A look back and a final farewell to the notable entertainment celebrities who died in 2013.
Cosmo Allegretti (b. 1927) (actor)
Allegretti was an actor and puppeteer on Captain Kangaroo, working his way up from set painter. He made and voiced puppets, including Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose, and also played Dancing Bear in a full costume.
Patty Andrews (b. 1918) (singer)
As part of the famed and influential Andrews Sisters singing group, Patty Andrews contributed as a mezzo-soprano to the trio’s close harmony popularity during the swing era and beyond. Patty and her sisters began their fame with hits in the late 1930s, and during World War II entertained Allied forces across the world with hits such as “Bei Mir Bistu Shein” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” The sisters also performed their hits in several films in the 1940s, including Buck Privates (1941) and Private Buckaroo (1942).
Allan Arbus (b. 1918) (actor)
“Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice. Pull down your pants and slide on the ice.” Those were usually the calming parting words of army psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman on the classic TV series M*A*S*H, with Freedman played by Arbus in the character actor’s most recognized role (he appeared in 12 episodes, including the series finale). Arbus also appeared in other television roles, and some film roles, including a rare turn as a bad guy in the 1973 Pam Grier movie Coffy.
Conrad Bain (b. 1923) (actor)
Perhaps best known as Mr. Drummond on Diff’rent Strokes (1978-86), Bain also is remembered by TV fans from his regular role in another classic sitcom, Maude (1972-78), where he played Dr. Arthur Harmon.
Karen Black (b. 1939) (actress)
Although most familiar from her acclaimed work in feature films of the late 1960s and ’70s — including Easy Rider (1969), an Oscar-nominated turn in Five Easy Pieces (1970), Airport 1975 (1974), Nashville (1975) and Burnt Offerings (1976) — Black also was active in television. Early in her career she guest-starred on numerous TV shows in the 1960s, and in 1975 played multiple roles in the made-for-TV horror anthology film Trilogy of Terror. (The final story of Trilogy of Terror, in which Black’s character is pursued in her apartment by a killer Zuni fetish doll come to life, is often considered among the scariest moments ever featured on television; see video below.)
Eileen Brennan (b. 1932) (actress)
Amid her long career as a stage, film and television actress, Brennan is best known for her Oscar-nominated role as a tough Army captain in the 1980 comedy film Private Benjamin, a role she reprised when the film was adapted for television from 1981-83 (Brennan was nominated for an Emmy each of the show’s three seasons, winning in its first year).
Joyce Brothers (b. 1927) (psychologist, TV personality)
Dr. Joyce Brothers was a psychologist who, in addition to her practice and advice column, claimed to have been the first TV psychologist. It can be argued that she at least helped pave the way for, and popularized, discussions about relationships on television beginning with her local New York show in 1958. Over the next several decades, in addition to hosting her own programs about psychology and relationships, she was also often the go-to doctor to have on other programs when these topics were being talked about.
Sylvia Browne (b. 1936) (TV psychic)
Self-described psychic and medium Browne was seen regularly on television, especially frequently as a guest on The Montel Williams Show (1991-2008), and also had a number of Pay-Per-View specials.
Tom Clancy (b. 1947) (author)
Along with his long career as a best-selling novelist (usually writing in the espionage and military genres), Clancy’s works inspired notable film and video game adaptations. Movie versions of Clancy’s novels include The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The Sum of All Fears (2002), each featuring the popular Jack Ryan character. Clancy’s name has appeared on several video games, not only adaptations of his novels, but original concepts, as well.
Jeanne Cooper (b. 1928) (actress)
Although having appeared on many TV shows throughout the 1950s and ’60s, Jeanne Cooper became most familiar to viewers starting in 1973, when she took on the role of Katherine Chancellor on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless, a role she continued over the next four decades until her passing this year. Over the course of playing that role, Cooper received 10 Daytime Emmy nominations, winning once in 2008. One of Cooper’s children is actor Corbin Bernsen.
Nigel Davenport (b. 1928) (actor)
Although also a stage actor, Davenport is known for television and film roles, as well, including A High Wind in Jamaica (1965), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) and Living Free (1972).
Deanna Durbin (b. 1921) (singer, actress)
Before retiring and withdrawing from public life in her late 20s in 1949, Durbin was known for film roles in which she most often played a “girl next door” type, including Three Smart Girls (1936), First Love (1939) and The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943).
Roger Ebert (b. 1942) (film critic, journalist)
One of the most renowned and influential film critics, Ebert published for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his passing, with his work syndicated to several other newspapers across the country. Along with fellow critic Gene Siskel (with whom he popularized the “Two Thumbs Up” phrase), Ebert helped bring film criticism to television, first with their PBS series Sneak Previews (1975-82), and then as the first hosts of the At the Movies (1982-2008) series. Not only a student and critic of film, Ebert occasionally took part in their creation, perhaps most infamously when he wrote the screenplay for Russ Meyer’s 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
Dennis Farina (b. 1944) (actor)
As a former Chicago police officer, it probably made sense that Farina, as an actor, was often typecast as a cop, a mobster or other sort of “tough guy,” thanks to his tough, Midwestern mustachioed look. He played a mobster in a few episodes of Miami Vice before being chosen by Miami Vice executive producer Michael Mann to lead the series Crime Story (1986-88), where Farina played a police lieutenant. He also appeared on the right side of the law in Law & Order from 2004-06. He went back to a shadier type of character in HBO’s Luck in 2011-12, but also displayed his comedic side with two guest appearances on New Girl in 2013. Farina had a chance to display his comedic side on the big screen in two of his most notable movie roles, playing mobsters in Midnight Run (1988) and Get Shorty (1995).
Joan Fontaine (b. 1917) (actress)
Born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (actress Olivia de Havilland was her older sister), Joan Fontaine had a film career starting in the 1930s, and also acted on television and stage. She received Oscar nominations for Best Actress in Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941, won) and The Constant Nymph (1943).
Bonnie Franklin (b. 1944) (actress)
Following her early TV work, and acclaimed acting on the stage, Bonnie Franklin made her way into the hearts and minds of TV fans in 1975 with her role as divorced mom Ann Romano on the sitcom One Day at a Time. The series ran until 1984, with Franklin receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role.
David Frost (b. 1939) (journalist, TV host)
Noted journalist Frost rose to fame during his appearance on Britain’s satirical news series That Was the Week That Was (1962-63), and Frost was involved with an American version of the series as well in 1964, for which he shared an Emmy nomination with the rest of the latter program’s writers. From there, Frost hosted his own talk show, The David Frost Show (1969-72), which garnered him three more Emmy nominations, winning twice. Frost was such a renowned interviewer that he even gained access to President Richard Nixon a few years after he resigned from office. The original interviews with Nixon aired on TV in 1977, and were the subject of the acclaimed stage play (and later film) Frost/Nixon.
Annette Funicello (b. 1942) (actress, singer)
Annette Funicello gained popularity at a young age, becoming one of the first Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1955, at the age of 12. She was on the show until 1959, and as a young adult in the early ’60s became wildly popular, with costar Frankie Avalon, for her appearances in several films in the “beach” genre, beginning with 1963’s Beach Party. The films, featuring a mix of comedy and music, spotlighted Funicello’s winning personality and her singing voice (she had a number of pop hits at the time). Funicello starred in six beach movies altogether, and in 1987 she reunited with Avalon for the comedy film Back to the Beach. Beyond all of this, children of the ’70s and ’80s may also recall Funicello as spokeswoman for Skippy peanut butter in a series of commercials.
James Gandolfini (b. 1961) (actor)
Regardless of what he did before and after in his career, James Gandolfini forever solidified himself in the minds of millions with his iconic role as troubled crime boss Tony Soprano in HBO’s The Sopranos (1999-2007), one of the most acclaimed dramas in TV history. Gandolfini received six Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy nominations for his role as Tony, winning three times. Gandolfini’s other television work was primarily as a producer, most notably for the 2007 special Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq, a documentary for which Gandolfini received another Emmy nomination. In the feature film realm, Gandolfini had several roles over the decades, though none of them had the impact that his Sopranos role had. Among his notable movie roles were appearances in The Mexican (2001), The Last Castle (2001), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and the posthumously released romantic comedy Enough Said (2013).
Gary David Goldberg (b. 1944) (writer, producer)
Following his early days as a writer for 1970s hit series like The Bob Newhart Show and Lou Grant, Goldberg eventually founded his own production company, Ubu Productions (named after his dog, as any fan of ’80s TV who remembers the “Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog!” tag at the end of several of his series will recall). One of the earliest hits to come from Goldberg and Ubu was Family Ties in 1982. Over the course of Family Ties’ seven-year run, Goldberg received five Emmy nominations as a writer and/or producer, sharing one writing win in 1987 for the famed “A, My Name Is Alex” episode. Goldberg also received an Emmy nomination for his next series, the semi-autobiographical Brooklyn Bridge (1991-93). In 1996, Goldberg co-created the sitcom Spin City, which ran until 2002. On the feature film front, Goldberg wrote the screenplays for Dad (1989), Bye Bye Love (1995) and Must Love Dogs (2005).
Eydie Gormé (b. 1928) (singer)
Though she also performed solo, singer Gormé is probably best remembered for singing in partnership with her husband, Steve Lawrence, whom she met when they were both booked on the original The Tonight Show, with Steve Allen.
Julie Harris (b. 1925) (actress)
Starting on the stage, Julie Harris hit the big screen in a big way in 1952, reprising her stage role in a film adaptation of The Member of the Wedding, for which she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. She also reprised her Tony-winning role in the 1955 film adaptation I Am a Camera, before starring in other notable movies, including Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), The Haunting (1963), Harper (1966) and Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). On television, Harris notably played Queen Victoria in a 1961 telecast of Victoria Regina, for which she won an Emmy. Later, Harris became familiar to TV audiences as Val Ewing’s mother, Lilimae Clements, on the primetime soap Knots Landing (1980-87), receiving an Emmy nomination for the role.
Ray Harryhausen (b. 1920) (visual effects creator)
Originally inspired by the stop-motion animation effects memorably used by Willis O’Brien in 1933’s King Kong, Ray Harryhausen eventually went on to become a visual effects legend in his own right, himself inspiring filmmakers from George Lucas to James Cameron. Using a technique he called “Dynamation,” Harryhausen famously brought to life all manner of mythological and prehistoric creatures in films such as The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Mysterious Island (1961), Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and the original Clash of the Titans (1981).
George Jones (b. 1931) (musician)
Considered one of the greatest singers in country music history, George “Possum” Jones had numerous hits throughout his nearly 60-year career. Among his memorable works from his legacy of hundreds of songs recorded are “Tender Years,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Still Doin’ Time” and “I Always Get Lucky With You.”
Jim Kelly (b. 1946) (martial artist, actor)
Kelly put his martial arts moves to good use in his various film roles, primarily in the 1970s and ’80s. Among the most memorable are Enter the Dragon (1973), Black Belt Jones (1974) and Black Samurai (1977).
Tom Laughlin (b. 1931) (actor, screenwriter, director)
Laughlin is best remembered for creating and playing the character of Billy Jack in several films, starting with The Born Losers in 1967, and followed by 1971’s Billy Jack and The Trial of Billy Jack in 1974. The latter sequel is credited with changing the marketing of films — it was the first film to open nationwide on the same day, and had national advertising associated with it. The huge box office results led to the movie being labeled as the first blockbuster.
Elmore Leonard (b. 1925) (author, screenwriter)
Leonard’s famed crime fiction and thrillers have been adapted into several equally, if not more, popular films and TV series. Among the most noted were his 1990 novel Get Shorty (adapted into a 1995 film); Rum Punch (a 1992 work adapted into Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film Jackie Brown); 1996’s Out of Sight (made into a 1998 film of the same name, and also inspiring the 2003 series Karen Sisco, named after the book’s main character); and the 1999 work Be Cool, made into a 2005 film of the same name. In his 1993 novel Pronto, Leonard introduced the cowboy detective character Raylan Givens. Raylan was eventually featured in the 2002 short story “Fire in the Hole,” which inspired the popular, award-winning FX series Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant as Givens and on which Leonard served as an executive producer. Decades before gaining his popularity as a crime writer, Leonard specialized in Western novels, and his 1953 short story “Three-Ten to Yuma” has been adapted into films in 1957 and in 2007.
RELATED: OUR 2012 INTERVIEW WITH ELMORE LEONARD
Ray Manzarek (b. 1939) (musician)
Manzarek was a founding member of, and keyboardist for, legendary rock band The Doors from 1965-73, and had a solo career afterward.
Richard Matheson (b. 1926) (author, screenwriter)
An acclaimed and influential writer usually working in the fantasy, horror and science-fiction genres, Matheson directly wrote, or had his works inspire, memorable films and television episodes. His most adapted work, the 1954 novel I Am Legend, has been made into a feature film three times — The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971) and I Am Legend (2007). Other notable novels of Matheson’s that have been adapted into film include the 1956 work The Shrinking Man (produced as the 1957 film The Incredible Shrinking Man); A Stir of Echoes (a 1958 work adapted into the 1999 film Stir of Echoes); Bid Time Return (published in 1975, and made into the 1980 film Somewhere in Time); and the 1978 novel What Dreams May Come, made into a film of the same name in 1998. On television, Matheson’s works also inspired notable projects. Steven Spielberg’s 1971 TV movie Duel was based on a Matheson short story, as were the three tales in the 1975 TV movie Trilogy of Terror. But Matheson’s most memorable TV work probably came during the original run of The Twilight Zone (1959-64), writing several episodes of the series, either directly or adapting his published work. Among his most notable contributions to Zone were classic episodes such as “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” “Little Girl Lost” and “Third From the Sun.”
Mindy McCready (b. 1975) (singer)
Country singer McCready had a number of hit albums, including Ten Thousand Angels (1996) and If I Don’t Stay the Night (1997). But her success was apparently not enough to overcome her personal demons. She attempted suicide a number of times before unfortunately succeeding this year, just a month after her former boyfriend David Wilson had killed himself on the same spot.
Cory Monteith (b. 1982) (actor)
The young actor and musician is best remembered as quarterback Finn Hudson on the hit series Glee, for which he received a People’s Choice Award nomination and shared a Screen Actors Guild Award win with his ensemble cast. Suffering from substance abuse from his early teens, Monteith sought treatment a few times but unfortunately was not able to beat it before his young career could flourish even more.
Hal Needham (b. 1931) (stuntman, director)
A stunt double for various films in the 1960s, including How the West Was Won and Little Big Man, Needham moved on to directing stunt-filled films. His first effort was 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit. That success led him to team up with friend Burt Reynolds on other films, including Hooper (1978), The Cannonball Run (1981) and Stroker Ace (1983).
Peter O’Toole (b. 1932) (actor)
Also accomplished on the stage, the legendary Irish actor rose to fame on the big screen with his classic, Oscar-nominated performance in the title role of 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia. O’Toole was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar seven other times throughout his career, making him the most-nominated actor never to win the award (he did receive an honorary Oscar in 2003). His other nominated roles came in Becket (1964); The Lion in Winter (1968); Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969); The Ruling Class (1972); The Stunt Man (1980); My Favorite Year (1982); and Venus (2006).
Patti Page (b. 1927) (singer)
Hugely popular singer Patti Page first found success in the late 1940s and early ’50s, particularly through her song “Tennessee Waltz.” During that time, she also recorded other hits, such as “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window.” In the 1970s, Page turned primarily to country music, where she also found success.
Eleanor Parker (b. 1922) (actress)
Appearing in countless movies, and eventually TV shows, from the 1940s through the ’80s, Parker received Oscar nominations for her roles in Caged (1950), Detective Story (1951) and Interrupted Melody (1955). One of her most notable other roles was The Baroness in the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music.
Lou Reed (b. 1942) (musician)
Reed was the guitarist, vocalist and lead songwriter for the late 1960s group the Velvet Underground, which, while not successful at the time, proved to leave a very influential body of work that inspired future artists. The Velvet Underground created memorable songs such as “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” “Heroin,” “Femme Fatale” and “I’m Waiting for the Man.” Embarking on a solo career in the 1970s, Reed was likewise not always commercially successful right away but left behind memorable songs as well, including “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Perfect Day” (famously later used in the 1996 film Trainspotting) and “Satellite of Love.”
Harry Reems (b. 1947) (adult film actor)
Reems (real name Herbert Streicher) was one of the most prolific adult film stars of the 1970s, and is best known for 1972’s Deep Throat.
Tim Samaras (b. 1957), Paul Samaras (b. 1988), Carl Young (b. 1968) (storm chasers)
Tim and Carl were among the experts chronicled in Discovery Channel’s series Storm Chasers, which ran from 2007-11. Along with Tim’s son Paul, the trio was part of TWISTEX, a team that worked to put probes in the path of tornadoes to follow the storms. During one of their efforts this spring, in Oklahoma, the three were killed while pursuing an EF3 tornado.
Jean Stapleton (b. 1923) (actress)
Stapleton is best known and beloved for her role as Edith Bunker, cantankerous Archie’s “dingbat” wife on the classic sitcom All in the Family (1971-79) — a role for which she received an Emmy nomination each year of the show’s run, winning three times. Stapleton briefly reprised her Edith role on the spinoff series Archie Bunker’s Place in 1979. The actress had a long career both before and after All in the Family as well, appearing on stage and other television, including an Emmy-nominated stint as Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 production Eleanor, First Lady of the World.
Pat Summerall (b. 1930) (football player, TV sportscaster)
Following his pro football career as a placekicker for three teams (Detroit Lions, Chicago Cardinals and New York Giants) from 1952-61, Summerall embarked on an even longer and more storied career as an announcer calling the game he once played, among other sports. He is most remembered for his pairing in the broadcast booth with former coach John Madden to call NFL games. The pair called games for CBS from 1981-93, and then for FOX from 1994-2002, including several Super Bowls.
Abigail Van Buren (Pauline Phillips) (b. 1918) (advice columnist)
A staple in newspapers for decades, Van Buren’s “Dear Abby” column was written by Phillips herself until 2000, and is now carried on by her daughter Jeanne Phillips.
Paul Walker (b. 1973) (actor)
Actor Walker became best known for his roles in The Fast and the Furious films, appearing in the first film in 2001; 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003; Fast & Furious in 2009; Fast Five in 2011; and Fast & Furious 6 this year. He had been filming Fast & Furious 7 at the time of his death in a car crash, and producers are now reworking that film. Walker had notable roles in other films beyond that franchise, including Into the Blue (2005), Eight Below (2006) and Flags of Our Fathers (2006).
Marcia Wallace (b. 1942) (actress)
As a mostly comedic actress over her 40-plus-year career, Wallace will be remembered by an older generation, as well as by all fans of classic TV, for her role as secretary Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show (1972-78). But it was her voice work on The Simpsons that truly solidified her in the pop culture imagination. For nearly 200 episodes of the classic animated series, up until this year, she voiced the character of schoolteacher Edna Krabappel, the foil of Bart Simpson.
Slim Whitman (b. 1923) (singer/songwriter)
Famed for his yodeling and falsetto voice, Slim Whitman (real name Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr.) had many hits, primarily on the country charts, including “Indian Love Call” (later used humorously in the 1996 film Mars Attacks! as the only thing that can stop the alien invaders), “Keep It a Secret,” “Secret Love” and “Rose Marie.”
Esther Williams (b. 1921) (actress, swimmer)
A champion swimmer in her youth, Williams eventually found feature-film fame thanks to her beauty, athletic physique and winning personality. Most of her starring roles found her, again, in a pool, in a series of MGM films in the 1940s and ’50s called “aqua-musicals.” Among her memorable films were This Time for Keeps (1947), On an Island With You (1948), Neptune’s Daughter (1949), Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) and Dangerous When Wet (1953).
Jonathan Winters (b. 1925) (comedian, actor)
As a comedian, Winters released numerous comedy albums throughout his long career, receiving several Grammy nominations for them, but is probably best known to audiences for his onscreen comedic acting through many appearances spanning from the early days of television into the 21st century. His film career encompassed everything from a role in the all-star comedy feature It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in 1963, to voicing Papa Smurf in The Smurfs (2011) and the recent sequel, The Smurfs 2, which was released after his death and is dedicated to him. On television, Winters hosted his own variety show, The Jonathan Winters Show, from 1956-57 (and in another incarnation from 1967-69), and gained fans of a later generation with his role as Mork and Mindy’s “baby,” Mearth, on Mork & Mindy from 1981-82.
Lee Thompson Young (b. 1984) (actor)
Best known as the title character in Disney Channel’s series The Famous Jett Jackson (1998-2001), Young had moved on to more grown-up roles, including, most recently, playing a police detective on TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles, before unfortunately taking his own life.
