Death Anniversary Thread

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Murderer and war criminal Erich Priebke died on this day 9 years ago, aged 100.

In 1944, Priebke was the commander of the unit responsible for the Ardeatine massacre, in which 335 Italian civilians were murdered. Like a lot of Nazis, Priebke fled to Argentina when World War II ended to escape the consequences of his actions.

 

Fifty years later in 1994, an investigative team from ABC News tracked him down after reading about the massacre, from a locally-written book about the event stating that stated he lived in the city of Bariloche. The team found him at the school he was then employed at, and he confessed to his actions with no remorse- saying that "he was just following orders".

 

Following this, Priebke was placed under house arrest, and was extradited to Italy in 1996. In 1998, Priebke was sentenced to life imprisonment- given his age and health, he remained under house arrest.

 

Priebke debuted on the DeathList in 2010, making four consecutive appearances until his death, and his death ended a three-month drought period (one of the instances of a death worth celebrating). Priebke's body was buried in a secret location to prevent his grave from becoming a Neo-Nazi pilgrimage site.

 

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On this day in the year 2000 the Labour politician Donald Dewar,  who was previously Secretary of State for Scotland under Tony Blair and was the inaugural First minister of Scotland and leader of the Labour Party in  Scotland at the time of his death, died aged 63 from a cerebral haemorrhage after a fall. 

He had been First minister since early 1999.

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Its 29 years since the death of Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart.

Stewart decided on a career in the entrainment industry after appearing in the Arbroath Abbey Pageant, aged 16, and embarked on a course to train as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, during which time he won a prize for comedy. He was adept at impersonations, a talent he'd demonstrated as a child, and which would feature in his later career. His novelty hit Donald Where's Your Troosers includes an Elvis Presley impersonation.

 

He's best known as the archetypal Scotsman, as host of The White Heather Club, in the 1950s & '60s, which began as a 'traditional' Hogmanay celebration, before turning into a weekly variety show, initially in Scotland, then nationwide. International recognition followed, as his song A Scottish Soldier became a hit in Canada, Australia & New Zealand (and was also the walk-on music for wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper).

 

Recurrent health problems lead to him retiring in the1970s, undergoing several heart and stomach operations including triple bypass surgery in 1976 and 1991.

 

In 1989, following much promotion by Simon Mayo Donald... was reissued, reaching number 4 in the UK chart. In 1991 Stewart came out of retirement and embarked on a tour and more recording; in 1993 he did Summer Season in Edinburgh and performed at a benefit concert at Usher Hall Edinburgh for Children's Hospice Association Scotland. He died from a heart attack the following day, aged 59.

 

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Soviet Armenian military commander Ivan Isakov died on this day 55 years ago, aged 73.

 

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It's one year since Gillian Cribbins (Mrs. Bernard) died.

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American stand-up comedian and actor Redd Foxx died on this day 31 years ago, aged 68.

 

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Jay Ward died on this day 33 years ago, aged 69.

 

In 1950, Ward and his friend Alex Anderson made their first show, Crusader Rabbit. Starring Lucille Bliss as the voice of the title character, it was the first cartoon developed exclusively for television, and ran until 1952. Ward and Anderson would end up losing the rights to the character after Jerry Fairbanks, Inc. went bankrupt and was bought out.

 

In 1959, Ward made his most enduring creation- moose and squirrel show called Rocky and Bullwinkle. It was a segmented show that featured two other notable Ward cartoons- Dudley Do-Right, about an incompetent Canadian mountie trying to save a damsel in distress, and Peabody's Improbable History, about a dog and his adopted human son travelling back in time to meet historical figures. It ran until 1964, and all three segments had film adaptations made later on (in 2000, 1999, and 2014 respectively).

In 1962, Ward leased an island in Minnesota, and dubbed it "Moosylvania", after Bullwinkle's home. He travelled around the country petitioning for Moosylvania's statehood, and went to Washington, DC to get president Kennedy's support- unfortunately, they went there the day the Cuban Missile Crisis began, and were forced away from the White House at gunpoint.

 

Ward would continue to make shows in the 1960s, with Hoppity Hooper first airing in 1964, and the more-remembered George of the Jungle in 1967. In addition, Ward designed the mascot for Cap'n Crunch cereal.

 

Ward died from kidney cancer.

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On this day  25 years ago in 1997, popular american singer songwriter and guitarist  John Denver died aged 53 in a plane crash in the Californian sea. 

He was the planes only occupant. 

 

One of his most successful , popular and well known songs is Take me home, country roads released in 1971.

 

 On this day 31 years ago in 1991  australian actress of stage and screen Sheila Florance died aged 75.

 

 

Best known to millions  around the world for being an original cast member of cult aussie  tv soap Prisoner Cell Block H playing the role of Lizzie Birdsworth.

 

Lizzie was a  slightly eccentric elderly prisoner fierce, tough,foul mouthed but also  kind and loyal. She was one of the shows most iconic ,legendary  and popular characters who became synonymous with the show. You can't think of Dallas without  JR, Sue Ellen or Miss Ellie or EastEnders without associating it with Peggy Mitchell, Ian Beale and Dot Cotton. For Prisoner Cell Block H  Lizzie and her  best mate Bea Smith have the same automatic association  and identity with the show when it's mentioned. 

Sheila Florance played the role from 1979 to early 1984-a period many of the shows fans consider to be the shows golden years. The soap ended December 1986.

 

 

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American film and television actor John Hancock died on this day 30 years ago, aged 51.

 

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Its 27 years since the death of British actor Gary Bond.

 

Predominantly a stage actor, after making his debut at Worthing's Connaught aged 23. Major roles soon followed at the Royal Court and Prospect Theatres, as well as the Regent's Park open air theatre. He was the original Joseph, in Rice & Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Edinburgh, before taking up the role in the West End. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, before teaming up with Rice & Lloyd Webber again, replacing David Essex as Che Guevara in Evita. It was he who suggested his friend Marti Webb as a replacement for Elaine Paige as Evita, when the workload began to take its toll. His third collaboration with Lloyd Webber was in Aspects of Love in 1993, by which time he had been diagnosed HIV positive.

 

Aside from his stage work, he appeared in three feature films, firstly as Private Coe in Zulu (1964), then as Smeaton in Anne of a Thousand Days (1969) and finally as the protagonist John Grant in the critically acclaimed Australian film Wake In Fright (1971), where he was touted as the new/next Peter O'Toole. The film has the rare honour of being screened in two different Cannes Film Festivals (1971 & 2009), with Bond receiving praise both times.

 

He made appearances in many well-known TV shows, e.g. Z Cars, Hart to Hart, No Hiding Place, Bergerac (his last TV role) as well as TV plays and movies.

 

He was openly gay within acting circles, and was the partner of Jeremy Brett for a number of years, and was also reportedly a partner of Ian McKellan early in their respective careers; for the last 16 years of his life he was the partner of American artist EJ Taylor.

 

Bond died aged 55, from  AIDS-related conditions, exactly one month after Jeremy Brett.

 

 

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American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937 Alf Landon died on this day 35 years ago, aged 100.

 

 

American professional basketball player who played as a center Wilt Chamberlain died on this day 23 years ago, aged 63.

 

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King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on this day 6 years ago, aged 88.

 

Bhumibol was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as his father, prince Mahidol Adulyadej, was enrolled in the public health program at Harvard. He is the only Thai monarch so far to have been born in the US.

 

In 1946, Bhumibol became king after his brother Ananda Mahidol was found shot dead in his bed under suspicious circumstances. At this time, Bhumibol was a student at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, so his uncle was appointed as regent until he graduated. Bhumibol married his first cousin once removed Sirikit in 1950, and was coronated on May 5 of that year. His regnal name is also known as "Rama IX", as he is the ninth monarch of the Chakri dynasty.

 

Bhumibol had little power in his early reign, as Thailand was under military rule at the time. It wasn't until 1992 that Thailand would begin to undergo a transition towards democracy- fearing a civil war after the military killed pro-democracy protesters, Bhumibol appeared on TV with the leaders of both factions kneeling before him, leading to unity amongst the population and a peaceful general election that year.

 

In 2011, WikiLeaks leaked information that Bhumibol was suffering from Parkinson's disease, and the monarch was hospitalized with a colon infection that year- he debuted on the 2012 DeathList at spot 11. Bhumibol would intermittently travel to and from the hospital in the following years, earning him two more appearances on the list in 2015 and 2016.

In September of 2016, Bhumibol developed a fever from inflammation of the lung. The infection later spread to his blood, eventually causing acute hepatitis and sepsis. Bhumibol was placed on a ventilator on October 9, and died four days later. He had reigned for 70 years.

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On this day in 2011 Canadian actress Barbara Kent died aged 103.

 

She was one of the last living stars from the silent movie era at the time of her death. She also appeared in some talkie films in the 1930s. 

She won the Miss Hollywood beauty pageant in 1925.

 

Here she is in a silent movie  called  'Flesh and the Devil ' with the legendary Greta Garbo. 

 

 

 

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American historian Stephen E. Ambrose died on this day 20 years ago, aged 66.

 

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Its 21 years since the death of Peter Doyle, Australian singer, best known in the UK as a member of The New Seekers.

 

After solo success he joined the New Seekers, formed by former Seeker Keith Potger, which was being rejigged after lack of success in it's original incarnation. After a slow start this line-up found success with Never Ending Song of Love,  a cover of the Delaney & Bonnie hit, which reached number 2 in the UK. Further success followed with the Coca Cola advertising I'd Like to teach the world to Sing, and Beg Steal or Borrow, the UKs 1972 Eurovision entry, - Doyle became the first Australian to represent any nation in the contest in doing so.

 

He left the New Seekers the following year, apparently dissatisfied with the lack of financial reward, and re-embarked on a sols career, initially in the UK< before returning to Australia. He joined US band Regis in 1982, where he spent 5 years, before once more returning to Australia, working with The Ra,m Band.

 

He began to suffer with ill-health in the 1990s, which curtailed his musical output, and died of throat cancer aged 55.

 

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American chocolatier, businessman, and philanthropist Milton S. Hershey died on this day 77 years ago, aged 88.

 

 

American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate Ed Sullivan died on this day 48 years ago, aged 73.

 

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On  this day in 1996 Award winning British actress Beryl Reid, who received awards for her work in both stage and screen , died aged 77.

A BAFTA award for her role in John Le Carre television  spy drama Smileys people in 1982, an Olivier theatre award in 1980 for  best comedy performance in Born in the gardens and a Best actress Tony award for 1967  play The Killing of  Sister George .

 

Another notable memorable  film  is No sex please were british! (1973).

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Captain Lou Albano died on this day 13 years ago, aged 76.

Albano was first well known for his professional wrestling career. He went pro in 1953 at the age of 20, and became a wrestling manager in 1971. Albano would continue to manage wrestlers, decreasing his role in the mid-1980s, before retiring in 1995.

 

In 1984, Albano met Cyndi Lauper, and appeared in the music video for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" as her father.

Albano would also make an appearance in the "Time After Time" music video.

 

Albano was also an actor, appearing in the 1986 film Wise Guys. In 1989, he received his most famous role- that as the first-ever English voice of Mario for The Super Mario Bros. Super Show (Mario's first voice was from the 1986 Japanese-exclusive film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!). Albano would also portray Mario in the live-action segments of the show that bookended the episode, opposite Danny Wells as Luigi.

 

Albano suffered a heart attack in 2005, and then a second, fatal one four years later.

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On this day two years ago in 2020, american actress Rhonda Fleming  who made over 40 films mainly in the 1940s and 1950s during the golden age of Hollywood,  died aged 97.

 

Within the ecosystem of Hollywood back then Rhonda is probably best described as a solid B list actress. Never quite making it to the top A list but definitely a woman who made an impact in movies- especially as the way her extraordinary  beauty and gorgeous luscious red hair translated in front of a camera earned her the nickname the Queen of technicolor. 

Her films included   1958 Western   Bullwhip with Hunky Hollywood leading man Guy Madison,  Gunfight at the O.K Corral (1957) with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and Jo Van Fleet,  Noir Crime Drama Slightly  Scarlett (1956) alongside  John Payne and surprisingly  another red headed beauty who in latter years people regularly confused her with -Arlene Dahl,   Famous Alfred Hitchcock directed movie Spellbound (1945) with Ingrid Bergman and  Gregory Peck and  psychological horror The Spiral Staircase  (1946)  with Ethel Barrymore and Dorothy McGuire as her costars. 

 

Despite being a prominent  christian in Hollywood,  speaking out and campaigning against americans drift away from God,  Rhonda married six times with several divorces under her belt.  She was a Presbyterian  but it appears converted to the Jewish faith of her 5th husband  Ted Mann as she was interred at a Jewish cemetery. 

Anyway in another world Rhonda may well have become First Lady of the United States as she  is strongly rumoured to have dated future President Ronald Reagan at one time. 

 

 

 

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American author Harold Robbins died on this day 25 years ago, aged 81.

 

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American singer and actor Bing Crosby died on this day 45 years ago, aged 74.

 

 

German field marshal during World War II Erwin Rommel died on this day 78 years ago, aged 52.

 

 

Tanzanian anti-colonial activist, politician, and political theorist Julius Nyerere died on this day 23 years ago, aged 77.

 

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On this day in 1986 american actor   Keenan Wynn died aged 70.

 

He starred in numerous films especially throughout the 1940s to the 1960s and latterly became a solidly regularly employed actor in the burgeoning world of television. 

 

His filmography includes  the light hearted fun family film Herbie Rides again (1974) alonhwith Helen Hayes and Robert Stevenson, Western war film The War Wagon(1967) whose headline cast was  John Wayne,  Kirk Douglas and Howard Keel . 

 He featured in a number of film musicals when that genre was at its popularity peak during the 1940s and 1950s , such as Royal Wedding  (1951) with Jane Powell and Fred Astaire,  Kiss me Kate (1953) with Ann Miller and Kathryn Grayson as lead cast and fun Lucille Ball film Easy to wed(1946) which also starred up and coming starred Esther Williams and his good friend Van Johnson. 

Almost certainly the biggest or at least most famous film he starred in  was director Stanley Kubricks Dr Strangelove in 1964 starring Peter Sellers , James Earl Jones and George C Scott. 

 

Less prestigious roles  in standard Hollywood B list fayre  such as horror film Piranha ((1978) came in his senior years along with plenty of television work 

Angie Dickinsons Police Woman , The Littlest Hobo and  The Untouchables are some of the  tv series in later years that he had regular roles in. 

 

For me as a big fan of the glitzy primetime US soaps of the 1980s I best know him as Digger Barnes in Dallas , father of Cliff Barnes and longtime antagonist  of the Ewing men  . He has some really touching scenes with the late Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie his former love in the show.

The actress who played his ex wife in Dallas, Priscilla Pointer, is still alive in her late nineties. 

(Keenan Wynn on the left with former DeathList alumni  Ken Kercheval who played his onscreen son Cliff Barnes in Dallas)

 

In his personal life he divorced his first wife actress  Eve Lynn Abbot  who then later went on to marry the couples close friend actor  Van Johnson .

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On this day in 2011 British actress and  Legendary stalwart of ITV soap Coronation Street  Betty Driver died aged 91.

She played barmaid and pub cook Betty Turpin/Williams for nearly 40 years. Hee character was affectionately  nicknamed Hotpot  Betty. 

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Mata Hari died on this day 105 years ago, aged 41.

Hari was born as Margaretha Zelle. When she was 18, Zelle got married to Rudolf MacLeod (a man 20 years her senior) after the latter advertised they were looking for a wife in a newspaper, and the two moved to what is now Indonesia. While there, she studied the native culture, and took her stage name after the local word for "sun". Hari and MacLeod's marriage was an unhappy one, and they separated in 1902- the divorce was finalized in 1906.

 

After the separation, Hari moved to Paris, and by 1904, she was working as an exotic dancer, falsely claiming that she was a Javanese princess. Hari performed her final show in 1915.

 

Living in neutral Netherlands in the midst of World War I, Hari travelled freely between borders. The German consul in The Hague offered her cash for any information she could receive from France, and accepted the bribe. France also wanted information, and she accepted their offer as well, being sent to German-occupied Belgium.

 

In 1916, Hari met with military diplomat Arnold Kalle, and Kalle transmitted information he received from a spy called "H-21" back to Berlin- the French intercepted these messages, and determined that her biography matched that of Hari's. Hari was arrested on suspicion of espionage in February of 1917, sentenced to death, and was executed by firing squad in October.

There has been longtime speculation that Hari was a scapegoat for the French to blame for their losses on their western front.

 

Post-mortem fact: Hari's family did not claim her body, and it was used for medical study. Her head was embalmed and sent to the Museum of Anatomy in Paris- but the museum lost it as early as 1954.

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English actress, singer and dancer Elsie Randolph died on this day 40 years ago, aged 77.