Best New Horror #26, page 61
Adult film-maker Tony Lovett (aka “Johnny Jump-Up” and “Antonio Passolini”) died on January 26, aged 55. Beginning his career as a publicist and production manager at VCA, he scripted The Devil in Miss Jones 3 and 4, Dr. Penetration, Latex, Shock and the mondo Inhumanities 2: Modern Atrocities. As a director, Lovett’s credits include Cafe Flesh 2 and 3, The Devil in Miss Jones 6 and New Wave Hookers 6. With Matt Maranian he co-authored the books L.A. Bizarro! The Insider’s Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles and L.A. Bizarre: The All-New Insider’s Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles.
American animation producer and director Arthur [Gardner] Rankin, Jr. died in Bermuda on January 30, aged 89. His numerous credits include such perennial holiday specials as Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and Frosty the Snowman (1969), along with Return to Oz (1964), Willie McBean and His Magic Machine, The Daydreamer and Mad Monster Party? (both featuring the voice of Boris Karloff), The Wacky World of Mother Goose, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1977) and The Return of the King (1980), The Flight of the Dragons, Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (with the voice of Christopher Lee) and the cartoon TV series The New Adventures of Pinnochio, Tales of the Wizard of Oz, King Kong (1966) and Thundercats, amongst many others. Rankin, Jr. was also a producer on the live-action movies King Kong Escapes, The Last Dinosaur, The Bermuda Depths and The Sins of Dorian Gray.
British TV director Christopher [Chisholm] Barry, who began his career at Ealing Studios as a producer’s assistant on The Man in the White Suit (1951), died on February 7, aged 88. His credits include Out of the Unknown (John Wyndham’s ‘Random Quest’), Moonbase 3, The Tripods and numerous episodes of Doctor Who (1963-79). In 1974 he became the first director to shoot Doctor Who on videotape for location sequences.
American animator and movie director Jimmy T. Murakami died in Dublin, Ireland, on February 16, aged 80. His films include Humanoids from the Deep (uncredited) and Battle Beyond the Stars for Roger Corman, along with the animated productions The Snowman and When the Wind Blows, both based on books by Raymond Briggs, Heavy Metal (Dan O’Bannon’s ‘Soft Landing’), The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe (1988) and Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001).
American producer and scriptwriter Don Safran (Donald Bernard Safran) died of congestive heart failure on February 17, aged 84. In 1984 he produced the short-lived TV series of Blue Thunder.
27-year-old camera assistand Sarah [Elizabeth] Jones was killed on February 20 in an on-set accident involving a train, while working on a low-budget movie in Georgia. The February 26 episode of the CW’s The Vampire Diaries was dedicated to Jones, who worked on that production, along with the movie Dante’s Daemon.
American music and movie producer Saul Zaentz, who won three Academy Awards for his films, died of Alzheimer’s disease on February 28, aged 92. In 1978 he produced the animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and kept the rights to the books tied up for decades.
Acclaimed French film director and editor Alain [Pierre Marie Jean Georges] Resnais died on March 1, aged 91. His many acclaimed films include the avant-garde masterpiece Last Year in Marienbad (1961) and the time travel romance Je t’aime je t’aime (1968).
Swedish producer, director and composer Calvin [James] Floyd died in early March, aged 82. He is best remembered for the 1975 documentary In Search of Dracula (narrated by Christopher Lee), the 1977 movie Victor Frankenstein (aka Terror of Frankenstein) and the 1980 film The Sleep of Death (based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s story ‘The Room in the “Dragon Volant”’).
Acclaimed Oscar-winning British cinematographer Oswald “Ossie” Morris OBE died on March 17, aged 98. He began his career at Wembley Studios as a clapper boy in the early 1930s, before moving up to camera operator on such filems as Green for Danger. His many credits include Moby Dick (scripted by Ray Bradbury), Scrooge (1970), Sleuth, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1974), The Man with the Golden Gun, The Man Who Would Be King, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The Wiz, The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal, after which he retired.
Legendary American exploitation and sexploitation producer Harry H. Novak (aka “H. Hershey”), founder of Boxoffice International Pictures (1964-78), died on March 26, aged 86. His many credits include Kiss Me Quick! (as “Seymour Tuchus”), The Toy Box, Please Don’t Eat My Mother!, Wham! Bam! Thank You Spaceman!, Rattlers, The Child and Rituals (aka The Creeper).
British TV and theatre director Derek Martinus (Derek Buitenhuis) died of Alzheimer’s disease on March 27, aged 82. His credits include episodes of Doctor Who (1965-70) and Blakes 7. With the debut of Jon Pertwee’s Doctor in 1970, he shot the first Doctor Who serial entirely on film and in colour.
70-year-old Richard Broke, who executive produced Stephen Volk’s memorable 1992 Hallowe’en spoof Ghostwatch, died on April 14. His other credits include the science fiction drama The Plant (1995).
American assistant director Paul Wurtzel died on April 18, aged 92. He began his career in 1942 with the Laurel and Hardy film A-Haunting We Will Go, and his other credits include The Black Sleep, Voodoo Island and Pharaoh’s Curse. He later worked as a unit production manager on the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and The Twilight Zone (1985-87), along with the 1982 Disney TV movie Beyond Witch Mountain.
American TV director Gordon [Wyatt] Wiles died on April 27, aged 84. Along with a number of episodes of Land of the Lost, he also directed episodes of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and Bigfoot and Wildboy, as well as the 1971 musical film of Li’l Abner.
American cinematographer Gordon Willis died of cancer on May 18, aged 82. Known as “The Prince of Darkness” for his use of shadowy lighting, he worked on the movie version of Pennies from Heaven (1981) and Woody Allen’s Zelig and The Purple Rose of Cairo. He received an honorary Academy Award in 2009, alongside Roger Corman.
69-year-old American screenwriter, director and video game producer Michael [Bernard] Gottlieb was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 23. His movie credits include Mannequin and Disney’s A Kid in King Arthur’s Court.
Former Hasbro executive Donald Levine, credited with creating the “G.I. Joe” action figure, died of cancer the same day, aged 86.
American pin-up model turned glamour photographer Bunny Yeager (Linnea Eleanor Yeager), best known for her iconic photographs of model Bettie Page in the early 1950s, died of congestive heart failure on May 25. She was 85. Yeager was also a still photographer on several movies, including Nude on the Moon and Dr. No (she took the photographs in Jamaica of a bikini-clad Ursula Andress coming out of the sea).
American sound editor James M. Falkinburg (aka “James Nelson”) died on June 18, aged 81. He worked—often uncredited—on such movies and TV series as Rock Around the Clock (1956), Shirley Temple’s Storybook, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, The Three Stooges in Orbit, Beach Party, The Comedy of Terrors, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Planet of the Vampires, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, Queen of Blood, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, The Bubble, Tarzan and the Great River, Get Smart, Captain Nice, The Trip, Psych-Out, The Monkees, Tarzan (1966-68), Tarzan and the Jungle Boy, Head, The Monitors, H.R. Pufnstuf, Sole Survivor, Simon King of the Witches, Johnny Got His Gun, Werewolves on Wheels, The Fearmaker, The Exorcist, Coonskin and The Judas Project. Falkinburg was also involved, in various capacities, with the special effects on Ghostbusters, 2010, Fright Night (1985), Poltergeist II: The Other Side, Big Trouble in Little China, The Boy Who Could Fly, Solarbabies, Masters of the Universe and The Monster Squad.
Martin Varno, the son of veteran actor Roland Varno, died of cancer on June 24, aged 77. In 1958 he scripted Night of the Blood Beast for producer Roger Corman, he was make-up supervisor on Nightmare in Wax (1969), and he was a sound effects editor on various TV cartoon series in the 1980s.
American writer, producer, director and actor Paul Mazursky (Irwin Lawrence Mazursky), co-creator of The Monkees, died of pulmonary cardiac arrest on June 30, aged 84. He also wrote and directed Alex in Wonderland (1970), acted in three episodes of TV’s Twilight Zone, and voiced characters in the animated movies Antz and Kung Fu Panda 2.
American-Irish producer and director Noel Black died of bacterial pneumonia on July 5, aged 77. He directed Pretty Poison (1968), Mirrors (1978) and Ray Bradbury’s The Electric Grandmother. His TV credits include episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Twilight Zone (1986-87) and Nightmare Classics (Ambrose Bierce’s ‘The Eyes of the Panther’), along with an unsold pilot for The World Beyond (1978) featuring a golem.
American writer, producer and director John [Michael] Fasano died of heart failure in his sleep on July 19, aged 52. After acting in Blood Sisters and Zombie Nightmare (both 1987), he scripted Universal Soldier: The Return and Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, directed Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare, Black Roses, The Jitters and the TV series Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, and produced The Hunchback (1997), Darkness Falls (which he also scripted), The Lost Episode and the digital zombie show Woke Up Dead for Sony’s Crackle. Fasano was also involved in the development of Alien³, Alien vs. Predator, Hostel: Part III and Marvel Comics’ unfilmed Werewolf by Night.
American film director Phillip Marshak died of complications from diabetes, heart disease and leukemia on July 24, aged 80. His credits include the 1978 adult films Dracula Sucks (starring Jamie Gillis as the Count and a pseudonymous Reggie Nalder as “Dr. Van Helsing”) and Space Virgins, and the 1980 horror film Cataclysm (aka The Nightmare Never Ends/Satan’s Supper), which five years later was edited into Night Train to Terror (‘The Case of Claire Hansen’ segment).
Legendary Oscar-winning Hollywood make-up artist Dick Smith (Richard Emerson Smith) died of complications from a broken hip on July 30, aged 92. Although he began his career in movies in the early 1940s, Smith began to develop his own revolutionary make-up techniques for television a decade later. His many credits include Alice in Wonderland (1951), The Flame Barrier, The Alligator People (with Lon Chaney, Jr.), Miracle on 34th Street (1959), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968), Arsenic and Old Lace (1969), House of Dark Shadows, The Exorcist, The Stepford Wives (1975), Exorcist II: The Heretic, Altered States, Scanners, Ghost Story, The Hunger, Spasms, Starman, Poltergeist III, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Death Becomes Her and House on Haunted Hill (1999), along with episodes of TV’s Fireside Theatre (‘A Christmas Carol’, 1951), Way Out, Golden Showcase (‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, 1961), Dark Shadows, Monsters and Stephen King’s Golden Years. In 2012 he was presented with an Honorary Academy Award by his protégé, Rick Baker.
Hungarian-born producer Robert Halmi, Sr. died in New York of a brain aneurysm the same day, aged 90. With his son, Robert Halmi, Jr., he produced or executive produced such movies and mini-series as The Phantom of the Opera (1983), Svengali (1983), The Night They Saved Christmas, White Dwarf, Harvey (1996), Gulliver’s Travels (1996), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997), Tidal Wave: No Escape, The Odyssey, Merlin (1998), Alice in Wonderland (1999), Animal Farm (1999), The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, A Christmas Carol (1999), The 10th Kingdom, Arabian Nights (2000), Jason and the Argonauts (2000), The Land of Oz, Voyage of the Unicorn, The Lost Empire, The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells, Prince Charming, Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, Dinotopia, Mr. St. Nick, Snow Queen (2002), A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004), The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea, Hercules (2005), Merlin’s Apprentice, The Final Days of Planet Earth, Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather and The Color of Magic, Son of the Dragon, Hybrid, Eye of the Beast, Something Beneath, Grizzly Rage, Croc, Tin Man, Black Swarm, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2008), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), The Hive, Swamp Devil, Vipers, Infected, Knights of Bloodsteel, Rise of the Gargoyles, Hellhounds, High Plains Invaders, Alice, The Phantom (2009), Phillip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld, Killer Wave, Neverland, The Haunting of Radcliffe House (aka Altar) and Olympus, along with the 2007-08 TV series Flash Gordon.
Polish-born production designer and director Voytek (Wojciech Roman Pawel Szendzikowski) died in London on August 7, aged 89. During the 1960s he designed episodes of TV’s The Avengers, Out of This World and Mystery and Imagination (‘The Body Snatcher’), along with Roman Polanski’s Cul-De-Sac and a 1975 TV movie of The Canterville Ghost starring David Niven. Voytek also directed the 1968 Mystery and Imagination adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ featuring Ian Holm as both creator and monster.
Palestine-born movie producer Menahem Golan (Menahem Globus, aka “Joseph Goldman”) died in Israel on August 8, aged 85. After working as a production assistant to Roger Corman, he teamed up with his younger cousin, Yoram Globus, making and distributing films as The Cannon Group, Inc. during the 1980s. Amongst the numerous titles they produced were The Godsend, Schizoid, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype, New Year’s Evil, Hospital Massacre, House of Long Shadows (the only teaming of Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine), Treasure of the Four Crowns, Hercules (1983), Sword of the Valiant, Ninja III: The Domination, Lifeforce, Invasion U.S.A. (1985), King Solomon’s Mines (1985), America 3000, Invaders from Mars (1986), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, Aladdin (1986), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Masters of the Universe, Alien from L.A., Journey to the Center of the Earth (1988), Haunted Summer and Sinbad of the Seven Seas. After having purchased the UK’s Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment in 1986, which led to their ownership of the ABC cinema circuit and Elstree Studios, Cannon was virtually bankrupt when it was bought out from the cousins three years later. As 21st Century Film Corporation, Golan went on to produce The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Night of the Living Dead (1990), Captain America (1990), Dance Macabre (1992), Prison Planet, Invader and American Cyborg: Steel Warrior, before that company also folded. Golan also wrote and directed more than forty movies, and he continued working until 2009.
61-year-old Oscar-winning American special effects and pyrotechnics designer Joe (Joseph) Viskocil died of complications from liver and kidney failure on August 11. He worked on Flesh Gordon, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, The Day Time Ended, The Terminator and Terminator II: Judgment Day, The Return of the Living Dead, Critters, Vamp, House, The Blob (1988), Cast a Deadly Spell, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Independence Day, Godzilla (1998), Armageddon, Scream 3, Battlefield Earth, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) and The Prey, amongst many other titles.
British-born screenwriter, producer, editor and director Michael A. Hoey, the son of veteran character actor Dennis Hoey (“Inspector Lestrade” in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films), died in California of cancer on August 17, aged 79. He is best known for his 1966 movie The Navy vs. the Night Monsters starring Mamie Van Doren.
British sculptor and puppet designer John Blundall, who created several distinctive characters for Gerry Anderson’s “Supermarionation” TV series Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds, died on August 18, aged 77.
79-year-old American actor turned director Brian G. (Geoffrey) Hutton died on August 19, following a heart attack some days earlier. He directed Night Watch (1973) starring Elizabeth Taylor and The First Deadly Sin (1980) starring Frank Sinatra, while as an actor, Hutton appeared in two episodes of TV’s Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He left the movie business in the mid-1980s.
British-born director Andrew V. (Victor) McLaglen, the son of veteran Hollywood actor Victor McLaglen, died in Washington State on August 30, aged 94. Along with numerous TV and movie Westerns (including several with John Wayne and James Stewart), he also directed Stowaway to the Moon (with John Carradine) and the pilot episode of The Fantastic Journey. The second of McLaglen’s four wives was actress Veda Ann Borg.
British TV director Graham Theakston died of cancer on September 2, aged 62. His credits include the 1984-85 BBC series The Tripods (based on the SF books by John Christopher) and the 2002 TV movie Sherlock starring James D’Arcy as Holmes.
American director, writer and actor Theodore “Ted” J. (Jonas) Flicker died on September 12, aged 84. His credits include episodes of TV’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, Night Gallery (in which he also appeared as “The Devil”), The Twilight Zone (1985) and the movies The President’s Analyst and Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.
British film production designer and art director Assheton [St. George] Gorton died of heart failure on September 14, aged 84. He worked on such movies as Blow-Up, The Bed Sitting Room, The Magic Christian, Zachariah, The Pied Piper (1972), The Martian Chronicles, Legend, 101 Dalmations (1996), Shadow of the Vampire and 102 Dalmations, along with two episodes of TV’s Mystery and Imagination (‘The Flying Dragon’ and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’). Gorton also wrote and illustrated children’s books.
85-year-old British TV producer and director [Terence] Michael Hayes died on September 16. A former Shakespearean actor, he directed the 1961 BBC series A for Andromeda, Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, and episodes of Sherlock Holmes (1965) and Doctor Who.
84-year-old French-born director George Sluizer died in Amsterdam, Holland, after a long illness on September 20. He is best known for his 1988 Dutch thriller The Vanishing (aka Spoorloos) and the inferior 1993 American remake, which he also directed. His other films include Crimetime and The Stone Raft. Sluizer also directed River Phoenix’s long-delayed final film, Dark Blood.
American stage and screen producer Stanley Chase died on October 7, aged 87. His movie credits include Colossus: The Forbin Project, Welcome to Blood City and An American Christmas Carol. In 1965 he executive produced the NBC-TV pilot Dream Wife, in which Shirley Jones’ character could read minds and see into the future.
American-born movie producer Alain Siritzky died in Paris, France, on October 11. He was 72. As producer of the popular “Emmanuelle” erotic film sequels, his films include Emmanuelle Queen of the Galaxy, Emmanuelle vs. Dracula, Emmanuelle in Wonderland and the Emmanuelle Through Time series. Amongst his other credits are The Sex Files series (a softcore spoof of The X Files), Sex Wars, Aliens Gone Wild, She Alien, Alien Ecstasy, The Final Alien Files, and the TV series Click, based on Milo Manara’s adult comics.
