The Stars Of B-cinema

[YoungWillz 21,044]

On ‎08‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 21:44, YoungWillz said:

Twitter reporting that Hilary Dwyer (later Hilary Heath) has died aged 74:

 

Probably best known for her role as Sara in the B-movie Witchfinder General, she was also Jennifer Hadleigh in Hadleigh and Number 73 in the disturbing Hammer Into Anvil for The Prisoner.

 

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0245495/

 

In yet more Witchfinder General death, Philip Waddilove, producer and bit part actor in the movie has died: http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/243777/waddilove-philip-gordon

 

His death notice also quotes:

 

"He was recording manager at PYE for Petula Clark & Lonnie Donegan & produced records for the Wally Stott Orchestra & three U.K. No.1 hits with Eden Kane, whom he discovered. In 1966"

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

37 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

In yet more Witchfinder General death, Philip Waddilove, producer and bit part actor in the movie has died: http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/243777/waddilove-philip-gordon

 

His death notice also quotes:

 

"He was recording manager at PYE for Petula Clark & Lonnie Donegan & produced records for the Wally Stott Orchestra & three U.K. No.1 hits with Eden Kane, whom he discovered. In 1966"

I see there were three producers. Louis M. Heyward (1920–2002), Philip Waddilove (1929–2020) and Arnold L. Miller (b. 21 Oct 1922). 
 

So Arnold L. Miller still about and away to turn 98 or died off radar?

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

1 minute ago, Ulitzer95 said:

I see there were three producers. Louis M. Heyward (1920–2002), Philip Waddilove (1929–2020) and Arnold L. Miller (b. 21 Oct 1922). 
 

So Arnold L. Miller still about and away to turn 98 or died off radar?

Maybe should have whacked it into Ancestry before posing the question. IMDb don’t appear to have picked up on the fact he died in 2014...

 

 

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Just now, Ulitzer95 said:

Maybe should have whacked it into Ancestry before posing the question. IMDb don’t appear to have picked up on the fact he died in 2014...

 

 

Or indeed BFI and even rateyourmusic!

 

I'm not even sure Aveleyman has an entry for him.

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

13 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Or indeed BFI and even rateyourmusic!

 

I'm not even sure Aveleyman has an entry for him.

I’ll ping it to IMDb tomorrow so it’s at least recorded somewhere online.

 

Got a little excited there. I don’t think I have any British film directors/producers in their mid to late 90s on my radar anymore. They’ve all kicked the bucket!

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Took the opportunity of the thread bump to look for Julie Strain news.

 

Nowt.

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

9 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Took the opportunity of the thread bump to look for Julie Strain news.

 

Nowt.

I know there were erroneous death reports put out earlier in the year. Do you actually know if she’s ill?

[Clorox Bleachman 2,413]

6 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

I know there were erroneous death reports put out earlier in the year. Do you actually know if she’s ill?

 

Most recent update, from last month:

Quote

Hello good people:

Julie is doing very well. She has a small bed sore on her foot, but it is healing very well. She is very happy and loves her company and care workers. Thank you everyone.

Dave.

From other posts it would seem she's in the late stages and isn't able to do much, sadly.

[arghton 6,720]

On 06/04/2008 at 20:59, Anubis the Jackal said:

Could add Ennio Morricone (b 1928) to that list, although he seems fighting fit, still conducting and composing rather than convulsing and decomposing.

 

Riz Ortolani, (b1931) still around

 

Eli Wallach has his own thread hereabouts, I think.

 

'Terence Hill' (Mario Girotti) might be worth watching, even if some of his films aren't.

Over 12 years later, everyone else mentioned here is dead except Hill who's still extremely active and probably won't be worth to mention anywhere during the next twenty years. Hill's probably the fittest over 80 year old ever, I recommend watching the new episodes of "Don Matteo". It's his own series about a priest solving crimes in a small Italian city and it's good.

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

11 minutes ago, arghton said:

Over 12 years later, everyone else mentioned here is dead except Hill who's still extremely active and probably won't be worth to mention anywhere during the next twenty years. Hill's probably the fittest over 80 year old ever, I recommend watching the new episodes of "Don Matteo". It's his own series about a priest solving crimes in a small Italian city and it's good.

Fit and healthy 80 year olds does not = future 100 year old.

Not how it works. To get to an extreme age there is normally a genetic factor at play, coupled with lifestyle and we don't know that aspect about him.

At 80+, the moment something in your body goes downhill, everything else tends to follow quite quickly. So it's silly to say "Oh he's a healthy 80. Not worth considering for the next 20 years."

[arghton 6,720]

2 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Not how it works. To get to an extreme age there is normally a genetic factor at play, coupled with lifestyle and we don't know that aspect about him.
 

and luck.

[drol 11,945]

4 hours ago, arghton said:

Over 12 years later, everyone else mentioned here is dead except Hill who's still extremely active and probably won't be worth to mention anywhere during the next twenty years. Hill's probably the fittest over 80 year old ever, I recommend watching the new episodes of "Don Matteo". It's his own series about a priest solving crimes in a small Italian city and it's good.

Yeah, but someone might explain how it's possible that in a 30000 people town there are 300 murders per year.

[runebomme 377]

2 hours ago, drol said:

Yeah, but someone might explain how it's possible that in a 30000 people town there are 300 murders per year.

 

 

 

it's Italy

[YoungWillz 21,044]

All over Twitter that Barbara Shelley, Hammer scream queen, has died.

 

Awaiting reports, of course. And the usual honourable mention - was in Doctor Who.

[YoungWillz 21,044]

33 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

All over Twitter that Barbara Shelley, Hammer scream queen, has died.

 

Awaiting reports, of course. And the usual honourable mention - was in Doctor Who.

She was 88 admittedly, but it looks like the COVID got Barbara Shelley:

 

Dunno if she was picked this year, but it looks like at least Handy picked her in previous years for the DDP.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,341]

12 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

She was 88 admittedly, but it looks like the COVID got Barbara Shelley:

 

Dunno if she was picked this year, but it looks like at least Handy picked her in previous years for the DDP.

Arrrgh she was on my death by numbers  longlist!

[Ulitzer95 12,589]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

All over Twitter that Barbara Shelley, Hammer scream queen, has died.

 

Awaiting reports, of course. And the usual honourable mention - was in Doctor Who.

An obit of sorts.

Last surviving actor from the 1966 Christopher Lee film Dracula, Prince of Darkness. Also last surviving adult cast member of Village of the Damned (1960).

Peter Craze, who died a few days ago, was a co-star of hers in The Secret of Blood Island (1964). The lead in that, Jack Hedley is still alive at 90. Lee Montague, 93, also survives from that film.

[RolandDeschain 91]

I had mentioned her before on here probably over a year ago. I know she did have a stroke over a decade ago and the last time I saw her was being interviewed on that Horror 3 part series with Mark Gattis and on a documentary about the 1974 film  'Ghost Story' which also featured a number of people mentioned on here like Murray Melvin and Marianne Faithfull.

 

RIP to the last of the Hammer horror greats.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,341]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/13643365/barbara-shelley-dead-horror-doctor-who/

 

A qualifying obituary for those who need one for Barbara Shelley in the Daily Mirror. 

[YoungWillz 21,044]

1 minute ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/13643365/barbara-shelley-dead-horror-doctor-who/

 

A qualifying obituary for those who need one for Barbara Shelley in the Daily Mirror. 

Never hold a Mirror up to The Sun.

[YoungWillz 21,044]

Metro report her agent saying she had recovered from COVID, it was underlying issues. I'm assuming that's the aforementioned stroke and complications from that. RIP.

[RolandDeschain 91]

Very good looking woman as well and never gave a bad performance. 

 

Would have made a good 60s/70s Who companion in my opinion. It’s a shame her Who story was a bit sub-par being the so-so Planet of Fire but it did introduce us to Peri so I’m not too disparaging of it!

[RolandDeschain 91]

2 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Metro report her agent saying she had recovered from COVID, it was underlying issues. I'm assuming that's the aforementioned stroke and complications from that. RIP.

 

Yep - she’d not been well for a long time really so her death while sad/surprising wasn’t too unexpected and 89 is not a bad age at all really considering.

 

End of an era really with Hammer though - all the prolific producers, directors, scriptwriters and stars now gone from the late 1950s to early 1970s Golden Age.

[Slackhurst Broadcasting 374]

Also a guest star in The Avengers episode "From Venus With Love".

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

Fangs for the mammaries, Babs.