Death Anniversary Thread

[The Ashes Urn 1,353]

American Major League Baseball third baseman, coach and manager Ken Boyer died on this day 40 years ago, aged 51.

 

 

 

[time 8,581]

Its 41 years since the death of Edwin A. Link.

 

Ed Link is best remembered as the inventor of the Link Trainer, an early device for training pilots, which spawned the multi-billion dollar industry of flight simulation.

 

He was the owner of the first ever Cessna and earned a living barnstorming and giving flying lessons. In the mid 1920'2 he developed the Link 'Blue Box', which utilised pneumatic  technology from the family Piano & Organ company to control the flying motion. The Link Aeronautical company was established in 1929, with the first customers being amusement parks, the US Army Air Corps eventually buying six for flight training in 1934. Production was centred on Binghamton, New York (where the family had moved to).

 

Broome County Airfield was named in his honour in the early 80s (it's now Greater Binghamton Airport).

 

After selling the company, he turned his attention to matters nautical, designing both manned & unmanned submersibles.

 

He died aged 77, in his sleep, while undergoing treatment for cancer.

[Drewsky1211 4,721]

Leni Riefenstahl, AKA "Hitler's Filmmaker", died on this day 19 years ago, aged 101.

Riefenstahl started off as a dancer- and suffered several injuries to the feet. After seeing a poster for the film Mountain of Destiny, Riefenstahl became interested in cinema, and met its director Arnold Fanck. Her breakout role was in 1929's The White Hell of Pitz Palu.

 

Riefenstahl gave into Hitler's charisma at a rally, and once he found out about her talent, he cast her in several Nazi propaganda films preceding World War II, including one for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

 

During World War II, Riefenstahl became a war correspondent, and attempted to stop a mass civilian execution, which failed when a soldier threatened her at gunpoint. This lasted for less than a year, as she was making the film Tiefland- extras from the film were Romani that were forced to work for her, and sent to Auschwitz after filming was complete.

 

Riefenstahl was captured after the war and held in Allied prison camps until 1948. Throughout the following decades, Riefenstahl expressed regret over meeting Hitler, saying "Until the day I die people will keep saying, 'Leni is a Nazi', and I'll keep saying, 'But what did she do"? Riefenstahl would also become a photographer, particularly taking photos of members of the Nuba tribe of Sudan, and also took pictures of celebrities such as Mick Jagger (at the 1972 Olympics).

 

Riefenstahl first appeared on the DeathList in 2000, and she survived a helicopter crash that year. Riefenstahl became the then-record breaking eleventh hit of 2003 after four appearances on the list.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

 

American actor  Brad Davis died on this day in 1991 aged just  41.

His first big break in acting was in an NBC television network soap opera  called  How to survive a marriage  (1974) but he Spon progressed to film within less than two years.

Undoubtedly his biggest hit was Midnight Express (1978) . A prison drama directed by Alan Parker  in which he played the lead role of Billy Hayes.Bo Hopkins,  Randy Quaid  and John Hurt were part of the cast too.   

         Davis won a Golden Globe  award for new star of the year for his performance  and received two BAFTA nominations for most promising newcomer  and Beat actor in a leading role.

Roles in Chariots of fire(1981),  A small circle of friends (1980), Cold Steel (1987) alongside a then largely unknown  Sharon Stone and  the lead role in Larry Kramers pretty much autobiographical  play  The Normal heart.

He married casting director  Susan Bluestein in 1976 and they  had one child together.  

Brad who was bisexual , was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 but largely due  to the hysteria especially in the showbiz industry in Hollywood  kept his diagnosis private until shortly before his death.  His wife Susan revealed six years after his death that he committed suicide by drugs overdose. 

 

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,353]

American actor, comedian and singer Zero Mostel died on this day 45 years ago, aged 62.

 

[Bibliogryphon 9,564]

2 minutes ago, The Ashes Urn said:

American actor, comedian and singer Zero Mostel died on this day 45 years ago, aged 62.

 

 

His final role was the voice of Kehaar in the animated film version of Watership Down

 

[time 8,581]

It's twenty-five years since Derek Taylor succumbed to The Beatles death curse.

 

Working with The Beatles for two periods during the 60s, he was one of those known as the fifth Beatle. Hied by Brian Epstein he worked as the Beatles media relations man for their first US tour, but resigned at the end after the two fell out. Epstein insisted he work his three-month notice period, after which he left to work for The Daily Mirror before relocating to California in 1965 where he established his own PR company, representing the likes of The Byrds & The Beach Boys. He also helped organise 1967's Monteray Pop Festival.

 

His second stint working with The Beatles was at George Harrison's request, as press officer for their newly-formed Apple Corp. Following the break-up of The Beatles, he worked in a variety of roles in the music industry, including VP of Marketing for Warner Bros Records, where he played a part in obtaining The Rutles project, supervising the worldwide marketing of the album & TV show. The character Eric Manchester (played by Michael Palin) is "Taylor-esque".

 

He co-authored a number of books, and in the early-90s was re-employed by Apple to work on mutiple projects planned for that decade.

 

He was assisting compiling the Beatles Anthology book when he died of throat cancer, aged 65.

[Hell 1,334]

American businessman, investor, author, and philanthropist S. Truett Cathy died on this day 8 years ago, aged 93.

 

[Handrejka 1,903]

17 hours ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

 

American actor  Brad Davis died on this day in 1991 aged just  41.

His first big break in acting was in an NBC television network soap opera  called  How to survive a marriage  (1974) but he Spon progressed to film within less than two years.

Undoubtedly his biggest hit was Midnight Express (1978) . A prison drama directed by Alan Parker  in which he played the lead role of Billy Hayes.Bo Hopkins,  Randy Quaid  and John Hurt were part of the cast too.   

         Davis won a Golden Globe  award for new star of the year for his performance  and received two BAFTA nominations for most promising newcomer  and Beat actor in a leading role.

Roles in Chariots of fire(1981),  A small circle of friends (1980), Cold Steel (1987) alongside a then largely unknown  Sharon Stone and  the lead role in Larry Kramers pretty much autobiographical  play  The Normal heart.

He married casting director  Susan Bluestein in 1976 and they  had one child together.  

Brad who was bisexual , was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 but largely due  to the hysteria especially in the showbiz industry in Hollywood  kept his diagnosis private until shortly before his death.  His wife Susan revealed six years after his death that he committed suicide by drugs overdose. 

 

 

brad was gorgeous in his prime.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

 

On this day in the year 2000 British actor  Bill Waddington,  best known for playing pompous and difficult  pensioner  Percy Sugden in legendary ITV soap  Coronation Street,  died aged 84.

[Drewsky1211 4,721]

While on the topic of dead British monarchs...

King James IV of Scotland died on this day 509 years ago, aged 40.

James became king after his father, James III, was killed in battle in 1488. During his early years, James proved to be an effective diplomat, forming an alliance with France, and creating treaties between Denmark, Spain, and England. The truce with England did not last long, as James invaded it in 1496 to get pretender Perkin Warbeck (an impostor claiming to be Edward IV's son Richard) on the throne. This invasion did not last long, as their resources were quickly used up. James tried again in 1497, sieging Norham Castle.

 

Henry VII, the king of England, took note of the insecure border with Scotland, and signed a seven-year truce with James. In 1502, James was wed to Henry's daughter, Margaret. Ten years later, their son, the future James V, was born- it is through this union that the crown passed from Elizabeth I to James VI and I (James' great-grandson) in 1603.

 

Henry VII died in 1509, and Henry VIII was not as kind to Scotland, declaring himself its "overlord". James declared war on England in 1511 to assist France in the religious proxy War of the League of Cambrai. For breaking his treaty (more likely it was for siding with Italy's enemy in the war), James was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. In 1513, James led his soldiers in the Battle of Flodden, in which he (and many Scottish nobles) were killed. Scotland then withdrew from the war.

[Hell 1,334]

Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People’s Republic of China, which he led as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from the establishment of the PRC in 1949 until his death in 1976 Mao Zedong died on this day 46 years ago, aged 82.

 

[The Ashes Urn 1,353]

American center fielder in Major League Baseball Richie Ashburn died on this day 25 years ago, aged 70.

 

[time 8,581]

Its 35 years since the death of Olivier-award winning actor Bill Fraser.

 

Born in Scotland, he briefly worked in a bank before taking up acting. Moving to London, he was often penniless and slept rough. Prior to the war, he ran Worthing's Connaught Theatre, serving in the RAF when called up. During this time he met Eric Sykes, later giving him his first comedy writing job. He's also said to have given Peter Cushing his first acting job.

 

He became a regular on Hancock's Half Hour, and joined The Army Game, playing Sergeant Snudge, later appearing in its sequel Bootsie & Snudge with Alfie Bass. Other comedic roles in TV and cinema followed.   

 

He frequently played belligerent characters, appearing memorably in a recurring role as Judge Bullingham - The Mad Bull - in Rumpole of the Bailey

 

Other dramatic roles included Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield and General Grugger in the Doctor Who story 'Meglos'. His last role was as Mr Casby in 1987s Little Dorrit.

 

He died aged 79, from emphysema, leaving a widow, Pamela Cundell, of Dads' Army fame.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

 

On this day in 2007   Oscar winning  american actress and first wife of future US President Ronald Reagan  Jane Wyman died aged 90.

Jane starred in more than a dozen films in the 1930s in uncredited roles  . In 1937 she received her first credited role playing the hat check girl  in Smart Blonde.

This quickly lead to other film roles including Slim (1937)  starring Pat O'Brien  and Henry Fonda,  The Spy ring(1938) with William Hall, Esther Ralston and Robert Warwick,  1939 aviation film Tail Spin  with Alice Faye, Constance Bennett and Joan Davis and  Magictown  - a 1947 comedy with James Stewart. 

Her most successful films critically arguably were Magnificent Obsession (1954) for which Jane was nominated for a best actress Oscar  but lost out to Grace Kelly who won for The Country girl,  the much praised film adaptation of Tennesse Williams play The Glass menagerie  and undoubtedly best of all Johnny Belinda (1948)  for which she won the best actress Oscar. The film was considered controversial at the time because it was about the horror of rape, something  that the motion picture production code  had previously banned and it is widely  accepted that Johnny Belinda was the first film for which this rule was relaxed. 

 

Jane also had success on television   many small or one off roles but she did host her own show for three years (1955-1958) Jane Wyman  presents  but her best known work on tv is playing  tough , ruthless wealthy matriarch  Angela Channing in US Primetime  soap Falcon Crest gor 8 years. It was  set amongst the wealthy vineyard owning families of California as opposed to the more popular Dallas and Dynasty set among super wealthy Oil owning families. 

I personally  feel that hee character  Angela Channing was the most nuanced least pantomine like of the villainous 'baddies' out of the 4 big US primetime soaps of the 1980s- Dallas, Dynasty,  Knots Landing and Falcon Crest .JR Ewing, Alexis Colby  and Abbey Ewing were all brilliant characters and I ain't shading 'panto villians' or pantomime and their entertainment value  but Angela Channing felt the most real and layered of them all. No doubt Janes great acting abilities are part of the explanation for that. 

 

 

 

In her personal life she was Ronald  Reagans  first wife but he was  her third  husband.  She previously married  Ernest Wyman whose surname she kept professionally for the rest of her life, then after divorcing she married Myron Futterman.  The marriage faltered after three months because she wanted children and he didn't. 

Third her marriage to Ronald Reagan  which resulted in three  children.  Maureen  who predeceased both her parents dying of cancer in 2001, Michael Reagan who they adopted  (he now wirks in talk radio in the US  as a sort of  right wing political shock jock)and Christine  Reagan who sadly died one day old in 1947 after being born prematurely. 

Finally she married Hollywood music director  Frederick Karger  in 1952 ,divorced after 2 years and remarried him in 1961 but called time on the marriage in 1965.

 

Of her numerous failed marriages Jane said  " I guess I just don't have a talent for it,some women just aren't the marrying kind- or anyway,  not the permanent marrying kind, and Im one of them".

 

 

By the time she died  she had converted to catholicism  and was a member of the Dominican order as a lay member and thus was buried in a nuns habit.

[Drewsky1211 4,721]

Huey Long died on this day 87 years ago, aged 42.

Long was admitted to the bar in 1915, and was later elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Long ran for governor of the state in 1924- which failed, but ran again in 1928. During this run, he was among the first candidates to use radio to advertise his campaign, and once when governor Oramel Simpson called him a liar, he punched him in the face. Long won by 45,000 votes.

 

In 1929, Long claimed his opponents had been "bought" by oil companies when they wouldn't support a 5% tax. This led to a brawl in the Louisiana Congress, and he was impeached following this. Long was acquitted, and went as far as firing his opponent's relatives from state jobs. Long began to receive death threats following this. Long defeated incumbent senator Joseph Ransdell in the 1930 midterms, yet decided to complete his gubernatorial term, leaving the senate seat empty for almost a year.  By doing this, he prevented his lieutenant governor Paul Cyr, an opponent, from undoing his actions.

 

Long opposed FDR's New Deal as not being radical enough, and in 1934, he proposed his "Share Our Wealth" plan, which would set a cap on income and private wealth, make higher tuition free, free healthcare, and a 30-hour four day work week (basically, he was the Bernie Sanders of the '30s). Long's ideas sparked speculation that he may run for president in the 1936 election, and Long began delivering speeches across the USA.

 

On September 8, 1935, Long passed a bill that effectively erased the court district of judge Benjamin Pavy. Shortly after leaving the meeting, Pavy's son-in-law Carl Weiss shot Long in the torso, with Long's bodyguards shooting Weiss dead (there is a theory that they shot before Weiss, and one of their bullets ricocheted off a wall and accidentally hit Long). Long died from internal bleeding 31 hours later.

 

Long's widow Rose would serve out the remainder of his term, while his brother Earl would soon enter politics. Huey's son Russell Long would also become a senator, serving from 1948 to 1987.

[arghton 6,684]

King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, Prime Minister 1949-1965 and King of Tonga 1965-2006 died on this day 16 years ago at 88. 

Here with Queen Elizabeth II.

During his youth he was a keen sportsman, but by the 1970s he was the heaviest monarch in the world at over 200 kg (440 pounds or 31 stone) and also quite tall at 1.96m/6ft5in, his height being a much less known fact. The German government even made special chairs made to support his weight during visits. He was (arguably) an absolute monarch who held a massive amount of power. In the 1990s he lost a third of his weight. 

Despite getting into records books due to his obesity he did not die on the DL (one appearance, 2003), but a year before he died a DL forum thread was made for him (later also used for his sons and the Tongan monarchy), the first pages are quite a read:

 

[Drewsky1211 4,721]

2 minutes ago, arghton said:

Despite getting into records books due to his obesity he never got on the DL

 

Tupou appeared once, in 2003 at the #39 spot.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

 

On this day in 2007 Anita Roddick, British businesswoman,   founder of The Body Shop  and environmental campaigner died from a brain haemorrhage aged 65.

[The Ashes Urn 1,353]

American professional wrestler Fritz Von Erich died on this day 25 years ago, aged 68.

 

[Hell 1,334]

American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades Cliff Robertson died on this day 11 years ago, aged 88.

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,337]

 

On this day twenty years ago in 2002, Oscar winning american actress Kim Hunter died aged 79.

 

Her first foray into film acting was in  horror film noir, her first role was in 1943 film The Seventh victim . As a film about  an underground cult of devil worshipers  it tested the boundaries of society and film codes at the time and did not perform well at the box office. 

Later film credits include Bermuda Affair (1956) alongside Gary Merrill,  British film  A Canterbury  tale (1944) co-starring with Eric Portman, Sheila Fim and Dennis Price and 1987 horror film The Kindred with Rod Steiger. 

But undoubtedly  her place in Hollywoods history  books was secured by her best supporting actress Oscar  for the role of Stella in  the legendary 1951 film A Streetcar named desire  whose lead cast was Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. 

 

But I suspect for the average cinema goer it will be the role of Dr Zira in the three Planet  of the apes movies- a firm favourite among  fans of science fiction , that she will best known for. 

In the 1950s she was blacklisted in Hollywood for suspected communism during the McCarthy witchhunt. Kim was however one of the luckier actors whose career did recover to some extent with the support of friends in the industry. 

Latterly in her career she also won a Daytime Emmy award  for her work on soap opera  The Edge of the night. 

Her husband of fifty years Robert  died two years before her.

 

 

[Drewsky1211 4,721]

Actor Harold Gould died on this day 12 years ago, aged 86.

Gould's career began in the '60s, and he had appearances on shows such as The FBI, Hogan's Heroes, and Hawaii Five-O, with multiple appearances as the villain Honore Vashon in the latter. Gould also appeared in the Love, American Style episode "Love and the Happy Days"- a pilot for Happy Days- as Howard Cunningham. Gould wanted to reprise the role, but he was busy acting in a play and was committed to it, so he was recast with Tom Bosley.

 

Gould would play Rhoda Morgenstern's father Martin on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoff Rhoda, as well as two of Rose's boyfriends in The Golden Girls. Later in his career, he would star in films, often as grandfather characters, including Stuart Little, the 2003 version of Freaky Friday, and The Master of Disguise (seen below).

I'm going to go on a tangent here, because The Master of Disguise has an interesting fact also relating to today's date: there has been a long-standing rumor that the "Turtle Club" scene was being filmed when the terrorist attacks occurred. This is only half-true, as production began a few weeks later, with a moment of silence being held (the "Turtle Club" scene was the first scene shot, and Dana Carvey was indeed in the turtle suit and bald cap for the moment of silence). Anyways, back to Gould.

 

Gould's last role was in the penultimate episode of Nip/Tuck, "Walter and Edith Krieger", as the titular Walter Krieger of the episode. Gould died of metastatic prostate cancer six and a half months later.

[time 8,581]

Its 74 years since the death of Muhammed Ali Jinnah/Mahomedali Jinnahbhai, founder of Pakistan.

 

A Muslim, he advocated for a Muslim state to avoid marginalisation of Muslim in a larger Hindu-dominant independent India, and was the new state of Pakistan's first Governor-General. He lead the country for little over a year before dying of Tuberculosis, at the age of 71.

[The Ashes Urn 1,353]

American football quarterback Johnny Unitas died on this day 20 years ago, aged 69.