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Ben Gazzara Dies at 81

February, 03, 2012 3:50 pm | On #Anatomy of a Murder, Ben Gazzara, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, dies, Husbands, John Cassavetes, Movies, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

Ben Gazzara died Friday of pancreatic cancer, the New York Times reported.

The star of award films and plays such as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was 81 years old.

Gazzara employed his distinctive, gravel-specked voice and powerful stare most memorably in a series of film collaborations with the director John Cassavetes.

Also read: 'Columbo' Star Peter Falk...

Zalman King, Erotic Film Producer-Director, Dies at 70

February, 03, 2012 3:31 pm | On #Movies, zalman king, zalman king dead, zalman king rip

Producer, director and screenwriter Zalman King, whose credits include erotically-charged films such as "9 1/2 Weeks," "Red Shoe Diaries" and "Wild Orchid," died Friday morning at his Santa Monica home following a six-year battle with cancer. King, whose wife Patricia Louisianna Knop, was at his side at the time of his death, was 70.

Born Zalman Lefkovitz in 1942 in Trenton, N.J., King was primarily known for his racy fare of the '80s and '90s, though his son-in-law, Allison Burnett, told TheWrap that his reputation failed to capture the totality of King's personality.

"Zalman was a far more complex and human artist and man than anyone who only knew...

Don Cornelius, 'Soul Train' Host, Dead of Gunshot Wound

February, 01, 2012 7:08 am | On #dead, Don Cornelius, gunshot, Soul Train, suicide, Television

Don Cornelius, the creator and longtime host of "Soul Train," was found dead this morning of a gunshot wound. He was 75.

Cornelius was found at his Sherman Oaks home at 4 a.m. by officers responding to a reported shooting. The Los Angeles Times, citing sources, said the gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted.

Police told TheWrap the investigation was ongoing. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office said Cornelius was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai hospital.

Also read: 'Soul Train' Marathon to Honor Don Cornelius

As a journalist in the Civil Rights Era, Cornelius recognized the lack of a...

'Welcome Back, Kotter' Star Robert Hegyes Dies at 60

January, 26, 2012 2:59 pm | On #juan epstein, juan epstein dead, robert hegyes, robert hegyes dead, robert hegyes rip, Television, welcome back kotter

Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein on '70s sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter, died Thursday, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. Hegyes, who died of an apparent heart attack after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home, was 60.

Hegyes had not been in good health for the past two years, his brother Mark Hegyes told the paper. The actor had suffered a previous heart attack in recent years.

Police responded to an emergency call from Hegyes' home at approximately 9 a.m. He was transported to JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, but at that point he had gone...

'Excalibur' Star Nicol Williamson Dies at 75

January, 25, 2012 12:17 pm | On #dies, Excalibur, Media, Movies, Nicol Williamson

Stage and film star Nicol Williamson has died after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer. He was 75.

The unpredictable English actor earned raves for the intensity he brought to his roles, but his erratic behavior scared off many film and theater producers.

He is best known for his wild-eyed portrayal of Merlin in John Boorman's 1981 film "Excalibur."

Also read: Greek Director Theo Angelopoulos Killed Near Film Set

Other roles of note include a Tony-...

Greek Director Theo Angelopoulos Killed Near Film Set

January, 25, 2012 10:40 am | On #Accident, dies, Greek, Movies, Obit, Theo Angelopoulos, Ulysses' Gaze

Greek director Theo Angelopoulos died Tuesday after being hit by a motorcycle, police told the Assoicated Press. He was 76.

He had been shooting his latest film in Athens just blocks away from where the accident happened.

Angelopoulos' deliberate and episodic style made him an arthouse favorite, earning him the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for 1995's "Ulysses' Gaze."

To his fans, he was a consummate filmmaker with a masterful command of the long-shot, but to his detractors he favored an overly ponderous style.

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James Farentino, Actor in 'Police Story,' 'Dynasty,' Dies at 73 (Report)

January, 25, 2012 6:52 am | On #Dynasty, James Farentino, Police Story, Television, Tina Sinatra

James Farentino, whose acting career was briefly derailed by allegations he stalked Frank Sinatra's youngest daughter, has died at 73, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Farentino, one of the last contract performers with Universal Studios in the 1960s, had recurring appearances on shows including "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers," "Dynasty," "Blue Thunder" and "Police Story."

Film roles included "The Pad and How to Use It" (1966), for which he won a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer, "Me, Natalie" (1969) and "The Final Countdown...

Bingham Ray, Indie Film Veteran, Dies at Sundance

January, 23, 2012 11:32 am | On #Bingham Ray, dies, indie producer, Movies, october films, stroke, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

The respected independent film veteran Bingham Ray has died, the Sundance Film Festival announced on Monday. He was 57.

Ray suffered a stroke while at the festival on Friday. He had been in serious but stable condition in a Provo hospital since then and was surrounded by family when he died.

He was named the executive director of the San Francisco Film Society in October.

Also read: Bingham Ray Remembered: Film World Mourns Loss of a Pioneer

News of Ray's stroke cast a pall over the festival as veterans of the close-knit independent film community queried each...

Joe Paterno, Former Penn State Football Coach, Dies

January, 22, 2012 7:45 am | On #football, Joe Paterno, Media, Obituaries, Penn State, people

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has died, his family confirmed Sunday morning. Paterno, who won more games than any other Division I football coach, was 85.

Paterno was widely admired for stressing sportsmanship and academics as well as success on the field. But the stellar reputation he spent 46 years building was sullied by allegations that his former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, had molested boys over several years.

Also read: CBS Apologizes for Joe Paterno Death Report

Paterno was fired after it emerged...

Etta James, 'At Last' Singer, Dies at 73

January, 20, 2012 8:42 am | On #at last, etta james, etta james dead, etta james rip, music

Etta James, the singer who found her greatest success with the 1961 hit "At Last," died Friday morning due to complications from leukemia. She was 73.

James, who was hospitalized in May for a life-threatening blood infection, had been diagnosed with dementia, leukemia and hepatitis C. In December, James' manager told Entertainment Weekly that the singer was in the "final stages of leukemia." A month earlier, she released what she said would be her final album.

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