Category: Tributes

(CNN) — Leslie Nielsen, whose longtime career as a dramatic actor took a sudden turn into comedy with spoofs like “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun,” has died at age 84, his family said Sunday. The Canadian-born Nielsen’s career reached back into the early days of television, when he made frequent appearances on live drama series…

Legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis has died at the age of 91. by Simon Reynolds Digital Spy – De Laurentiis, whose career in cinema spanned more than 70 years and 160 movies, passed away in Los Angeles, according to Italian media reports. De Laurentiis established himself as one of Italy’s leading post-war producers, working on…

From Variety: By RICHARD NATALE Tony Curtis, leading man of the 1950s and ’60s who gave impressive perfs in comedies such as “Some Like It Hot” and “The Great Race” as well as dramas including “Sweet Smell of Success” and “The Defiant Ones,” died Wednesday at his home near Las Vegas of cardiac arrest. He…

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Patricia Neal, the willowy, husky-voiced actress who won an Academy Award for 1963’s “Hud” and then survived several strokes to continue acting, died on Sunday. She was 84. Neal had lung cancer and died at her home in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha’s Vineyard, said longtime friend Bud Albers of Knoxville. Neal was…

This has been a bad couple of years for the Democrats. First Ted Kennedy, now Robert Byrd. The Old Guard is vanishing. Rest in Peace. Robert Byrd, longest-serving member of Congress, dead at 92 By the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) — West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, the self-educated son of a coal miner who became…

By Daniel Kilkelly, Entertainment Reporter (Source: Digital Spy) Film director Ronald Neame has died at the age of 99, it has been announced. The British star, most notable for helming 1972 movie The Poseidon Adventure, passed away in hospital in Los Angeles on Wednesday, BBC News reports. Family friend and BBC correspondent Peter Bowes said…

Although she never had quite the success of Bea Arthur, Betty White or Estelle Getty, she was still a grand and impressive part of one of the most influential programs of the 1980s. Betty White is now the sole remaining member of the original cast and I’m sure it can’t be easy to outlive those…

By Todd Leopold (CNN) – Dennis Hopper, the one-time Hollywood enfant terrible who portrayed such indelible characters as “Easy Rider’s” biker Billy, “Blue Velvet’s” huffing villain Frank Booth and “Hoosiers’ ” forlorn Shooter Flatch, died of prostate cancer Saturday morning at his home in Venice, California, his wife said. He was 74. There was Dennis…

Although he was never one of those actors I gravitated towards after I grew up, he was invariably a part of my childhood. His starring role on Diff’rent Strokes was significantly influential on pop culture at the time, his “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” phrase forever entering the mainstream. I still use the phrase to this…

This one hits especially hard for me. She was a wonderful singer and presence, always proving to be one of my favorites. Her husky voice was one of her many attributes. She had compassion, strength and courage, standing up against stereotype and prejudice while winning over the hearts of millions. Legendary singer, actress Lena Horne…

NEW YORK – Lynn Redgrave, an introspective and independent player in her family’s acting dynasty who became a 1960s sensation as the freethinking title character of “Georgy Girl” and later dramatized her troubled past in such one-woman stage performances as “Shakespeare for My Father” and “Nightingale,” has died. She was 67. Her publicist Rick Miramontez,…

If you aren’t familiar with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, then you may not be that familiar with Furio Scarpelli (and possibly living under a rock). The Oscar-nominated writer who penned the classic Clint Eastwood western received three nominations in his career for writing the following screenplays: The Organizer in 1964, Casanova ’70…

Film pioneer Dede Allen dies at 86 Editor cut ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ ‘Reds’ (Variety) – Pioneering film editor Dede Allen, who helped shape classic films including “Bonnie and Clyde,” died Saturday after suffering a stroke. She was 86. Allen, who brought a fresh approach to shaping the look and sound of American movies, was Oscar-nommed…

(CNN) — Actress Dixie Carter, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on the TV show “Designing Women,” has died, her agent said Saturday. She was 70. No other details were provided. Carter was drawn to roles portraying steely Southern women. One of her more recent roles included a guest appearance on the show…