Death Anniversary Thread

[MariNisia 4,198]

Congratulations for your post about Troy Donahue, @Gooseberry Crumble.

In my opinion, he was an enigmatic and interesting actor.

"A Distant Trumpet"... I love that film, man! 

Thanks for your post. 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

On this day in 2012 american actor Michael  Clarke Duncan died aged 54 less than two months after suffering a massive attack. 

 

He is best known for his breakout role 

 of  Death row inmate John Coffey   in Tom Hanks film The Green Mile (1999) , for which he was Oscar nominated  for the best supporting actor award .

Other film credits include Sin City (2005), The Whole Nine yards (2000) and  Green Lantern (2011).

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

7 hours ago, MariNisia said:

Congratulations for your post about Troy Donahue, @Gooseberry Crumble.

In my opinion, he was an enigmatic and interesting actor.

"A Distant Trumpet"... I love that film, man! 

Thanks for your post. 

Delighted you are so happy! I aim to please!

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day eight years ago in 2014, Legendary American  Stand up comedienne  and tv presenter  Joan Rivers died aged 81.

Her career started on the comedy club circuit in Greenwich Village New York alongside her succesful peers  Richard Pryor , Woody Allen and George Carlin. 

 Aside from stand up comedy  in her latter years she became known for her forthright acerbic wit on the Hollywood red carpet giving her views on the fashion choices of celebrities who has turned up to award ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and the Oscars, in tv show The Fashion police that she presented in a double act with her only child Melissa Rivers. 

Despite her what some considered vicious lampooning of celebrities she made many friends in showbusiness and even became on friendly enough terms with Prince Charles and Camilla to be a guest at their wedding/ blessing ceremony in 2005.  I personally recall her sticking up for Camilla at one of her stand up shows that  I went too(sadly the only one, she died before she was able to embark upon another farewell tour) whilst also  devilishly lambasting  piss elegant Madonna!

Years after her husband  Edgar committed suicide  in 1987 Joan recalled how  that was such a difficult time because of career struggles and  financial woes and the only person in Hollywood at the time who reached out to offer her moral support  was the legendary Bette Davis who she did not really have a friendship with but rang Joan up out of the blue  to say don't worry in life the  vultures only peck at the best you'll get through this keep fighting- or something to that effect. 

[Drewsky1211 4,748]

Steve Irwin died on this day 16 years ago, aged 44.

Steve became interested in herpetology from his parents, who ran a crocodile sanctuary. In 1996, Steve's first show The Crocodile Hunter debuted on TV- despite the name, many different species of animals were featured on the show.

 

Irwin also made wildlife documentaries, citing David Attenborough as his inspiration. While filming one about sea lions in 2003, Irwin facilitated a rescue mission when two scuba divers were reported missing in the area he was filming- one was found alive and brought to his boat, while unfortunately, the other was found dead.

 

Steve's children Bindi and Bob are also nature documentarians. Sadly, Irwin was killed while providing footage for Bindi's upcoming show Bindi the Jungle Girl. He was trying to capture footage of a stingray swimming away from him- the stingray, however, stabbed Irwin with its tail barb in his heart, causing him to bleed to death. This led to fans of Irwin murdering other stingrays (at least ten of the fish) in an act of vengeance, something Irwin would never have wanted to happen.

[time 8,606]

Its 35 years since the death of TV & film director Richard Marquand.

 

He directed several documentaries for the BBC, including a couple of episodes of The Sky at Night, before moving into film directing. His first major feature was 1981's Eye of the Needle based on the Ken Follett novel and starring Donald Sutherland in the 1981. On the strength of this, he was hired to direct episode VI of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi. 

Further films included 1986's courtroom drama Jagged Edge, starring Glenn Close & Jeff Bridges.

 

He was driving his children home when he suffered a stroke; he managed to reach the destination before collapsing, but died in hospital. He was 49.

[Hell 1,334]

American weather presenter, radio and TV personality, actor, narrator, clown, comedian, abd author, with a career spanning 65 years Willard Scott died on this day a year ago, aged 87.

 

 

American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood Irene Dunne died on this day 32 years ago, aged 91.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

English journalist Jeffrey Bernard died on this day 25 years ago, aged 65.

 

 

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day 35 years ago in 1987  English  Test Cricketer  Bill Bowes  died aged 79. His professional  career in cricket was from 1929 -1947. He was regarded as an accomplished and skilled right arm fast bowler and right handed tail ended batsman . Domestically he played for Yorkshire  County cricket club. 

His last international  match for England was in 1946 against  India . 

He is one of a very small number of major players whose  career  number of   wickets taken exceeded  his career number of  runs scored. 

After he retired from playing professional  he involved himself in mentoring and training  younger players including  nonetheless other than Fred Trueman. 

 

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

It's been exactly one year to the day since Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding  died of breast cancer  aged 39.

 

[Drewsky1211 4,748]

Catherine Parr died on this day 474 years ago, aged 36.

Parr had two husbands before Henry VIII- Edward Burgh, whom she married in 1529, and died in 1533, and John Neville, whom she married the following year, and who died in 1543.

 

Catherine's mother Maud was close friends with Henry's first wife Catherine of Aragon, and used that to become friends with her daughter, the future 'Bloody' Mary I. Henry proposed to her almost immediately, and they were married within four months of John's death.

 

Catherine was the first consort to be referred to as the Queen of Ireland, after Henry added the title to himself in 1542. When Henry went to France in 1544, Catherine led the regency- it was comprised of people close to her, including her uncle Thomas Cranmer. During this time, Catherine controlled finances for Henry's campaign in France, and also oversaw growing tension with Scotland.

 

Henry died in 1547, leaving a £7,000 annual pension to Catherine. Thomas Seymour, a former suitor of her (and the brother of Henry's third wife Jane), returned to Catherine and asked for her to marry him. Catherine accepted, and the two had a daughter named Mary. Catherine died from complications of childbirth (likely a bacterial infection) six days after Mary was born.

[Hell 1,334]

Alabanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun who founded and was an active member of the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa died on this day 25 years ago, aged 87.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

American astronomer David Todd Wilkinson died on this day 20 years ago, aged 67.

 

 

 

[time 8,606]

Its 30 years since the death of Christopher Trace.

 

After a stint in the Army, he had a brief and unremarkable acting career (unremarkable except for being Charlton Heston's body double in Ben-Hur) before becoming Blue Peter's first male presenter, alongside Leila Williams, in 1958, staying for 9 years. 

 

He's credited with coining the phrase "Here's one I made earlier", and also "And now for something completely different", as adopted by Monty Python.

 

After retiring from TV he became general manager of an engineering factory; the factory closed for the day when he appeared on the 20th Anniversary celebration of Blue Peter, so that the workforce could watch.

 

He died of cancer of the oesophagus aged 59.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day 10 years ago in 2012  british aristrocrat, amateur jockey , horse racing journalist and television commentator John Oaksey,  latterly to become  Lord Oaksey,  died aged 83.

He first learnt to ride on an old pony called Mince pie, the name being the explanation for the unusual  title of his autobiography  Mince pie for starters. 

He won over 200 horse races , the majority fence races but around 20 of them flat races.  He rode under the name John Lawrence. 

Among some of his more prestigious wins was the Hennessey  Gold Cup in 1958 on one of his favoured horses  Taxidermist and the Kim Muir challenge cup in 1966. He took part in the Grand National 11 times and completed the course 4 times. 

He did a lot of work  and fundraising for the  injured  jockeys fund  which he helped to establish..

The combination of his horse racing,  colorful television  commentatory on horse  racing across all the major broadcasters, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, extensive presence fundraising in horse racing circles,  and his newspaper  column on the sport- meant he was described  as "Quite possibly  the outstanding racing figure of our times ".

 

The late Racing commentator  John McCririck referred to him as "My Noble Lord".

 

In one Grand National race he was unseated from the horse and knocked unconscious briefly but still insisted on filing his journalistic copy to the Sunday  Telegraph before leaving the stretcher!

 

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

 

 

On this day four years ago in 2018  american actor  Burt Reynolds died aged 82. He was considered  a sex symbol and icon of popular culture in the 1970s- posing as a naked centrefold  for Playgirl in 1972. 

  In 1956  Burt won a Florida state Drama award for for his acting in his drama teachers  play. Part of the award  was a scholarship to a summer stock theatre in New York. At this point he was not yet convinced that in the  long term acting could be a viable  career  for him . But he met none other than Joanne Woodward  who believed he  had a lovely personality,  was sincere about acting and was the kind of cute and attractive  Hollywood  would be interested in developing and so   found him an agent. 

Beyond theatre his first acting was in television  , mainly guest starred in shows like  The Lawless years.

Lew Wasserman, Studio Executive at  Universal  offered Burt a seven year contract after  audience and Hollywood insiders feedback was very positive about  him , saying  " I don't care if he can act or not " "Anyone who has this effect on women  deserves a break".(the women included rumour has it included  Wassermans secretaries who swooned over Burt Reynolds more than he had seen them do over any other actor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one point an audition  was arranged for him to have a role in 1957 film Sayonara  but the films director  Joshua Logan told him at the end of the audition  that he could not be in the film because he looked too much like the films exquisitely beautiful leading man Marlon Brando. Logan did however advise him to not be dismayed and pursue a Hollywood career as one was surely waiting for him.

An assortment of his television acting 

credits include  Riverboat (1959-1960), Flipper (1965),  Hawk(1966) where had the main role of Lieutenant John Hawk, and  Dan August (1970-1971) where again he played the shows titles namesake character. 

Film credits include  Deliverance (1972), Lucky Lady (1975), Smokey and the bandit  and Smokey and the bandit two (1977,1980)  The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) alongside Dolly Parton and Jim Nabors,  City Heat (1984) with Clint Eastwood and  The Cannonball run franchise. Tremendous  success in the 1970s and 1980s but alas it wasn't to last  with Blake Edwards directed film The man who loved women  proving a particular flop at the box office. 

Burt was well aware his days as a box office draw were time  limited, once joking "I've got Tom Selleck crawling up my back, I'm in my late 40s. I realise I have 4 or 5   years where I can play certain kinds of parts and get away with it". 

He did have some later success,  a comeback of sorts years later  via Boogie Nights (1997) starring with Mark Wahlberg . A comedy drama about  a young nightclub worker who becomes a popular star of pornographic films.  For his role in the film Burt received  12 acting awards and 3 nominations. He became more of a character actor in his later career and received some critical praise for his abilities. 

 

 

In his personal  life Burt briefly dated singer Tammy Wynette, married british actress Judy Carne in the sixties and divorced after two years together.   Tongues really wagged judgementally when he  dated singer actress Dinah Shore  20 years older than him,  in a relationship that lasted 4 years.

It was however  actress Sally Field who he regarded as the love of his life .

He adopted a son when married to another actress-.Loni Anderson . The marriage ended badly when he left her for a cocktail waitress.  The waitress herself ended up involved in lawsuits against  Burt which were settled eventually out of court. 

This string of bad break ups seemed to put him off pursuing  anymore romantic  relationships  in his senior years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,748]

Margaret Sanger died on this day 56 years ago, aged 86.

In the 1910s, Sanger spearheaded the birth control movement- at the time, obtainment of contraceptives was restricted by the government, with it being illegal to mail them as ruled by the Comstock laws of 1873. Sanger imported diaphragms (female condoms) from Europe, in defiance of US law.

 

In 1916, Sanger opened a birth control clinic, and was arrested nine days after it opened. In 1921, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League, which eventually became Planned Parenthood.

 

Sanger had positive views on eugenics (particularly advocating for the sterilization of the mentally handicapped), which is often an argument brought up by pro-life activists. However, Sanger herself was also against abortion- she stated that her intent was to "Do not kill, do not take life, but prevent."

 

Sanger died a year after the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court case that repealed the Comstock laws.

[time 8,606]

Its 30 years since the death of actor Mervyn Johns.

 

After a career in the theatre and a few minor roles he became an established film actor during wartime and was a regular Ealing Studios player post-war. His last film role was in 1976's House of Mortal Sin, but he continued on the small screen with his final appearance in a 1979 episode of Shoestring. Other film appearances included Went The Day Well, Moby Dick & Scrooge, while on television he appeared in many popular programmes of the 60s & 70s, including The Saint, Dixon of Dock Green, Danger Man and The Avengers (original and New!).

 

He was the father of Glynis Johns, and died aged 93.

[YoungWillz 21,050]

Ten years ago today, English naturalist Terry Nutkins lost all his Animal Magic, aged 66.

 

[Hell 1,334]

German cobbler, inventor and entrepreneur who founded the German sportswear company Adidas Adolf Dassler died on this day 44 years ago, aged 77.

 

 

American actor Michael Kenneth Williams died on this day a year ago, aged 54.

 

 

Zimbabwean revolutionary and left-wing nationalist politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017 Robert Mugabe died on this day 3 years ago, aged 95.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,357]

American football player, playing fullback and kicker Pat Harder died on this day 30 years ago, aged 70.

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day in 2015 Scottish footballer  Ralph Milne died aged 54 from liver disease. 

He played for Dundee United,  Manchester  United and Charlton Athletic among other teams. Also played briefly for Scotlands national U21 team.

[Drewsky1211 4,748]

Geoffrey Plantagenet, patriarch of the Plantagenet royal dynasty, died on this day 871 years ago, aged 38.

The son of Count Fulk V of Anjou and his first wife Eremburga, Geoffrey was reportedly very skilled as a teen, and king Henry I of England sought Geoffrey's marriage to his daughter Matilda. He was married at the age of 15- and Matilda 26.

 

After his father left for Jerusalem after marrying his stepmother Melisende, Geoffrey inherited Anjou and became count Geoffrey V. While his wife fought against Stephen of Blois for the English crown, Geoffrey was busy capturing Normandy- which Stephen was the duke of- declaring himself duke in 1144. In 1149, he and Matilda ceded it to their eldest son, Henry.

 

Geoffrey died from a fever, and was outlived by his wife and children. The following year, Stephen died, and Henry took the English throne as the first Plantagenet king- the name was derived from the broom flower Geoffrey wore in his hat ("plante genêt"- French for "genisteae plant").

[Hell 1,334]

English drummer for the rock band the Who Keith Moon died on this day 44 years ago, aged 32.

 

 

Congolese politician and military officer who was the President of Zaire from 1965 to 1997 Mobutu Sese Seko died on this day 25 years ago, aged 66.

 

 

American rock singer, songwriter, and musician Warren Zevon died on this day 19 years ago, aged 56.

 

 

American rapper and record producer Mac Miller died on this day 4 years ago, aged 26.

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,346]

 

On this day in 2015, Dickie Moore ,  one of the last surviving actors to appear in silent  film  died aged 89.

 

A very busy  child star who appeared in the Our Gang  film series  of comedy shorts as well as numerous other films, many from the pre code era including 

Oliver Twist (1933), Sergeant York (1941) A Howard Hawks directed film with the  title role played by Gary Cooper , The Star Witness(1931) along with Frances Starr and  Walter Huston -patriarch of the famous Huston Hollywood Dynasty and grandfather of Angelica Huston , The Wolf Dog (1933) and The Great Mr Nobody (1941) top cast Eddie Albert and Joan Leslie. 

Dickie was married three times , his final wife being  actress ,singer  and former star of MGM  musicals  Jane Powell. They married in 1988 and stayed married until Dickie died in 2015. The longest marriage for both of them.