Gooseberry Crumble

On this day in 1955 the legendary American actor James Dean died in a car crash aged just 24. Despite only starring in eight movies he has in his early sad death become a cultural icon and symbol of teenage rebellion and disenchantment with the world. His extremely handsome model looks no doubt played a part. He was the first actor to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination for best actor. This was for his role in East of Eden.The following year he received another posthumous acting nomination for his role in Giant (1956) released after his death. This gives him the unusual and almost certainly forever unique status of bring the only person ever to receive two Oscar nominations for acting posthumously. His eight films are -although five of them are roles uncredited at the time , Fixed Bayonets (1951), Sailor Beware (1952) , Deadline-USA (1952) , Has anybody seen my gal? (1952) , Trouble along the way (1953) (A John Wayne's/Donna Reed film) East of Eden (1955) Giant (1956) and of course most famously Rebel without a cause. According to some subsequent biographies of Dean or other Hollywood star were he is referenced, he dated actress and future Bond Girl Ursula Andress . She was seen around Hollywood on the back of his motorcycle and was with him the day he purchased the car he would later die in.

American actress and former Hollywood sex bomb Angie Dickinson celebrates her 91st birthday today. Angie is also the ex wife of official DeathList alumni Burt Bacharach.

Coronation Street actress and soap legend Barbara Knox ,who has played Rita since the late 1960s, celebrates her 89th birthday today.

On this day 41 years ago in 1981, former Scottish footballer player Bill Shankly, who played for Scotlands national team as well as Preston North end, but is best known for his time as the manager of Liverpool Football club, died aged 68.

Former Made in Chelsea reality tv star Ashley James is expecting her second child. https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/ashley-james-pregnancy-news-breaking-28076198

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11249835/Lucy-Fallon-PREGNANT-Corrie-star-reveals-expecting-baby-suffering-secret-miscarriage.html Former Coronation Street actress Lucy Fallon has announced that she is pregnant by her footballer boyfriend Ryan Ledson who plays for Preston North end.

EastEnders star Max Bowden has become a first time father. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a41429068/eastenders-max-bowden-confirms-son-birth/

On this day 12 years ago in 2010 American actor Tony Curtis ,whose career spanned six decades including part of the latter stages of the golden age of Hollywood, died aged 85. His first credited film role was in 'City across the river' in 1949- a film noir headlined by Thelma Ritter and Stephen McNally. But it wasn't really until 1957 when he starred in Sweet smell of success with Burt Lancaster and Susan Harrison, that he started to receive much more widespread recognition. Other films he starred include No Room for the groom (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952) with Piper Laurie, World War two drama Kings go forth (1958) with Natalie Wood and Frank Sinatra, Spartacus (1960) with Kirk Douglas-which included a bathing scene between them that was deemed too homoerotic by the film censors implementing the Hollywood code and was hence heavily edited, 40 pounds of trouble 1962) with Suzanne Pleshette ,Larry Storch and Phil Silvers , the legendary Billy Wilder romantic comedy with Jack Lemmon, Nehemiah Persoff and of course Marilyn Monroe . Tony's career took a large dip in terms of the prominence of the roles he was offered but many film critics agreed his casting as The Boston Strangler in 1968 gave his career and his resume a much deserved boost. On later years career wise from the 1980s onwards bit parts in shows like The Fall guy ,Roseanne and made for television movies became his most regular work along with being interviewed by The Biography Channel for anecdotes about old Hollywood and magazine and broadcast interviews eating up his very colourful ranconteuring skills on anything connected to his era in Hollywood. For a while he was part of a Hollywood power couple-marrying Janet Leigh and fathering two daughters with her including actress Jamie Lee Curtis . He married six times in total, one marriage in 1993 only lasting one year. His final wife Jill Vandenberg was 45 years younger than him . Sadly one of his sons, Nicholas, died of a drugs overdose aged 23 in 1994. Tony himself previously struggled with alcoholism and cocaine addiction and was treated at the Betty Ford clinic. In his last photoshoot , in very poor health (COPD) and perhaps sensing the end was near, he asked photographer Andy Gotts for a photoshoot at home and said "I'm not in a good way at the moment but can I ask you one thing? Can you make me look like an icon just one more time? Less than six months before his death he rewrote his will and specifically named all of his children for the apparent specific purpose of intentionally disinheritaning all of them with no explanation and leaving his entire estate to his widow. Random fact he clashed heavily with Joan Collins when filming the tv series The Persuaders and called her a see you next Tuesday to her face after she allegedly held up filming repeatedly. He shocked the audience at the Hay Festival in 2009 when he recounted this tale full colourful language included ! It is a tale Joan Collins repeats herself with some variation in her Audience with Joan Collins theatre shows as I witnessed myself once!!

Two distinguished British thespians celebrate their birthdays today. Patricia Hodge celebrates her 76th birthday today. Some of her more well known tv credits include Rumpole of the Bailey, Edward and Mrs Simpson (1978) and Holding the Fort. And Ian McShane who celebrates his 80th birthday today. Acting credits include british comedy drama Lovejoy, a guest stint on US soap Dallas in 1989 as Sue Ellens lover, facilitating the characters exit after 11 years and american western series Deadwood.

Coolio has now sadly died aged 59 . Bit of a shock. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11260901/Coolio-dead-59-Gangstas-Paradise-rapper-passes-away-friend-laying-floor.html

British singers and twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss, who make up the 1980s British pop band Bros (third original band member left)celebrate their 54th birthday today.

On this day in 2003 , America tennis player and professional golfer Althea Gibson died aged 76 from a respiratory and bladder infection. She was one of the first black athletes to cross the color line or barrier in international tennis. In 1956 she was the first african American to win a grand slams titl(The French Championships) and then went onto win the Wimbledon Women's doubles with Angela Buxton later that year and again in 1957 as well as the Wimbledon Women's singles in 1957 and the Australian championship Women's doubles with playing partner Shirley Fry. She did feel that despite her early hopes that racism still held her back in tennis, with offers of tennis related work and invitations to events and tournaments being incrrasingly sparse and work offered to players she had thrashed on the tennis court but not to her. She moved over to golf aged 37 and proved talented with some commenting that it was a shame Althea hadn't started in the sport much earlier as she had the potential to be a breakout talent. In her personal life Althea married and divorced twice but no children . In the late 1980s she suffered two brain haemorrhages and a stroke in 1992. Huge and ongoing medical expenses depleted her finances leaving her in peril. She reached out to numerous tennis organisations and associations asking for help but received no response. Her former doubles partner Angela Buxton, who herself at times had been on the receiving end of professional prejudice in the tennis world as a result of being jewish, spread the news to her personal contacts in the global tennis community about Altheas plight and organised 1 million dollars in donations. In 2003 Gibson suffered a heart attack but died from other medical complications later in the year leading to bladder and respiratory infections.

Former Rebel leftwing British Labour MP for Halifax Alice Mahon celebrates her 85th birthday today.

On this day in 2017, Hugh Hefner the american founder, publisher and editor in chief of Playboy Magazine, died aged 91. His residence , known as the Playboy mansion ,were many a young aspiring model lived as part of a sort of harem of his favourite models-known as Playboy bunnies, became synonymous with Hollywood excess and debauchery.

Scottish singer and actress Barbara Dickson celebrates her 75th birthday today.

She seems the type to have a solid support network of friends. .

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/19926340/mammogram-nhs-breast-cancer-deidre-saunders/ Agony aunt Deirdre Sanders who works for The Sun and ITVs This Morning diagnosed with breast cancer.

On this day three years ago in 2019 former French President and official DeathList alumni Jacques Chirac died aged 86.

Team just sent cheers.

On this day 14 years ago in 2008 legendary Oscar winning american actor Paul Newman died aged 83. Husband of actress Joanne Woodward, Paul had six children , three by his first marriage, three by his second to Joanne. He outlived his only son Scott Newman who died of a drugs overdose in 1978. Some of his best known films include Cat on a hot tin roof (1958) opposite Elizabeth Taylor, The Hustler (1961) with Piper Laurie , The Color of money (1986) alongside Tom Cruise, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid(1969) with Robert Redford and Katharine Ross, Sweet bird of Youth (1962) , Cool Hand Luke(1967) costars including George Kennedy and Dennis Hopper, The Towering Inferno (1974) and Road to Perdition (2002) opposite Tom Hanks. Often cited as one of the best movie stars and actors of the 20th century .

https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/breaking-molly-mae-hague-pregnant-28077289 Former reality tv stars Molly Mae Hague and professional boxer Tommy Fury(brother of Tyson)who met on ITV2 s Love Island , have announced they are expecting their first child together.

British actor Ricky Tomlinson celebrates turning 83 today. American swimmer and Olympic gold medallist Dick Roth celebrates his 75th birthday today.

Count me in! Will work on my lists tonight inbetween watching my favourite clips from last nights Strictly Come Dancing on Iplayer.

On this day 35 years ago in 1987 American actress Mary Astor died aged 81. Her career began in the silent movie era and she is probably best known for starring in legendary film The Maltese Falcon in 1941. She played femme fatale Ruth Wonderly in this film noir opposite Humphrey Bogart that was also the directorial debut of John Huston.

Oscar winning american actor Michael Douglas celebrates his 78th birthday today.