Deaths in 2011

[cornershop15]

I didn’t think I would do this again (certainly not for Britmovie) but as it has been an exceptionally bad year for notable deaths - the worst I’ve ever known, in fact – I felt I should remind you of some of the talents we’ve lost in 2011.

There may also be a few you've forgotten, or may have missed. Did you know, for instance, that singer Dobie Gray, best known for Drift Away, passed away, earlier this month? Or that fellow 70s hitmaker Phoebe Snow (Poetry Man) left us in April? Other losses I discovered in my research include writer/presenter Josephine Hart, model Suzanne Mizzi, journalist Susan Crosland (widow of politician Anthony) and Jet Harris of The Shadows.

A sad year for fans of Doctor Who and Top of the Pops. Elisabeth Sladen is the only assistant I remember seeing in the former and her departure was one of several unhappy surprises in 2011. Memories of Nicholas Courtney, another legend, as the Brigadier are more vague, possibly from earlier episodes I watched as a child.

As for the music show, presenter Jimmy Savile, producer Robin Nash, arranger Johnny Pearson and choreographer Flick Colby all died this year. I wasn't too affected when hers was reported but chance viewings of some Pan's People routines on You Tube, just a few weeks later (via links from other Top of the Pops performers), made me fall in love with all the dancers - especially Flick.

Soon enough, I registered with PansPeople.com, where I immediately had an impact with my informative posts, and they were so impressed they made me co-Moderator! Proud to say that I've become a major contributor to the dance troupe's archive and legacy, having found literally dozens of articles and bits of information that other fans knew nothing about! For all my personal achievements, I'm devastated that Flick had to battle against breast cancer for so many years and equally upset about a Good Time Gone. She referred to that 1960s/70s period as "halcyon days". Mine too, though mainly as a viewer and listener.

The boxing world lost two real legends in Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier but we musn't forget Gary Mason, who was killed by a van while cycling. I hadn't seen him for years but it was still a terrible shock. As were the suicides of actress Angela Scoular (Leslie Phillips' wife), cricketer Peter Roebuck, and Gary Speed. Three people I had nothing but happy memories of until I learned of the miserable end to their lives. Another cricketer whose death affected me was Graham Dilley, who memorably helped England to win the Ashes in 1981.

When the news was breaking on Sky about poor Gary, journalist Mick Dennis mentioned "distressing circumstances" (he learned this during his 'phone interview). When I tuned in to Sky Sports, David Garrido and Hayley McQueen had the awful duty of announcing that this great footballer, and more recently manager, had been found hanged. I listened to those two reports in quick succession and total disbelief. It seemed such an unlikely story, and continues to be a real mystery.

More so because Gary was seemingly in good spirits on Football Focus the day before and was turning round the fortunes of Wales, who needed something to cheer after the tragedy of the four miners a few months earlier, and also a football fan who was killed by a punch before the England-Wales game. I don't understand why this great country keeps having so much misery piled upon it.

Yes, I would say the deaths of Flick Colby and Gary Speed have had the most profound effect on me this year. Of the many favourite actors and actresses, I've been 'in denial' with just about everyone - particularly Alfred Burke, then Susannah York, Edward Hardwicke, T. P. McKenna, lots of others.

The most emotion I displayed was for Anna Massey, who I'd recently seen in The Pallisers and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Probably because she had such a strong presence and distinctive voice, yet never achieved the star status she deserved. Somehow, I managed to survive the mad month of October when several great actresses died - Diane Cilento, Sheila Allen, Sue Lloyd and Betty Driver among them.

My next post will be a selection of the better known actors who hopefully went to a better place, with another one planned for those who aren't so familiar to me but worth mentioning, like Bruce Gordon (The Untouchables) and Jon Cedar (Hogan's Heroes). In the interim, I will put together posts for notable deaths in Music (from Gerry Rafferty to Kathy Kirby), Sport (Fred Titmus, Nat Lofthouse), TV & Radio Personalities (Janet Brown, Robert Robinson) and Directors and Other Film & TV Crew. You'll be surprised to see how many great directors passed away in 2011 - Sidney Lumet for one.

That's the six hour Introduction done. Hopefully, the majority of what's left to do will be a simple copy-and-paste job from about a dozen word documents. A lot of other posts to compile over Christmas.

[didi-5]

Very much look forward to reading your tribute cornershop. And well done for all your contributions on Pan's People and Flick Colby over at their forum.

[Windyridge]

HI Cornershop thanks for your post. Who is your avatar - she looks familiar, is it one of Pan's People? Cheers Windy

[Richard_in_wales]

This is an interesting (mainly American) site
Who's Alive and Who's Dead browsing through its great to see some actors still alive (and sometimes working)

Cornershop, a good post and sobering to see so much talent lost and often of a younger age than myself.

[cornershop15]

Thank you for your replies. Hello again, Windyridge. How did you guess?! It is, in fact, dear Ruth, the only original member when Pan's People sadly came to an end in 1976. As the current Avatar is bound to change, here's a larger version of the image you're referring to, one of the best I've done from YouTube:

Ruth Pearson during the Pan's People routine for Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?).jpg

One of their last. No wonder she looks so sad And Thanks for visiting, didi (hopefully Dee Dee can do the same).


Actors and Actresses

I think this as comprehensive a list as we're going to get of the 'more familiar' ones, certainly with me. Don't forget, there is another list to follow, which I've now decided to incorporate in an 'overall' selection (higher profile names + other noteworthy figures). As usual, I feel a bit guilty for leaving so many out but Poliish or Indian films, for example, are just too obscure. There's more than enough here to cope with ...

January

Anne Francis, 80; Pete Postlethwaite, 64; Jill Haworth, 65; Helene Palmer, 82 (Ida Clough in Coronation Street); Susannah York, 72.

February

Margaret John, 84; Maria Schneider, 58 (Last Tango in Paris); Lena Nyman, 66 (I Am Curious - Yellow); Tura Satana, 72 (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!); Betty Garrett, 91 (On the Town); Kenneth Mars, 75 (The Producers); T.P. McKenna, 81; Alfred Burke, 92; Dorian Gray, 75 (Nights of Cabiria); Catherine Jourdan, 62 (Girl on a Motorcycle); Nicholas Courtney, 81 (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who); Jane Russell, 89; Annie Girardot, 79.

March

Louie Ramsay, 81 (last wife of George Baker, who died later in the year); Douglas Simmonds, 53 (Doughnut in Here Come the Double Deckers); Michael Gough, 94; Elizabeth Taylor, 79; Farley Granger, 85.

April

Yolande Palfrey, 54 (Love in a Cold Climate); Angela Scoular, 65 (married to Leslie Phillips); Trevor Bannister, 76 (Mr. Lucas in Are You Being Served?); Nicholas Selby, 85; Michael Sarrazin, 70; Elisabeth Sladen, 65; Terence Longdon, 88 (early Carry On films); Marie-France Pisier, 66; Yvette Vickers (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), aged 81 or 82.

May

Jackie Cooper, 88 (Our Gang) (later a director); Mary Murphy, 80 (The Wild One); Dana Wynter, 79; Edward Hardwicke, 78; Jeff Conaway, 60 (Grease); Jon Blake, 52 (paralysed after car accident for many years); Clarice Taylor, 93 (the housekeeper in Play Misty for Me.

June

Miriam Karlin, 85 (The Rag Trade); James Arness, 88 (star of Gunsmoke); Donald Hewlett, 90 (Colonel Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum); Paul Massie, 78; Roy Skelton, 79 (voice of Zippy and George in Children's series Rainbow); Peter Falk, 83; Michael Latimer, 69 (Van Der Valk); Margaret Tyzack, 79; Douglas Milvain, 79; Elaine Stewart, 81.


In the event, it wasn't a "copy-and-paste job" (bold letters don't transfer), meaning I've had to laboriously transcribe every word/number and miss a whole nights viewing

Part 2 to follow (can't wait ) ...

[hankoler]

Nice work No. 15.

[Rindulus]

Gutted about Pete Postlethwaite in January. The year nosedived from there Lis Sladen Nick Courtney from Doctor Who. And last week the brilliant Christopher Hitchens(not in movies but still sad).

I hope some of my older heroes hang around for a few years yet( you listening Chris Lee?)

[Arfur Teacake]

Good call Cornershop, a reminder of what a ghastly awful year it has been in more ways than one.

Didnt John Barry die this year also?

[mrs_emma_peel]

I was hugely impressed by the highly intelligent, erudite and very moving interview with Christopher Hitchen by Jeremy Paxman ... Christopher gave one of the best, clearest and most concise descriptions of a terminal illness, his own, I've ever heard ... for me, the most affecting and distressing deaths this year were that of Elisabeth Sladen, John Barry, George Baker, Anna Massey, Angela Scoular, Gary Speed and Trevor Bailey.
I found the description and terrible circumstances of Angela's death particularly heartbreaking.
Emma

[wellendcanons]

Excellent thread Cornershop.

wec

[wellendcanons]

October was the saddest of the months for me. Losing Diane Cilento, George Baker, Sheila Allen and Sue Lloyd all in the same month was just too much to bear.

wec

[cornershop15]

Thanks again for your replies, especially new member Rindulus and mrs peel - just what I was after. I only remember seeing Trevor Bailey during the Lunch and Tea intervals of Test matches, and not at all as a cricketer, but was still saddened to learn of his death, again in terrible circumstances.

Didnt John Barry die this year also?

He did, indeed, Arfur, at the beginning of the year. Probably the greatest loss in the Music world, and certainly with the greatest legacy. Others include Gerry Rafferty, Johnny Pearson, Jet Harris, Kathy Kirby, Margaret Whiting, Andrew Gold, Roger Williams, Andrea True and, most recently, Billie Jo Spears. More on this in my fourth category (if you can wait that long), after Directors and TV & Radio Personalities.

Actors and Actresses (continued)

July

Leslie Brooks, 89; Anna Massey, 73; John Sweet, 92 (A Canterbury Tale); Googie Withers, 94; Edson Stroll*, 82; Sheila Burrell, 89; and
Linda Christian, 87 (wife of Tyrone Power, then Edmund Purdom).

August

Anne Ridler?* (age unknown); Richard Pearson, 93; Annette Charles, 63 (Grease); John Wood, 81; Noel Collins, 74 (Sgt. Parrish in Juliet Bravo); and John Howard Davies, 72, who played Oliver Twist as a child and whose name will reappear in my next post, as a Director.

September

Cliff Robertson, 88; Dalia Penn, 74 or 75 (Annette Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga); Jonathan Cecil, 72.

October

Georgina Cookson, 92; Diane Cilento, 78; Marilyn Nash, 84 (The Girl in Monsieur Verdoux); George Baker, 80; Mark Kingston, 77 (Tom Humphries in Beryl's Lot); Patricia Breslin, 80 (Laura Brooks in Peyton Place); Peter Hammond, 87 (also a director); Sheila Allen, 78;
Barbara Kent, 103 (Silent films); Betty Driver, 91 (also a singer); Sue Lloyd, 72.

November

Andrea True, 68 (mainly Adult films. Also a singer); Richard Morant, 66 (Dr. Enys in Poldark); Dulcie Gray, 95 (married to Michael Dennison); Maureen Swanson, 78 (The Spanish Gardener); John Neville, 86 (still know him best as Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Terror).

December

Bill McKinney, 80 (Deliverence); Harry Morgan, 96 (Colonel Potter in M*A*S*H); Susan Gordon*, 62; Dan Frazer, 90 (Captain McNeil in Kojak).

*Notes

It's usually another Rid(d)ler we see with a question mark next to the name (think of Batman)! No official date of death, or birth, for Anne but it looks like the earliest report was 8th August at the Zeta Minor messageboard.

Edson Stroll was in The Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder, which, by chance, I watched not long after his death. He's the handsome young man who takes beautiful Donna Douglas away from a planet, populated by 'pig-faced' creatures, where they are considered ugly!:

My favourite capture (so far) of darling Sue Lloyd:

In The Baron episode So Dark the Night (1967).

I paid tribute to Susan Gordon last week at the 'Child Actors' thread (page 9, post #166).

[cornershop15]

I was sad to learn, from Mike Graham on his radio show, of another notable death since my last post - journalist Sue Carroll. R.I.P.

Film & TV Directors

Much though I love actors, it's directors who usually have the more interesting careers so I'm enclosing links to all their filmographies:

9th January - Peter Yates, 81 (Robbery, Bullitt); 4th March - Charles Jarrott, 83 (34 Armchair Theatre plays, Anne of the Thousand Days); 9th April - Sidney Lumet, 86 (Twelve Angry Men, Network); 3rd June - Pat Jackson, 95 (The Birthday Present, ITC shows inc. The Prisoner); 8th June - John Mackenzie, 78 or 83 (Made, The Long Good Friday); 17th August - Alastair Reid, 72 (Baby Love, Something to Hide); 22nd August - John Howard Davies, 72 (Fawlty Towers, The Good Life); 31st October - Gilbert Cates*, 77 (I Never Sang for My Father); 27th November - Ken Russell, 84 (Women in Love, Tommy).

*I Never Sang for My Father was a good film (transmitted on Channel 4 once) but I never did get to see Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, starring my favourite American actress Joanne Woodward. Other credits in Mr. Cates' filmography include Do You Know the Muffin Man? and a US version of Hobson's Choice (with the Charles Laughton role played by Jack Warden )!

Some of the directors in that list were also producers but I think they were all much better known as the former. With Robin Nash, it was the reverse (going by the obituaries anyway), despite being at the helm for 36 episodes of Bread and 46 of Dixon of Dock Green, so I'm including him here.

Producers

There must be more names to add than this?:

14th February - David F. Friedman, 87; 18th February - Walter Seltzer, 96 (Will Penny, Soylent Green); 18th June - Robin Nash, 84 (Top of the Pops, 1974-81); 1st November - Richard Gordon, 85 (Horror Hospital); 12th December - Bert Schneider, 78 (The Monkees).

Robin Nash

Two lesser-known filmmakers worth mentioning are Sarah Watt (53) and Kara Kennedy (51), the daughter of Senator Edward Kennedy. I think I'll round up the Film and TV-related deaths in my next post, which will include writers like John Sullivan, Stan Barstow, Jeremy Paul, and Jimmy Sangster. Struggling to decide who to put where at the moment but it's slowly taking shape.

[Tigon Man]

I'm not sure if his name has been recorded elsewhere on the forum, but stuntman, extra and actor Terry Plummer passed away in 2011. Imbd gives no furthur details, except that he was 74.

[didi-5]

A remarkable thread - and sobering to think that now we are not just losing people of distant memory, but of recent memory. Sue Lloyd and Anna Massey were especially sad losses, but the one which was most upsetting this year for me was Jeff Conaway. I always liked him in Grease and was saddened to see his public meltdown in Celebrity Rehab in recent years. Perhaps a blessed release but what a waste of a life.

John Howard Davies too, with memories of his child acting and his insights on producing. Very sad.

[Arfur Teacake]

Good grief! so many.

What ever are we going to do now?
Rely on James Nesbett, Hugh Grant and Stephen Fry to fill our 50' 3 dimensional TVs?

oh the humanity!

[cornershop15]

Thanks for your replies. I know Tigon Man and didi-5 received their gifts but did you find yours, Arfur? It's not this thread, by the way!

I don't think Terry Plummer's death was announced here, having done a Forum search. If they haven't found out already this will sadden the likes of Aitch and Gerald. One of the many Extras I've had trouble recognising at the latter's 'Sighted!' thread, where this capture was first seen (hope you don't mind me reposting, Gerald):

From the Danger Man episode Shinda Shima (1966)

R.I.P.

He is credited as Terence Plummer at the IMDb. I have a few of his credits and will try and pay further tribute elsewhere. Many thanks for adding his name, Tigon Man.

Didi, I watched a bit of that After They Were Famous documentary on Grease earlier (ITV1). A sad year for fans, as it has been for those of Doctor Who and Top of the Pops (see opening post). Didn't see Annette Charles, who died in April, but Jeff Conaway still looked good. I was unaware of his decline until you inspired me to read his Wikipedia profile. A sad story.

I see he injured his back while filming Grease. Reminiscent of Dick York (the first Darrin in Bewitched), who suffered a similar fate early in his career and was in pain the rest of his life. Stuart Damon was hurt, to a lesser extent I think, during the making of The Champions. Lasting damage to his leg after a fall.

Missing from the list of Actors and Actresses was Courtney Fine, who sadly died 8th March, aged just 33:

A striking resemblance to Natalies Wood and Sawyer.

R.I.P.

[smudge]

I'm not sure if his name has been recorded elsewhere on the forum, but stuntman, extra and actor Terry Plummer passed away in 2011. Imbd gives no furthur details, except that he was 74.

Thanks for posting this TM. I was unaware of Terry's passing. He was one of those stunt crew regulars who always stood out for me. When I was a wee lad I was forever mistaking him for Rocky Taylor though (to my shame!)

Rest in peace, Terry.

Respect,

Smudge

[philly]

If i think of Dobie Gray who passed recently without media attention, the tune that comes to mind is "Out On The Floor" , one of the great Northern Soul classics.

[ShirlGirl]

Missing from the list of Actors and Actresses was Courtney Fine, who sadly died 8th March, aged just 33:

A striking resemblance to Natalies Wood and Sawyer.

R.I.P.

A striking resemblance indeed! A lovely looking girl. I haven't heard of her before now.
How awful that she died so young.