987-1989), which garnered him 7 Emmys amongst 19 nominations within two decades. After that, Kenney began teaching students at the UCLA. He died January 13, 2015 of cardiac arrest in Santa Monica, California, at age 89.- Chikao Ôtsuka was born on 5 July 1929 in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. He was an actor, known for Sonic X (2003), Fist of the North Star (1986) and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (2004). He died on 15 January 2015 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
- Rimma Markova was born on 3 March 1925 in Churino, Samara Governorate, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Samara Oblast, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Night Watch (2004), Day Watch (2006) and Veronica Won't Come (2008). She was married to Jose Gonzalez Maria Antonio and Vladimir Nikitin. She died on 15 January 2015 in Moscow, Russia.
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Faten Hamama (known as "The Lady of the Arabic Screen") has become an icon and the most important actress of Egyptian and Arabic cinema. She is also the most honored actress in the Middle East. Every decade of her life represents a new era of acting and witnessed the reshaping and progression of Egyptian cinema. The progress in her different characters when she started as a child in 1938 until today parallels the progress that modern Egyptian women have made during the 20th century and their interaction with the public, culture or political life. During the celebration of 100 years of Egyptian cinema on 1996, she was chosen as the country's most important actress, and 18 of her films were selected as among the best 150 made to that time. It was no surprise that in 2000 the Egyptian Organization of Critics and Writers named her the Star of the Century.
She was born in 1931 in Elmansoura, Egypt, the daughter of Ahmed Hamama, an employee of the Egyptian Ministry of Knowledge. Her legendary journey started as a secret statement between a six-year-old girl and her father after they watched a film in their neighborhood theater, at which leading actress and producer Asya Dagher was present. Faten told her father that she felt the audience was applauding for her as the leading actress, and her father gave her a hug with a vision of helping his daughter to become a movie star. She won a contest for the most beautiful child in Egypt, and her dad sent her picture to director Muhammad Karim (a pioneer of Egyptian cinema). Karim was looking for a child for his new film with Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Faten auditioned for and got a role in this movie, Yom said (1940) ("A Happy Day"). She impressed the filmmakers so much during shooting that she was actually given more lines and scenes in the picture than were originally scripted for her. Karim put her under contract, and four years later he gave her a role in a film with Mohamed Abdel Wahab again, Russassa fil kalb (1944) ("A Bullet in the Heart"). With her third movie with Karim, Dunia (1946), Faten showed filmmakers and audiences alike that she was was an actress ready for bigger roles. Her father, along with her family, moved to Cairo to help her in her career. She also began studying her craft at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
With actor and director Youssef Wahbi (known as the dean of Egyptian theater), Faten started a new stage of her career, in melodramas. Yousef saw her talent in Karim's movies and was able to showcase it to even better advantage in his next film, Malak al rahma (1946) ("The Angel of Mercy"), in which she played his daughter. Although only 15 years old at the time, it was generally agreed that she stole the film. This teenager was soon the talk of the Egyptian cinema, and her star hasn't set since then. She made more films with Wahby, such as Confession Chair (1949) ("The Chair of Confession"), in which she played a lover of the cardinal's brother who mistakenly goes to jail for her father's murder. She had another box-office hit with El yatimatain (1948) ("The Two Orphans"), followed by a successful comedy of the travails of a wife and her mother in law in Sitt el beit (1949) ("The Lady of the House"). She was the favorite of novelists because she could attract the best writers and directors to a project, and it wasn't soon before her name alone would pretty much guarantee success for whatever film she was in.
The 1950s brought new directors to Egyptian cinema and was the beginning of what was to become known as "The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema". Faten appeared in a number of films by these new directors, such as Salah Abouseif's first realism picture, Laka yom ya zalem (1951) ("Your Day Will Come"), which was a box-office hit and was shown at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. She appeared in such successful films as El tarik el masdud (1958) ("The Barred Road") and won a Best Actresss award for her performance in the romantic political movie La wakta lil hub (1963) ("No Time for Love"). She also supported director Youssef Chahine in his first movie, Baba Amin (1950), then again in his even more successful The Blazing Sun (1954), a realistic work that was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival (Youssef is on record as saying that Faten is his favorite actress and the best Egyptian actress of all time).
She also worked with director Kamal El-Shaikh in his first movie, which introduced the mystery genre to Egyptian cinema, House No. 13 (1952) ("House No. 13"), and again in Lan aataref (1961) ("I Will Not Confess"). Their film El-Lailah el-Akhirah (1963) ("Last Night") captured at least 10 awards in the 1965 national competition and was also shown at the Cannes festival. She excelled at comedy, as evidenced by her astonishing role in El-Ustazah Fatmah (1952) as lawyer Fatma. She also worked closely with two other directors of this period, Ezz El Dine Zulficar and Henry Barakat, and made successful films with both. In fact, she married Zulficar in 1947 while shooting Abu Zeid el Hilali (1947). He was known as the king of "romantic" movies and together they worked to further that vision, as in Khulud (1948) ("Immortality") by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. They formed a production company and made Moawad ma al hayat (1953) ("Appointment with Life") also directed by Ezz El Dine Zulficar, which was voted movie of the year and received both critical and box-office success (it was this film that caused critics to name her the "Lady of the Arabic Screen", a title she has kept to this day). Faten soon became the highest-paid actress in Egyptian cinema, and remained so until her final feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams") and TV series, Wagh el qamar (2000) ("Face of the Moon"). More successful romantic roles with Ezzel Dine followed, such as Mawad ma al saada (1954) ("Appointment with Happiness"). It was during this period that Ezz El-Dine Zulficar made his famous quote about Faten: "The distance between Faten and the next runner-up is like the distance between 1 and 10". Although they were divorced in 1954, and Faten married Omar Sharif in 1955, she and Ezz El Dine Zulficar continued to make films together, many of which are considered classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as Bain el atlal (1959) ("Among the Ruins") and what many consider their masterpiece, Nahr el hub (1960) ("The River of Love"), their version of Lev Tolstoy's great story "Anna Karenina", opposite Omar Sharif, and the two became one of the classic romantic couples of Egyptian cinema, appearing again in Our Best Days (1955) ("Our Best Days"), Sayedat el kasr (1958) ("Lady of the Castle"), Sleepless (1957) ("Sleepless") and The Blazing Sun (1954) ("Struggle in the Valley"). Sharif and Faten divorced on 1974. He made what became a famous statement about Faten, that he only married once because he only loved once, and that was Faten.
Director Henry Barakat specialized in musical romantic movies, social commentary and women's rights in society. During the making of Lahn al khouloud (1952) ("Immortal Song"), they developed a close professional bond, and Barakat used Faten to explore all his talent and all his visions. The success of the romantic musical Lahn al khouloud (1952) that became the movie of the year challenged both of them to make more successful musical romantic films, which they did with such pictures as Daiman maak (1954) ("With You Forever") and Mawad gharam (1956) ("Appointment with Love"). IT was with Barakat that Fatan made her most famous and beloved picture, with her role as Ammna in Doa al karawan (1959) ("The Nightingale's Prayer"), which describes differences between revenge and culture through a romantic story. It was nominated for Best Film at Berlin's International Film Festival and almost made it to the Oscars in the US. This film was chosen as one of best ten movies ever made in Egypt. After this picture Faten made several more films that promoted women's rights in society and created more cultural awareness, such as El bab el maftuh (1963) ("The Open Door"), for which she received the Best Actress award at the Jakarta (Indonesia) International Film Festival. One year later they did it again in El haram (1965) ("The Sin"), which was shown at the Cannes festival that year and was chosen as one of best five movies ever made in Egypt. Faten and Barakat continued their journey together through decades for more outstanding roles as Kheit al rafeigh, -al (1971) ("The Thin Thread"), Mouths and Rabbits (1977) ("Mouths and Rabbits"); Faten won Best Actress awards from two international festival for her role in this movie, and it was the highest-grossing Egyptian film ever made until that time. Their last picture together was a remarkable hit, Leilet al quabd al Fatma (1984) ("The Night of Fatma's Arrest"). Their journey was crowned by a lifetime achievement award for their films together from the Montpellier International Film Festival on 1993. Barakat's was quoted as saying, "If I could get Faten in my films, I will guarantee us the best picture".
Faten left Egypt from 1966-1971 because she resisted political pressure that was applied to her. She divided her time between Lebanon and London, England. During this period Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser asked some prominent critics and writers to try to persuade her to return to Egypt, saying that "Faten Hamama is a national treasure". Her return to Egypt on 1971 breathed life back into Egyptian cinema. She insisted that her films reflect the values of the society through the family relationships. Her first film upon return was Sahera (1971) with Salah Zulfikar. Her role in Imberaturiyyat Mim (1972) ("Empire M") as a widow with six children and the struggles she endured to raise them made the film a success both critically and financially, and she earned a special award from an organization of Soviet Union women when the film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival. Her film Orid hallan (1975) ("I Need a Solution") which was produced by Salah Zulfikar was not only a big hit but resulted in changes to Egyptian marriage and divorce laws. Faten won the Best Actress award at the Cairo International Film Festival and a Prize of Recognition at the Teheran (Iran) Film Festival. She continued to make films that commented on society, such as Oghneyat elmoot (1973) ("The Song of Death"), Ualla azae lel sayedat (1979) ("No Condolences for Ladies"), Bad Day Good Day (1988) ("Bitter Days, Sweet Days") and her last feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams"), and her TV series, Conscience of Teacher Hikmat (1991) ("The Consciousness of Teacher Hekmat") and Wagh el qamar (2000) ("The Face of the Moon"), which was shown in 23 countries in the Middle East.
Faten Hamama is the fourth Pyramid in Egyptian cinema, a legend in her platinum anniversary, the diamond that remained shining and kept its glowing over the decades on the silver screen.- Greg Plitt was born on 3 November 1977 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor, known for Terminator Salvation (2009), The Good Shepherd (2006) and Grudge Match (2013). He died on 17 January 2015 in Burbank, California, USA.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Origa was born on 12 October 1970 in Kochenyovo, Kochenyovskiy rayon, Novosibirskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. Origa is known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002), Final Fantasy XIII-2 (2011) and Fantastic Children (2004). Origa was married to Zhian Saedi. Origa died on 17 January 2015 in Tokyo, Japan.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Donald Harron was born on 19 September 1924 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for The Time Tunnel (1966), The Spy with My Face (1965) and The Hospital (1971). He was married to Claudette Gareau, Catherine McKinnon, Virginia Leith and Gloria Fisher. He died on 17 January 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- A$AP Yams was born on 13 November 1988 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He died on 18 January 2015 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.
- George Dickerson was born on 25 July 1933 in Topeka, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Blue Velvet (1986), Death Warrant (1990) and After Dark, My Sweet (1990). He was married to Suzanne Hartman and Victoria Chess. He died on 10 January 2015 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.
- Kjell Arnljot Wig was born on 31 December 1924 in Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. He was a producer and actor, known for Hvor fortid og nutid druknes for at redde fremtiden (1963), Men de reddede templerne (1973) and Skjemtegauken (1968). He was married to Ada. He died on 18 January 2015 in Bærum, Norway.
- Tony Verna was born on 26 November 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a director, known for The Triple Crown of Racing (1973), Greatest Sports Legends (1972) and Celebrity Daredevils (1983). He was married to Carol and Joanna Hayes. He died on 18 January 2015 in Palm Desert, California, USA.
- Anne Kirkbride was born on 21 June 1954 in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) and Coronation Street: Tram Crash (2010). She was married to David Beckett. She died on 19 January 2015 in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
- Paul Campbell was born in 1965 in the USA. He was an actor, known for The Fighter (2010), Ted (2012) and American Hustle (2013). He died on 19 January 2015 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was born on 1 August 1924 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was married to Alanoud Al Fayez. He died on 23 January 2015 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Larisa Belogurova was born on 4 October 1960 in Stalingrad, RSFSR, USSR [now Volgograd, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Shestoy (1982), Kumir (1988) and The Dead Ships Island (1987). She died on 20 January 2015 in Moscow, Russia.
- Born in St. Helens, Lancashire, Pauline Yates knew she wanted to be an actress from an early age. After leaving school, she went straight into Oldham Rep., making her stage debut at 17 as Grace Poole in Jane Eyre. In the late 1960s she landed her first TV role and became a familiar face on programmes such as Crown Court and Armchair Theatre. She was married to actor/writer Donald Churchill and they had two daughters, Jemma and Polly.
- Peggy Charren was born on 9 March 1928 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She is known for Buy Me That! A Kids' Survival Guide to TV Advertising (1989), The Question of Television Violence (1972) and Bicentennial Minutes (1974). She was married to Stanley A. Charren. She died on 22 January 2015 in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
Extremely likable and popular, Ernie Banks is probably the most popular baseball player to ever put on a Chicago Cubs uniform. He started playing for the Cubs in 1953 and from the moment he hit his first home run, the city of Chicago fell in love with him. Banks started his career as a shortstop before moving to first base. He had four straight seasons of 40 or more home runs and was the National League's Most Valuable Player two consecutive seasons. Banks ended up with a career total of 512 home runs and was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.- Actor
- Director
- Music Department
M.S. Narayana was born on 16 April 1951 in Nidamarru, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was an actor and director, known for Dookudu (2011), Anjaneyulu (2009) and Koduku (2004). He was married to M.V. Kala Prapoorna. He died on 23 January 2015 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.- Actor
- Stunts
Bill Hart was born on 28 July 1934 in Red Oak, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Escape from New York (1981), The Wild Bunch (1969) and The Way of the Gun (2000). He was married to Rina Solowitz and Charlene Roberson. He died on 2 January 2015 in Northridge, California, USA.- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Marshall Schlom was born on 3 March 1928 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Romancing the Stone (1984), The Golden Child (1986) and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). He was married to Dorothy Schlom. He died on 21 January 2015 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Barrie Ingham was born on 10 February 1932 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Day of the Jackal (1973) and Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965). He was married to Tarne Phillips. He died on 23 January 2015 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Director
V.S. Raghavan was born in 1925 in Vembakkam, South Arcot District, Madras Presidency, British India. He was an actor and director, known for Samaya Sanjeevani (1957), Indru Netru Naalai (2015) and Naanum Oru Thozhilaali (1986). He died on 24 January 2015 in Chennai, India.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Demetrio González was born on 7 October 1927 in Gijón, Asturias, Spain. He was an actor, known for Dos corazones y un cielo (1959), Los laureles (1961) and El jinete solitario en el valle de los buitres (1958). He died on 25 January 2015 in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
The pioneering German collective Tangerine Dream has been delivering their distinctive style of ambient music for nearly three decades, laying down a foundation of sound textures and sonic imagery that has influenced many of today's electronic musicians. Founded in 1967 by fine art aficionado Edgar Froese the group released their first album, "Electronic Meditation" in 1970, and, through many different line-ups in proceeding years, delivered a unique brand of space-rock, making use of electronic instruments like synths and Mellotron, along traditional instruments like rock guitar and blues harmonica. Their work on William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) was the beginning of many film projects that the group would undertake throughout the 1980s, including Thief (1981) and The Keep (1983), both directed by Michael Mann, Legend (1985) by Ridley Scott, Near Dark (1987) by Kathryn Bigelow and the box-office hit Risky Business (1983) with Tom Cruise. Throughout the 1990s, the group has been as active as ever, releasing as many as five albums a year, including remastered versions of early material.- Actor
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Joe Rígoli was born on 5 November 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and director, known for Zocta: Sólo en la Tierra se puede ser extraterrestre (1988), Los Libonatti (1991) and Vale, vale (1990). He died on 27 January 2015 in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Actor
- Music Department
Mala Aravindan was born in 1939 in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. He was an actor, known for Sallapam (1996), Sandesham (1991) and Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan (2002). He was married to Geetha. He died on 28 January 2015 in Coimbatore, India.- Writer
- Actress
Colleen McCullough was born on 1 June 1937 in Wellington, New South Wales, Australia. She was a writer and actress, known for Tim (1979), An Indecent Obsession (1985) and The Thorn Birds (1983). She was married to Cedric Newton (Ric) Ion-Robinson. She died on 29 January 2015 in Burnt Pine, Norfolk Island, Australia.- Amparo Baró was born on 21 September 1937 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress, known for 7 vidas (1999), The Boarding School (2007) and Siete mesas de billar francés (2007). She died on 29 January 2015 in Madrid, Spain.
- Music Department
- Script and Continuity Department
- Actor
Rod McKuen was born on 29 April 1933 in Oakland, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Zodiac (2007), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Better Off Dead (1985). He died on 29 January 2015 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Than Wyenn was an actor born on May 2, 1919 in New York City, New York, USA. He had a long career and was especially known for Being There (1979), Splash (1984), and Imitation of Life (1959). He died on January 29, 2015 in Woodland Hills, Los Angles, CA, USA at the age of 95.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Geraldine McEwan was born in Old Windsor, England and made her theatre debut at the age of 14 at the Theatre Royal in Windsor. By the age of 18 she was starring in London's West End in several long-running popular productions. During the 1950s she acted with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961.
She had leading roles as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing with Christopher Plummer, Ophelia in Hamlet, The Princess of France in Love's Labour's Lost, Marina in Pericles and played opposite Dorothy Tutin in Twelfth Night which also toured Moscow and Leningrad.
Miss McEwan originated the female lead role in Joe Orton's Loot, captivated Broadway with productions of The School for Scandal, The Private Ear and the Public Eye, and most recently, The Chairs, earning her a Tony nomination for best actress.
As a member of the Royal National Theatre, acting along side Albert Finney, and Laurence Olivier, Geraldine spent the 1960s and 70s with memorable roles including The Dance of Death, Love for Love, A Flea in Her Ear, Chez Nous, Home and Beauty, The Browning Version, Harlequinade and The White Devil. In 1976 she had the distinction of being nominated for an Olivier Award in two separate categories.
In 1983 she won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award for The Rivals. In 1991 she won the BAFTA Best Actress Award for her intense and powerful performance as the Mother in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1989) and in 1995 she won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award for her performance of Lady Wishfort in The Way of the World.
In 1998, McEwan was nominated for a Tony Award in the Best Actress Category for The Chairs. Her numerous television credits include the highly acclaimed The Barchester Chronicles (1982) with Alan Rickman, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978), Mulberry (1992), and the immensely popular Mapp & Lucia (1985). Her film work includes The Dance of Death (1969) with Laurence Olivier, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) with Alan Rickman, Henry V (1989) and Love's Labour's Lost (2000), both with Kenneth Branagh, and most recently The Magdalene Sisters (2002), The Lazarus Child (2004), Vanity Fair (2004) and Carrie's War (2004). In 2003, Geraldine was chosen to play Agatha Christie's Jane Marple. She recently retired from that role after completing 12 hugely popular two-hour mysteries for ITV/PBS.- Dave Bergman was born on 6 June 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He was married to Cathy. He died on 2 February 2015 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, USA.
- Writer
- Animation Department
- Visual Effects
Monyreak "Monty" Oum was an Asian American web-based animator and writer. A self-taught animator, he scripted and produced several crossover fighting video series, drawing the attention of internet production company Rooster Teeth, who hired him. He was also the original creator, director, writer, lead animator and a voice actor of RWBY. He worked for Rooster Teeth Productions, where he originally started animating the popular Machinima series Red vs. Blue in its eighth season. He had also worked on several individual fan projects, such as Dead Fantasy and Haloid, although he had stated that his main goal was to create an original series, which came to pass with RWBY. He voiced Lie Ren.
Oum attracted attention within the gaming community after releasing the hit video Haloid in 2007 on GameTrailers, which a Destructoid article called "the most interesting Halo-related fan movie in existence". The video has received more than 4 million views and is the most watched user-created content on the site. In October of the same year, he released the first video in his Dead Fantasy fan series which, like Haloid, featured fantastical combat sequences between characters from two different established games series (this time Dead or Alive and Final Fantasy). He released five episodes of Dead Fantasy, a preview of an additional episode and two music videos featuring the heroines of the series. After Oum announced that he had started working for Rooster Teeth, the series was put on hold. Oum suffered a severe allergic reaction during a medical procedure and fell into a coma on January 22, 2015. He died on February 1, 2015.
He was born on June 22nd, 1981 in Providence, Rhode Island. According to Monty Oum on his twitter, he said that he was "Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese" of descent. He dropped out of high school around 2002 and started creating fan videos. In 2007, he used model from Halo 2 and Super Smash Bros. Melee to have a Spartan (Halo) and Samus Aran (Metriod) fight in the "ultimate showdown". Afterwards, he worked at Midway Games as a combat designer and then worked at Namco Games as a combat designer and animator for Afro Samurai. In 2009, he met Burnie Burns at a SDCC International panel. A year later at PAX East 2010, he was announced to be working at Rooster Teeth. He started to animate in Season 8 of the show that started Rooster Teeth, Red v Blue. After working hours on end on RvB, Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum decided to give him his own project. This project would later be known as RWBY. Monty brought on Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross to write the animated series. RWBY premiered in 2012. On January 22, 2015, Monty was rushed to the hospital due to a severe allergic reaction. The doctors operated on him and Monty fell into a coma for 10 days. He passed away at 4:24 P.M on February 1, 2015.- Actor
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- Soundtrack
The Jacka was born in August 1977 in Pittsburg, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Fruitvale Station (2013), Tania Ponce Ft. The Jacka: I Wanna Be (2015) and Take Control (2020). He died on 2 February 2015 in Oakland, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Norman Yemm was born on 23 March 1932 in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was an actor, known for Moby Dick (1998), The Sullivans (1976) and Homicide (1964). He was married to Amanda. He died on 3 February 2015 in Rosebud, Victoria, Australia.- Actress
- Director
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Monica Scattini was born on 1 February 1956 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress and director, known for Nine (2009), Lontano da dove (1983) and Maniaci sentimentali (1994). She was married to Giancarlo Neri and Roberto Brunetti. She died on 4 February 2015 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Odete Lara was born on 17 April 1929 in São Paulo, Brazil. She was an actress and writer, known for O Jogo da Vida e da Morte (1972), Antonio das Mortes (1969) and Lúcia McCartney, Uma Garota de Programa (1971). She was married to Oduvaldo Vianna Filho and Antonio Carlos da Fontoura. She died on 4 February 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.- Writer
- Producer
Ade Capone was born on 26 December 1958 in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He was a writer and producer, known for Mistero (2009), La donna, il sogno & gli altri video (1995) and Il bivio - Cosa sarebbe successo se... (2005). He died on 4 February 2015 in Salsomaggiore Terme, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Richard Bonehill was born in 1949 in the UK. He was an actor, known for Rob Roy (1995), Top Secret! (1984) and George and the Dragon (2004). He was married to Lynne Gillian Bradshaw. He died on 29 January 2015 in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lizabeth Scott was born Emma Matzo on September 29, 1922 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the oldest of six children of Mary (Pennock) and John Matzo, who were Slovak immigrants. Scott attended Marywood Seminary and the Alvienne School of the Theatre in New York City, where she adopted the stage name of "Elizabeth Scott." After doing a national tour of Hellzapoppin, she was discovered by Broadway producer Michael Myerberg in 1942. Scott was the understudy for Tallulah Bankhead in the original Broadway production of "The Skin of Our Teeth." Later in 1943, a Warner Brothers producer, Hal B. Wallis, discovered Scott at her 21st birthday party held at the Stork Club in New York. Wallis scheduled an interview with Scott the following day, but Scott canceled it when a telegram asked her to replace Miriam Hopkins at the Boston production of The Skin of Our Teeth.
In 1944, Scott was invited to Los Angeles by agent Charles K. Feldman, who saw her photos in "Harpers Bazaar." After failed screen tests at Universal, International, then Warner Brothers, Scott again met Wallis, who said he would hire her if he had the power. Scott mistakenly believed that Wallis was as powerful as Jack L. Warner, and did not believe him. The day Scott left for New York, she read in Variety that Wallis resigned from Warner and formed his own production company, releasing films primarily through Paramount. A few months later, she returned from New York and was finally signed to Paramount. Scott appeared in 21 films between 1945 and 1957, though loaned out for half of her films to United Artists, RKO and Columbia. When Scott was introduced to the public in 1945, Paramount publicity releases, exaggerating her background, claimed Scott was a debutante, that her grocer father was an English-born, New York banker, and that her mother was a White Russian aristocrat.
Scott's first film was You Came Along (1945), with Robert Cummings as the leading man. This Ayn Rand scripted film introduced the 23-year old smoky blonde to the American public. In a role originally intended for Barbara Stanwyck, Scott played a US Treasury PR flack that falls in love with an Army Air Force officer, who tries to hide his terminal leukemia. Despite Scott's difficulties with director John Farrow, who lobbied for Teresa Wright, the film remains one Scott's favorites.
On the strength of her first performance, Wallis starred Scott in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) over Stanwyck's protests. Scott ended up in third place at the top behind Stanwyck and Van Heflin, with Kirk Douglas, in his film debut, billed below the three stars. The film is actually two in one, with Stanwyck and Scott inhabiting two parallel worlds, both linked by Heflin. The female leads have only one brief scene together. The director, Lewis Milestone, swore never to work with Wallis again, who wanted to re-shoot all of Scott's scenes, which Wallis had to do personally. The film boasts an Oscar nominated screenplay by screenplay by Robert Rossen, music by Miklós Rózsa, art direction by Hans Dreier, and costumes by Edith Head.
In Scott's third film, she is cast with Humphrey Bogart in Dead Reckoning (1946). It is Scott's first crack as the archetypal femme fatale. In Dead Reckoning she lures Bogart into a web of lies, and deceit. As is typical in the noir genre, her power is rooted in her beauty and sexual allure. In a departure from his tough guy roles, Bogart plays a wronged man (a noir hero), who struggles to learn the fate of a missing army buddy. Scott is the ex-girlfriend who knows more than she lets on. To keep Bogart from learning the truth about his lost friend and his mysterious double life, Scott seduces him into believing she loves him.
In her fourth film, Scott appeared in the second noir to be shot in color, Desert Fury (1947), a coming-of-age story scripted again by Robert Rossen, based on the novel "Desert Town" by Ramona Stewart. Mary Astor is Fritzi Haller, a casino and bordello owner who runs the corrupt town of Chuckawalla, Nevada. She controls everyone in town, including the judge and sheriff's office. The only one who dares defy Fritzi is her rebellious daughter Paula (Scott), who returns home after being expelled from another private school. When John Hodiak, a professional gambler, comes to town, Paula falls in love with him and trouble ensues. Then newcomers Burt Lancaster, and Wendell Corey also appear.
In 1947, Scott was again cast with Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in I Walk Alone (1947), a story of betrayal and vengeance. Scott plays a nightclub singer who provides sympathy and support to Lancaster, recently released from prison to collect a debt, but is double-crossed by the Douglas character. Scott rises above it all and is completely convincing in her portrayal. Scott's character provides a degree of romanticism and humanism usually lacking in film noir.
Film number seven was Pitfall (1948). Dick Powell played a middle-level insurance investigator, married to his high school sweetheart, Jane Wyatt. They living out a comfortable but boring existence in a post-war Los Angeles suburb. Powell is restless and unfulfilled ("I feel like a wheel within a wheel within a wheel") when he receives what at first seems like a routine assignment to recover goods that have been bought with stolen money, a claim paid off by Powell's firm. The items are traced to Mona Stevens (Scott), a model living in Marina Del Rey. Powell is attracted to her, and what starts out as innocent flirtation ends up in a passionate love affair. Powell's journey into a daydream turns into a nightmare as he becomes a prisoner in his own home and kills an assailant, who has been set on his trail by a jealous private investigator, played by Raymond Burr. Meanwhile, the Burr character also blackmails Mona into doing private "fashion shows."
In Too Late for Tears (1949), Scott played an avaricious Jane Palmer, a wife who goes to any length to keep $60,000 that is accidentally thrown in the back of her husband's car. She eventually leaves behind a string of bodies in an effort to keep the money. This film is widely regarded by critics and viewers alike as Scott's best performance and film. Don DeFore, Arthur Kennedy, and Kristine Miller also star.
Also of interest is 1949's Easy Living (1949), an intelligent, well-written film about an aging football star, played by Victor Mature, who struggles to adjust to his impending retirement, as well as the pressures brought on by an ambitious and defiant wife (Scott). Lucille Ball is commendable as the sympathetic team secretary and director Jacques Tourneur is first-rate. One of Scott's finest roles, it is a favorite of many of her fans.
By the end of 1949 Scott appeared in nine films, but did not achieve the level of stardom and clout that was needed to maintain her popularity at the box-office. From 1950 on, she and Hal Wallis passed up numerous opportunities to maintain her stardom. Wallis passed up a chance to star Scott in Lillian Hellman's Broadway play "Another Part of the Forest" (1946), later to made into the 1948 film. Scott herself passed up the lead in "The Rose Tattoo (19955), a decision she publicly regretted. She continued to make films such as Dark City (1950), Red Mountain (1951), Two of a Kind (1951), Scared Stiff (1953), and Bad for Each Other (1953). In February 1954, Scott did not renew her contract with Paramount and became a freelancer. She went on to make the western noir Silver Lode (1954) and The Weapon (1956).
In 1957 she retired from the big screen by starring with Elvis Presley in Loving You (1957), Presley's second film. Also starring is newcomer Dolores Hart and veteran Wendell Corey. Since 1957 Scott appeared on a few television shows in the 1960s, during which time she attended the University of Southern California. She eventually became involved in real estate projects. Her legacy lives on, however, in the growing popularity of classic movies sparked by DVDs and movie channels such as AMC (American Movie Classics) and TCM (Turner Classic Movies).- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Rune Ericson was born on 29 May 1924 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Olle Olson Hagalund (1963), Ronia: The Robber's Daughter (1984) and Festivitetssalongen (1965). He died on 6 February 2015 in Thailand.- Actress
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Marisa Del Frate was born on 11 March 1931 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for Addio per sempre! (1958), Perdono (1966) and La ballata dei mariti (1963). She died on 5 February 2015 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Dean Smith was born on 28 February 1931 in Emporia, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for He Got Game (1998), Without Bias (2009) and The Sport Jerks (1998). He was married to Linnea Smith and Margaret Ann Cleavinger. He died on 7 February 2015 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
- Billy Casper was born on 24 June 1931 in San Diego, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), The Donald O'Connor Show (1968) and Roar of the Crowd (1969). He was married to Shirley Ann Franklin. He died on 7 February 2015 in Springville, Utah, USA.
- Producer
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Ed Sabol was born on 11 September 1916 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. He was a producer and director, known for NFL Monday Night Matchup (1985), The Football Follies (1968) and The Son of the Football Follies (1976). He was married to Audrey Sabol. He died on 9 February 2015 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.- Jerry Tarkanian was born on 8 August 1930 in Euclid, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Blue Chips (1994) and The Sixth Man (1997). He was married to Lois Tarkanian. He died on 11 February 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
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- Writer
- Director
Roger Hanin was born on 20 October 1925 in Algiers, Alger, France [now Algeria]. He was an actor and writer, known for Navarro (1989), Hell Train (1985) and Le protecteur (1974). He was married to Christine Gouze-Rénal and Lisette Barucq. He died on 11 February 2015 in Paris, France.- Producer
- Writer
Bob Simon was born on 29 May 1941 in Bronx, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for 60 Minutes (1968), 60 Minutes II (1999) and CSI: NY (2004). He was married to Françoise. He died on 11 February 2015 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gary Owens was an American voice actor, radio announcer and narrator who was known for being the original voice actor of Hanna-Barbera's Space Ghost, Powdered Toast Man from The Ren & Stimpy Show and Blue Falcon from Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. George Lowe became Owens' successor as the voice of Space Ghost since 1994. He passed away from diabetes complications in February 2015.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Ricardo Palacios was born on 2 March 1940 in Reinosa, Cantabria, Spain. He was an actor and writer, known for Mi conejo es el mejor (1982), La banda de Pérez (1997) and Los 7 de Pancho Villa (1967). He died on 11 February 2015 in Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Anne Cuneo was born on 6 September 1936 in Paris, France. She was a director and writer, known for Francis Tregian, Gentleman und Musiker (1996), Cinéjournal au féminin (1980) and Adrian Frutiger - Schriftengestalter (1999). She died on 11 February 2015 in Vaud, Switzerland.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Sam Andrew was born on 18 December 1941 in Taft, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for The Dreamers (2003), Bringing Out the Dead (1999) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). He was married to Elise Wainani Piliwale and Suzanne Thorson. He died on 12 February 2015 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Actor
- Production Manager
- Soundtrack
Louis Jourdan was born Louis Robert Gendre in Marseille, France to Yvonne (née Jourdan) and hotel owner Henry Gendre. He was educated in France, Britain, and Turkey. He trained as an actor with René Simon at the École Dramatique. He debuted on screen in 1939, going on to play cultivated, polished, dashing lead roles in a number of French romantic comedies and dramas.
After his father, the manager of the Cannes Grand Hôtel, was arrested by the Gestapo during World War II, Louis and his two brothers (Pierre Jourdan and Robert Gendre, both of whom became film directors) joined the French underground; his film career came to a halt when he refused to act in Nazi propaganda films.
In 1948, David O. Selznick invited him to Hollywood to appear in The Paradine Case (1947); he remained in the USA and went on to star in a number of Hollywood films. After 1953, he appeared in international productions and, in 1958, appeared in Gigi (1958), his best-known film by American audiences. He also made numerous appearances on American television.
Jourdan died at his home in Beverly Hills, California in 2015, at age 93.- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Finn Nørgaard was born on 27 May 1959 in Denmark. He was a director and producer, known for Finn på nye eventyr (2010), Boomerang-drengen (2004) and The Terrorists! (1992). He died on 14 February 2015 in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark.- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Lesley Gore was born Lesley Sue Goldstein in Brooklyn, New York City, to Ronny and Leo Goldstein, a manufacturer of children's clothes and swimwear. Her family was Jewish. She grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey. Gore hit the music scene at 17 years of age in 1963 with the teen anthem "It's My Party". Born in Brooklyn (Kings County), New York, she was discovered at a party by legendary producer Quincy Jones, who signed her to Mercury Records and produced "It's My Party". More hits followed: "Judy's Turn to Cry", "She's a Fool", "That's the Way Boys Are", and the surprisingly (for the times) feminist-oriented "You Don't Own Me". She branched out from recording and began appearing on stage in summer stock, and putting in appearances in movies and television shows (including one on the TV series Batman (1966), which just happened to be produced by her uncle Howie Horwitz). In 1981, she was nominated for an Academy Award with her brother Michael Gore, for Best Song for the film Fame (1980). "Out Here on My Own" was bested for the award by another song from the same film - the theme song, written by her brother and Dean Pitchford In her later life, she toured and recorded in addition to appearing in summer stock productions. Gore died at the age of 68.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lorena Rojas was born on 10 February 1971 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. She was an actress, known for Corazones rotos (2001), El Cuerpo del Deseo (2005) and La quebradita (1994). She was married to Patrick Shaas. She died on 16 February 2015 in Miami, Florida, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Movita Castaneda was an American actress best known for having been the second wife of actor Marlon Brando. She was eight years older than Brando. In films, she played exotic women/singers, such as in Flying Down to Rio (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), of which she was the last surviving cast member. She is the mother of Miko Castaneda Brando and Rebecca Brando Kotlizky.
Movita was born in Nogales, Arizona, on a train travelling between Mexico and Arizona. Movita began her acting career singing the Carioca to Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire's first dance number in the first film in which the famous duo appeared together, Flying Down to Rio (1933). She continued playing exotic women in American and Spanish language films in the 1930s, most notably as a Tahitian girl, Tehanni in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) alongside Clark Gable and Franchot Tone.
After appearing in a few more minor westerns and a few television parts, she met the actor Marlon Brando in the late 1950s, after his breakup with Anna Kashfi. They married in 1960, and they had two children. Brando played the role of Fletcher Christian in the 1962 remake of the 1935 film in which Movita had played a Tahitian girl, Tehanni. Brando then married his co-star Tarita Teriipaia.
Castaneda died on February 12, 2015 at the age of 98.
Six months later, Marlon's first wife, Anna Kashfi, died on August 16, 2015, at the age of 80.- Pamela Cundell was born on January 15, 1920 in Croydon, Surrey, England as Pamela Isabel Cundell. She was an actress, known for TwentyFourSeven (1997), Big Deal (1984) and Dad's Army (1968). She was married to Bill Fraser, Leslie Newport-Gwilt and Robert O'Connor. She died on February 14, 2015 in Finchley, North London, England.
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Lasse Braun was born on 11 January 1936 in Algiers, Alger, France [now Algeria]. He was a director and producer. He died on 16 February 2015 in Rome, Italy.- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Daggubati Ramanaidu is a multilingual Indian film producer. He is the founder of Suresh Productions and holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the most films produced by an individual, having produced more than 150 films in 13 Indian languages.
He has also served as a member of parliament for the Baptala constituency of Guntur District in the 13th Lok Sabha from 1999-2004.
In 2009 Ramanaidu received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement in the film industry for his outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema, and in 2012 he was conferred with the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, the Padma Bhushan, in recognition for his contribution to Telugu cinema.
Ramanaidu contributes a substantial part of his earnings to numerous philanthropic purposes including the Ramanaidu Charitable Trust that was founded in 1991.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Harris Wittels was born on 20 April 1984 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), Master of None (2015) and Eastbound & Down (2009). He died on 19 February 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- June Fairchild was born on 3 September 1946 in Manhattan Beach, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Up in Smoke (1978) and The Student Body (1976). She was married to Tommy Lee Mull. She died on 17 February 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Ashraf Ul Haq was born on 3 November 1969 in Assam, India. He was an actor, known for Delhi Belly (2011), Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012). He died on 17 February 2015 in Andheri, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Frank Ramírez was born on 12 February 1939 in Aguazul, Colombia. He was an actor and writer, known for A Man of Principle (1984), María Cano (1990) and Técnicas de duelo: Una cuestión de honor (1988). He died on 19 February 2015 in Bogota, Colombia.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Nirad N. Mohapatra (12 November 1947 - 19 February 2015) was an Indian film director. Nirad was born in the Indian state of Odisha. His father was a freedom fighter during Birtish Raj, journalist and later entered politics in independent India. His mother was a teacher in school. He was the eldest of 7 siblings. The foundation to Nirad's value system was laid with this background. He was also exposed to rural and urban life while growing up. All this made him very aware of the realities of middle class life. His interest in cinema was kindled from his childhood days and further strengthened by the cinema theater very near his house in Bhadrak, Odisha. He was a good observer of human nature and relationship and strived to understand the same. In years to come, his film and body of work would reflect the same sensitivity.
Nirad completed Bachelor in Arts in 1967 and enrolled for postgraduate studies in Political Science, but discontinued it to pursue his love for cinema. He joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (Film and Television Institute of India) Direction Course, 1968. He was admired for a keen understanding of the theory of cinema. In 1971, he graduated with a first class diploma in film direction. In 1972-1974 joined as a faculty of film direction in FTII as a lecturer.
In 1984, Nirad made Maya Miriga- his first feature film. The film dealt with the ever potent issue of those times (it is still relevant today) - the joint family, aspirations of its members, and its breaking up. This directorial debut went on to bag many honours and accolades. It was adjudged the second best National Film in 1984, Indian Panorama. It was adjudged the Best Third World Film at International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg (then West Germany). It received the Special jury award at Hawaii International Film Festival, US. It was selected for the 'Critics Week' of Cannes Film Festival (France), BFI London Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival and other International Film Festivals.
In 1985, he was invited to visit four US Universities to lecture on films. After that, he primarily concentrated on documentaries.- Ahmad Givens was born on 2 January 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was married to Racquel. He died on 20 February 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Director
- Producer
- Editor
Bruce Sinofsky was born on 31 March 1956 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Brother's Keeper (1992), Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004) and Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). He was married to Florence Sinofsky. He died on 21 February 2015 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA.- Ben Woolf was born on 15 September 1980 in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for American Horror Story (2011), Haunting Charles Manson (2014) and Woggie (2012). He died on 23 February 2015 in Los Angeles, California, USA.