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Monday, February 28, 2011
RIP Jane Russell
Jane Russell dies at 89; screen siren had sensational debut in 'The Outlaw'
Her provocative performance in the 1943 Howard Hughes film — and the publicity shots posing her in a low-cut blouse while reclined on a stack of hay bales — marked a turning point in moviedom sexuality. She became a bona fide star and a favorite pinup girl of soldiers during World War II
By Claudia Luther, Special to the Los Angeles Times
March 1, 2011
E-mail Print Share Text Size Jane Russell, the dark-haired siren whose sensational debut in the 1943 film "The Outlaw" inspired producer Howard Hughes to challenge the power and strict morality of Hollywood's production code, died Monday at her home in Santa Maria, Calif. She was 89.
Russell, who would later turn her sexy image to comic effect in films with Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe and other major stars, had respiratory problems and died after a short illness, her family said.
Russell's provocative performance in "The Outlaw" — and the studio publicity shots posing her in a low-cut blouse while reclined on a stack of hay bales — marked a turning point in moviedom sexuality. She became a bona fide star and a favorite pinup girl of soldiers during World War II. Troops in Korea named two embattled hills in her honor.
She went on to appear in 18 more films in the 1940s and '50s and, though only a few were memorable, she remains a favorite from the era for her wry portrayals of sex goddesses who seem amused by their own effect.
"Such droll eroticism is rare in Hollywood, and we are lucky that she was allowed to decorate so many adventure movies," film historian and critic David Thomson wrote of Russell, whom he called "physically glorious."
Among Russell's better films are "The Paleface," in which she plays the spirited Calamity Jane opposite Hope's feckless dentist in a spoof of "The Virginian"; and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," a musical in which she is brunet gal pal Dorothy to Marilyn Monroe's gold-digging Lorelei Lee. In the latter, the two stars perform a razzle-dazzle production number of the Jule Styne-Leo Robin hit song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."
Russell appeared in a few films in the 1960s and ended her movie career in 1970 playing Alabama Tigress in "Darker Than Amber," a film version of John D. McDonald's mystery novel. She replaced Elaine Stritch in "Company" on Broadway for several months in 1971, but her career after that was mostly limited to nightclub, stage or other live appearances.
To later generations, Russell — who once famously had a brassiere designed for her by Hughes — was known as the "bra lady" for her role as a spokeswoman for Playtex bras for "full-figured women."
Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell was born June 21, 1921, in Bemidji, Minn., and moved to Southern California with her family as an infant. After graduating from Van Nuys High School, she was working as a part-time model and receptionist when her photo was noticed by a casting agent working for Hughes. The mogul was conducting a nationwide search for a beauty with ample breasts for the part of Rio McDonald, who falls for Billy the Kid in "The Outlaw."
One audition got Russell the part.
Hughes, who took over direction of the film from Howard Hawks, made it his personal business to make the most of his discovery's assets. He even had his engineers design a special "cantilever" bra with no noticeable seams that would expose more of her breasts than conventional undergarments. Russell said she found his contraption "ridiculous" and wore her own bra.
"He could design planes, but a Mr. Playtex he wasn't," Russell wrote in her 1985 autobiography, "Jane Russell: My Past and My Detours."
On seeing the results of Hughes' efforts in 1941, Joe Breen, who enforced the production code, was appalled, saying he had "never seen anything quite so unacceptable as the shots of the breasts of the character of Rio," which were "shockingly emphasized and, in almost every instance, are very substantially uncovered."
He ordered Hughes to delete dozens of shots of Russell's bosom. Hughes not only refused but played up the resulting controversy to publicize the film. He issued Russell-in-the-haystack posters with such lines as "How Would You Like to Tussle With Russell?" and "Mean! Moody! Magnificent!" In one publicity stunt, a skywriter wrote "The Outlaw" in the sky and then carefully drew two circles with a dot in the center of each.
Hughes also dreamed up the line: "What are the two reasons for Jane Russell's rise to stardom?" (Comedian Hope later used a variation, introducing the actress as "the two and only Jane Russell.")
The film was released briefly in 1943, then withdrawn while Hughes considered revisions and maximized the publicity. It was released more widely in 1946 without code approval. The film was "not a bore," a Los Angeles Times reviewer wrote, assuring readers that while Russell's character was incidental to the story line, "the exploitation of [her] physical attractions is as insistent as advertised."
Drawn by the film's notoriety, moviegoers flocked to see it. It had made millions of dollars by the time censors approved it in 1949. As James R. Petersen wrote in Playboy magazine in 1997, "Hughes showed that a film could ignore the code and make a profit." Other challenges to the code followed —including, notably, director Otto Preminger's "The Man With the Golden Arm" and "The Moon Is Blue" in the 1950s. In the late 1960s, the code was replaced by the Motion Picture Assn. of America's ratings system, which permitted the release of explicitly sexual or violent movies as long as audiences were restricted on the basis of age.
Hughes' famed battle with the code was portrayed in "The Aviator," Martin Scorsese's 2004 biographical film that starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes. In the film, Hughes appears before the enforcer of the production code armed with close-up pictures of Russell's and other prominent bosoms of the day.
Russell cooperated in Hughes' publicity campaign, but drew the line at blatantly revealing pictures.
Deeply religious throughout her life, she looked back with regret at the unrelenting attention devoted to her bounteous figure, calling it "Hollywood gook."
Although she grew to despise the provocative pictures that had made her a star at 19, she succumbed to her publisher's pressure to use one of the sultriest on the cover of her autobiography.
In her personal life, counter to her rather rowdy public image, Russell was a political conservative and a born-again Christian years before the phrase became popular. She once promoted the use of the Bible in public schools.
She and her first husband — Van Nuys High School sweetheart Bob Waterfield who went on to become a football star for UCLA and the Cleveland (later Los Angeles) Rams — were married for 23 years until they divorced in 1967. They adopted three children — Tracy, Thomas and Robert (Buck) — who survive her, along with six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Russell recounted in her autobiography that before her marriage to Waterfield she had had a botched abortion, which she thought might have affected her ability to have children. The couple's difficulties in adopting inspired her to form the World Adopting International Fund, which helped place tens of thousands of children with adoptive families. The organization closed in 1998.
After she and Waterfield divorced, Russell married actor Roger Barrett, who died of a heart attack three months after their 1968 wedding. Her marriage in 1974 to John Calvin Peoples, a real estate businessman, lasted until his death in 1999.
After her third husband's death, Russell moved from their Montecito estate to Santa Maria, home to her youngest son and his family. By 2006, macular degeneration had begun claiming her sight.
At 84, silver-haired and still statuesque, she regularly performed in a 1940s-style revue that she staged with friends on a tiny stage at the local Radisson Hotel, far from Las Vegas, where she made her singing debut in 1957.
In summing up her film career, Russell wrote in her autobiography that she never got to make the kinds of movies she would have liked to.
"Except for comedy, I went nowhere in the acting department," she said. "I was definitely a victim of Hollywood typecasting."
RUSSELL, Jane (Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell)
Born: 6/21/1921, Bemidji, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Died: 2/28/2011, Santa Maria, California, U.S.A.
Jane Russell's westerns - actress:
The Outlaw - 1943 (Rio McDonald)
The Paleface - 1948 (Calamity Jane)
Son of Paleface - 1952 (Mike 'The Torch' Delroy)
Montana Belle - 1952 (Belle Starr)
Foxfire - 1955 (Amanda)
The Tall Men - 1955 (Nella Turner)
Death Valley Days (TV) - 1960 (Mary Taylor)
Johnny Reno - 1966 (Nona Williams)
Waco - 1966 (Jill Stone)
Posted by Tom B. at 4:18 PM No comments:
RIP Amparo Muñoz
The actress and former Miss Universe, Amparo Muñoz, has died at the age of 56 after a long illness. Her brother, Pedro Muñoz, announced that she died at her home in Málaga on Sunday night and asked on behalf of the family for 'absolute privacy' at his sister's funeral.
Amparo Muñoz Quesada was awarded the title of Miss Costa del Sol and then Miss Spain in 1973. She was crowned as Miss Universe in July 1974, the first Spaniard to ever win the award, but renounced the title six months later over discrepancies with the organisers.
She began her career in cinema in that same decade and, after a number of roles on the silver screen, met her first husband, Patxi Andion, while filming 'La otra alcoba' in 1976. Her success continued in the 1980s with roles in films such as Pilar Miró's 'Hablamos esta noche', and Carlos Saura's 'Mama Cumple Cien Años'.
She also had a role in the 1984 film, 'El Balcón Abierto', a homage to the poet Federico García Lorca.
MUNOZ, Amparo (Amparo Muñoz Quesada)
Born: 6/21/1954, Velez Malaga Andalucia Spain
Died: 2/27/2011, Velez Malaga Andalucia Spain
Amparo Muñoz's western - actress:
A Real Man - 1983 (Laua Monteros)
Posted by Tom B. at 7:20 AM 1 comment:
Sunday, February 27, 2011
RIP Duke Snider
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980 as a Dodger, the aptly nicknamed Duke Snider was an eight-time All-Star and also finished with MVP votes in eight different major league seasons.
He came up with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and moved with the team out to Los Angeles in 1958, spending five years out west before moving on to the Mets in 1963. He retired in 1965 after playing out his final season with the San Francisco Giants.
Snider went on to broadcast games for the Montreal Expos from 1973-1986 and made for a memorable pairing with Dave Van Horne.
In everything he did, Duke was well-liked.
He tallied 2,116 hits, 407 home runs and 1,333 RBI against a .295/.380/.540 career slash line. His number 4 will never be worn by another Dodger — it was retired along with his Hall of Fame induction.
SNIDER, Duke (Edwin Donald Snider)
Born: 9/19/1926, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 2/27/2011, Escondido, California, U.S.A.
Duke Snider's western - actor:
The Rifleman (TV) - 1959 (Phil Wallace)
Posted by Tom B. at 12:50 PM No comments:
RIP Greg Goossen
Goossen was scheduled to be inducted into the Notre Dame High School Hall of Fame on Saturday night. When he did not arrive for a photo session, a family member went to his nearby home and found him. A cause of death has yet to be determined.
Born on Dec. 14, 1945, in Los Angeles, Goossen was the fourth member of a family of eight brothers and two sisters. He was a standout football and basketball player at Notre Dame, where he graduated in 1964. He was a catcher in baseball, and the Dodgers drafted him and signed him for a six-figure bonus.
The Mets picked him up the following year on a waiver from the Dodgers. Stengel, the legendary manager of the Mets, said, "We got a young catcher right here, he's 20 years old, and in 10 years, he's got a chance to be 30."
He played for the Mets, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Senators before his baseball career ended in 1970.
He worked as a private detective and later helped his brother, Joe, as a boxing trainer, working with Michael Nunn and the Ruelas brothers, Gabriel and Rafael. Another brother, Dan, was the promoter.
Through boxing, he met Hackman, became good friends and served as a stand-in while also getting bit parts in movies.
He was preparing to be honored by his alma mater Saturday night.
"He said, 'It's the highlight of my life being inducted into the Notre Dame Hall of Fame,' " said Jeff Kraemer, one of the organizers of the event.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
GOOSSEN, Greg (Gregory Bryant Goossen)
Born: 12/14/1945, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 2/26/2011, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.
Greg Goossen's westerns - actor, stuntman:
Unforgiven - 1992 (fighter)
Geronimo: An American Legend - 1993 (Schoonover gang)
Wyatt Earp - 1994 (friend of bullwacker) [stunts]
The Quick and the Dead - 1995 (young Herod's henchman)
Posted by Tom B. at 12:19 PM No comments:
Saturday, February 26, 2011
RIP Odón Alonso
During the closing of the Festival in its 2008 edition, the Mayor of Soria, Carlos Martinez, announced that one of the main squares of the city would receive the composer's name.
Alonso had been "One of the most important Spanish conductors of the second half of the twentieth century" and conducted the National Orchestra of Spain, the Symphony Orchestra of SpanishRadio & Television (1968-1984), the Philharmonic Orchestra of Málaga (1995 -1999) and the Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid.
Alonso also composed the original scores for films like "Residencia para Espias "(1966) and "El Diablo que vino de Akasawa" (1971), both directed by Jesus Franco. Alonso composed scores for two Euro-westerns "The Coyote" (1955) and "The Justice of the Coyote" (1956). Odón awarded the Order of Isabel by the Catholic Church and the Gold Medal by UNICEF, among others, and in 1977 was named the best Spanish director of the year by the magazine Record World.
At the express wish of Odón Alonso, his funeral will take place in Soria probably Tuesday.
ALONSO, Odón (Odón Alonso Ordas))
Born: 2/28/1925, La Bañeza, León, Spain
Died: 2/21/2011, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Odón Alonso's westerns - composer:
The Coyote - 1955
Justice of the Coyote - 1956
Posted by Tom B. at 3:45 PM No comments:
Thursday, February 24, 2011
RIP Rudy Robbins
He was the youngest of four children born in Evergreen in Avoyelles Parish in South Central Louisiana to Charles Robbins, a native of Mississippi, and the former Mary Alice Grimble.
When Rudy was two years old, the family moved to Port Arthur, where he was reared. He graduated in 1952 from Thomas Jefferson High School, now known as Memorial High School, and then, for one academic year, attended Lamar University in Beaumont, known at the time as Lamar Technical Institute. Himself a Baptist, Robbins graduated in 1956 from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall with credentials in business administration and sociology.
From 1957-1959 Robbins served in the United States Army and was on the Fourth Army track team. He set a record for the javelin throw, the same event in which he had lettered at ETBU.
In the Army, he met the son of a film producer who told him about the job opportunities in Hollywood as a stuntman. After military service, he moved to Bandera, and worked for a time as a wrangler at the Dixie Dude Ranch until he was offered a speaking but unnamed role as one of the Tennessee Volunteers in John Wayne's Epic The Alamo. In The Alamo, Robbins was involved in a short dialogue repeated several times during the film: a fellow Tennessean would review a developing situation and ask Robbins, "Do this mean what I think it do?" Robbins would reply "It do." Thereafter John Wayne called Robbins by the nickname "It Do"; one of Robbins' treasured possessions was a souvenir Alamo mug addressed to "It Do" from "Duke", Wayne's nickname.
After the Alamo, Robbins went to Hollywood but returned semi-permanently to Bandera in 1971. Wayne introduced Robbins to legendary director John Ford, who hired him as an actor in Two Rode Together with James Stewart and Richard Widmark, and later for stunts in Cheyenne Autumn, also with Widmark, and in three other Wayne Films, McClintock with Maureen O'Hara, The Green Berets, and Rio Lobo. Robbins' other parts were uncredited stunts in The Rounders in 1965, and Sugarland Express in 1974. He also appeared as a mechanic in Sugarland Express. He did stunts for CBS's Gunsmoke in 1964, acting as a double for series star James Arness. In 1966, Robbins played Josh Cutler in NBC's Daniel Boone with Fess Parker. Robbins held Parker, later a large Los Angeles developer, in high esteem because Parker paid him in advance: "He knew I was hard up. When I showed up on Monday morning, he handed me an envelope with my first episode's pay in advance," recalled Robbins. Along with Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Charlton Heston, Robbins was awarded honorary membership in the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures. Robbins also trained horses for other stuntmen and became a production manager for various shows. In 1967. He was selected by the United States Department of Commerce to go to Europe as a "Cowboy Goodwill Ambassador" to introduce and promote the sale of denim jeans. Later he joined Montie Montana, Jr., to re-create Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. With a cast of 125 cowboys, cowgirls, and Indians and 135 bison, longhorns, and horses, the show toured worldwide from London to Brazil to Singapore. The group was particularly well received in Japan, where it performed four to five shows daily for four months. The last wild west performance was near Glacier National Park in northern Montana. Back in Texas, Robbins produced the Rudy Robbins Western Show and the All American Cowboy Get-Together, a two-day event of music, poetry, cooking, arts, crafts, and demonstrations. He was also active in the "Keep Bandera Western" campaign.
Rudy formed the Spirit of Texas, a western harmony group, which in 1991 was named by the Texas State Senate as the "Official Cowboy Band for Texas". Modeled on the old Sons of the Pioneers, the band performed for such celebrities as Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Rogers, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, and Tom Selleck, as well as General Norman Schwarzkopf and Texas Governors Ann W. Richards and George W. Bush. Robbins and the Canadian Yodeler Shirley Field co-authored "How to Yodel the Cowboy Way", which can still be obtained through Amazon.com. Robbins also wrote short stories for Cowboy Magazine. He is featured in the Museum of the Gulf Coast, which is administered by the Port Arthur Historical Society. Among his awards, Rudy was made honorary town Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona, honorary deputy Sheriff of Pima County (Tucson), Arizona, and "Outstanding Cowboy of the 20th Century" for Bandera County. He was commissioned an admiral in the Texas Navy by former Governor Bill Clements. He was awarded a plaque for excellence by the Texas Stuntmen's Association.
Rudy is the father of one son, Jody Eldred and his fiancee' Pam Cablayan of Marina Del Rey, California. Jody is a producer, director, and cameraman in the film and television industry. He is also survived by his sister Barbara Miles and husband Jim of Florida, 2 brothers, Lon Robbins and wife Betty of Nederland, and Charles "Doo" Robbins of Nederland and numerous nieces and nephews.
A longtime head usher at First Baptist Bandera, Rudy and his son were privileged to travel to the Holy Land together in 2000. Rudy would be quick to tell you that none of his accomplishments or honors begin to compare to the eternal life Jesus bought for him on the cross. As his days on this earth were ending he often remarked, "My bags are packed and I have my ticket in my hand, paid in full by Jesus. I'm ready to go." And at 10:25 AM Monday February 21, with his family and friends at his side, the angels punched his ticket and took him home.
The family will receive friends at the Funeral Home on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 4-6 PM.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 2:30 PM at the First Baptist Church in Bandera with Bro. David Collett and Bro. Larry Taylor officiating. Interment will follow at Bandera Cemetery.
ROBBINS, Rudy Warner
Born: 11/17/1933, Evergreen, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Died: 2/21/2011, Bandrea, Texas, U.S.A.
Rudy Robbins' westerns - actor, stuntman:
The Alamo - 1960 (Tennessean)
Two Rode Together - 1961 [stunts]
McLintock! - 1963 [stunts]
Cheyenne Autumn - 1964 [stunts]
Gunsmoke (TV) - 1964 [stunts]
The Rounders - 1965 [stunts]
Daniel Boone (TV) - 1966 (Josh Cutler)
Rio Lobo - 1970 [stunts]
Posted by Tom B. at 2:56 PM 1 comment:
Monday, February 21, 2011
RIP Anne Diamond
June 4, 1923 - January 29, 2011
Anne Diamond Brownstone, a Theatre, Film and Television actress, passed away peacefully at age 87 on Jan 29th in her Manhattan apt. Anne starred in 100's of radio shows in Hollywood opposite every major star of the day including John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. She wrote & starred in early TV shows such as Dragnet, Burns & Allen, The Nurses, & Tombstone Territory, and on stage played opposite James Whitmore, Claire Trevor, and Robert Redford to name a few. Well-known in Hollywood and a regular leading actress at The Pasadena Playhouse, she was referred to as "The L'il Gem" in the column "The Boulevardier" from her maiden name 'Diamond'. After her husband Joseph Brownstone's early death she worked as Assistant to the President of Actors' Equity Association to Theodore Bikel, Ellen Burstyn and Colleen Dewhurst, and was granted a Lifetime Membership to Actors' Equity for her devotion to the Union. She returned to the stage in 1992 touring in Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers and Moon Over Buffalo. Anne is survived by 3 children, Robert Brownstone, an attorney who is Technology & eDiscovery Counsel at Fenwick & West LLP, Diana Brownstone, a Broadway Actress & Astrologer and Richard Brownstone, Upper School Dean/English Teacher at Packer-Collegiate Institute, and 3 grandchildren.
DIAMOND, Anne
Born: 6/4/1923, U.S.A.
Died: 1/29/2011, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.
Anne Diamond's western - actress:
Tombstone Territrory (TV) - 1958 (Flo)
Posted by Tom B. at 12:31 PM No comments:
Saturday, February 19, 2011
RIP Walter Seltzer
Seltzer was a publicist for films like Mutiny on the Bounty and Marty, and as part of MGM's publicity team, fed stories to gossip columnists about stars like Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.
In the '60s and '70s, he produced films for Marlon Brando and Charleton Heston's production companies, including Soylent Green, The Omega Man, Shake Hands With the Devil and One-Eyed Jacks.
Seltzer's work on behalf of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which cares for aging industry employees at its retirement home, took off in earnest by the '80s. He helped raise $60 million for the cause and was awarded its Silver Medallion for humanitarian achievement in 1986.
In an interview, Seltzer said, "I am proud that the Motion Picture & Television Fund is still around and is still serving the industry we all love. I hope that, in the future, it will continue to be underwritten by industry companies as well as individuals and generous corporations, so we can continue to provide unique services for our unique industry."
SELTZER, Walter
Born: 11/7/1914, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Died: 2/18/2011, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.A.
Walter Seltzer's westerns - producer:
One-Eyed Jacks - 1961 [executive producer]
Will Penny - 1968 [producer]
The Last Hard Men - 1976 [producer]
Posted by Tom B. at 3:35 PM No comments:
RIP Johan du Plooy
Du Plooy's grandson, also Johan, who shares his name, said his grandfather acted in about 80 films during his career. "He was a very upstanding person and loved by his family and also loved by the guys at the SABC," said his grandson.
[John du Plooy with Jaime Uys pictured above]
du PLOOY, Johan
Born: 1927, South Africa
Died: 2/17/2011, Roodepoort, South Africa
John du Plooy's western - actor:
Kimberly Jim - 1963
They Call Me Lucky - 1973
Posted by Tom B. at 12:48 PM No comments:
Friday, February 18, 2011
RIP Darrell Milstead
A native of Saginaw, Michigan, and an Air Force veteran, he began his career in engineering as an electrical apprentice and was soon on a rapid climb through the ranks and into management positions with more than 9 different companies. He has been responsible for multi-million dollar design and construction operations in more than 20 states all across America.
His executive reputation was built on his skills in value engineering, high-level trouble-shooting, and the ability to motivate employees while containing costs, maximizing productivity, and increasing profits. From his days as a foreman and project manager to his years as President and Chairman of the Board, Milstead believed in the philosophy of teamwork and a lean management team. He also practiced and wass emphatic about the role of continuing education and training for all staff and executives. He recognized the value of expanding one's knowledge in the technical, creative and marketing spheres of their business...in order to keep on the forward edge of progress on all levels.
In addition to his credentials and achievements as a corporate leader, Milstead had a unique background in the arts...as a musician, dancer, stage designer, actor, director and producer. His well-rounded lifestyle also included such diverse activities as: piloting light aircraft, open water diving, water and first aid instructor, judo and martial arts competition, ranch operator and horse trainer, rifle marksmanship, former training officer for the Arizona Rangers, former Captain of the Cass County Sheriff's Posse, and founding member of Reel Cowboys.
The extraordinary combination of business experience, executive skill, creative know-how, and extra-curricular insights, brought a special new energy and spirit of independence and innovation to the motion picture industry.
Milstead believed that success began with a clear vision and realistic goals. To his he added simplicity of operations, entrepreneurial enthusiasm, discipline, and intelligent decision-making...all this plus a willingness to adapt to change, the recognition of invisible opportunities and a work ethic that balances the wise use of time and money.
MILSTEAD, Darrell
Born: 4/1/1934, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.A.
Died: 2/14/2011, California, U.S.A.
Darrell Milstead's western - producer:
True Legends of the West - 2003
Posted by Tom B. at 7:22 AM 4 comments:
Thursday, February 17, 2011
RIP John Strauss
John Strauss, a composer and sound editor whose work includes theme songs from early TV shows and the film and soundtrack for Oscar best picture winner Amadeus, has died. He was 90.
Strauss passed away Monday night at a nursing home in West Los Angeles after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, said his son, Larry Strauss.
In a career that spanned nearly 50 years, Strauss won an Emmy Award for sound editing (1977's The Amazing Howard Hughes) and a Grammy for best classical album of 1984 (Milos Forman's Amadeus).
Along with producing the soundtrack album for the eight-time Oscar winner, Strauss served as the film's music coordinator and is briefly seen onscreen as a conductor. He also wrote the brief composition that the Count shows to Mozart, who mocks the effort.
Strauss coordinated the music for three other Forman films: Hair (1979), Ragtime (1981) and Valmont (1989), for which he also composed part of the score.
However, Strauss' most widely recognizable composition is probably the theme from Car 54, Where Are You?, the 1961-63 NBC series that starred Joe. E. Ross and Fred Gwynne. He also scored The Phil Silvers Show and the Elaine May film Mikey and Nicky (1976) and served as music editor on NBC series L.A. Law.
The New York native worked as sound editor on early Woody Allen films Take the Money and Run (1969), Bananas (1971) and Every Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Sex ... (1972). He did the original Heartbreak Kid and Slaughterhouse-Five, both in 1972, and was music supervisor on The Blues Brothers (1980), Impromptu (1991) and The Pirates of Penzance (1983).
His theater credits include a song from the 1960s Broadway musical Pickwick.
Strauss was married to actress Charlotte Rae, for whom he wrote arrangements for her 1955 album Songs I Taught My Mother and with whom he collaborated on cabaret shows. They divorced in 1975. Strauss then became life partners with artist Lionel Friedman, who died in 2003.
Strauss served in France and North Africa during World War II, studied under Paul Hindemith at the Yale School of Music and taught briefly at New York's High School of Performing Arts. He composed two ballets for the Joffrey Ballet, and his opera, The Accused, was performed by soprano Patricia Neway and televised on the NBC Opera series of the 1950s.
In addition to Rae, with whom he remained friends, and Larry, Strauss is survived by his daughter-in-law Eleanor and grandchildren Carly, Nora and Sean.
STRAUSS, John
Born: 1921 New York, U.S.A.
Died: 2/14/2011, West Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
John Strauss' western - musical arranger:
Little Big Man - 1970
Posted by Tom B. at 4:09 PM 1 comment:
RIP Jeannette Batti
BATTI, Jeannette (aka Janette Batti, Jeannette Batty)
Born: 9/6/1921, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, France
Died: 2/10/2011, Courbevoie, Ile-de-France, France
Jeannette Batti's western - actress:
River Pirates of the Mississippi - 1963 (Mrs. Bridleford) [as Jeannette Batty]
Posted by Tom B. at 8:56 AM No comments:
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
RIP Len Lesser
"It was very peaceful," his daughter, Michele Lesser, told CNN, saying the family had hoped for a quick and painless death. "He was a great grandpa, and an amazing father. He had a heart of gold -- and a sense of humor of platinum."
Best known as Jerry Seinfeld's Uncle Leo on TV's "Seinfeld," Lesser made more than 500 film, television and stage appearances. His TV roles ranged from "Studio One in Hollywood" in 1949 to a 2009 role on "Castle."
In addition to "Seinfeld," he had a recurring role as Garvin on "Everybody Loves Raymond." He also appeared on "ER," "Mad About You," "Thirtysomething," "Falcon Crest," "Quincy M.E.," "The Rockford Files," "Kojak," "The Bob Newhart Show," "The Mod Squad," "Green Acres," "All In The Family," "The Monkees," "Get Smart," "My Favorite Martian," "Ben Casey" and "The Untouchables."
Lesser's films included "Gallipoli," "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Kelly's Heroes."
Lesser also served in the Army during World War II.
In addition to his daughter Michelle, Lesser is survived by a son, David, David's wife Julie and the couple's three children.
LESER, Len (Leonard King Lesser)
Born: 12/3/1922, New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 2/16/2011, Burbank, California, U.S.A.
Len Lesser's westerns - actor
Sheriff of Cochise (TV) - 1957 (Harry Nixdorf)
Gunsmoke (TV) - 1957, 1958 (townsman)
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV) - 1958 (Boldt)
The Texan (TV) - 1958 (Brad)
Tombstone Territory (TV) - 1960
Hotel de Paree (TV) - 1960 (Cleve Turnbull)
Bat Masterson (TV) - 1960 (Frank Holloway)
Stoney Burke (TV) - 1962, 1963 (Leo, Detective Sam)
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV) - 1963 (Wes Matlock)
Temple Houston (TV) - 1963 (Orley Baldwin)
The Wild Wild West (TV) - 1965 (Mason)
Laredo (TV) - 1966 (Dirk)
The Last Challenge - 1967 (Ed)
Death Valley Days (TV) - 1968 (Spider)
Bonanza (TV) - 1970, 1972 (Fred Gaskell, Francher)
Dirty Little Billy - 1972 (Slits)
Barbary Coast (TV) - 1975 (clerk)
The Oulaw Josey Wales - 1976 (Abe)
Death Hunt - 1981 (Lewis)
Posted by Tom B. at 8:40 PM No comments:
Monday, February 14, 2011
RIP Kenneth Mars
(02-14) 15:24 PST GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (AP) --
Kenneth Mars, a Mel Brooks collaborator who played a Hitler-worshipping playwright in "The Producers" and an earnest police inspector with a malfunctioning artificial arm in "Young Frankenstein," has died. He was 75.
In a statement Monday, Mars family said the actor died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Grenada Hills.
In Brooks' 1968 romp "The Producers," Mars co-starred as Franz Liebkind, a Nazi enthusiast whose play, "Springtime for Hitler," is the basis for a scheme by two conniving showmen (Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder) to bilk investors by putting on a surefire Broadway flop.
Brooks cast Mars again in 1974's "Young Frankenstein" as the constable poking around the castle grounds on the trail of mad scientist Wilder's monster.
In both films, the Chicago-born Mars demonstrated his talent for vocal farce, lending over-the-top German accents to the characters.
Mars' nearly 50-year career included a long list of voice credits, including "The Little Mermaid,""The Jetsons" and the "The Land Before Time" movies and TV series.
Among Mars' other film credits were Woody Allen's "Radio Days" and "Shadows and Fog," and Peter Bogdanovich's "What's Up, Doc." His extensive television work featured regular roles on "Malcolm in the Middle,""Fernwood Tonight" and the 1960s series "He & She."
On stage, Mars appeared in such plays as "The Affair" and "Anything Goes."
Mars is survived by two daughters, Susannah Mars Johnson and Rebecca Mars Tipton, and six grandchildren.
A private funeral service was planned.
MARS, Kenneth
Born : 4/14/1936, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Died: 2/12/2011, Granada Hills, California, U.S.A.
Kenneth Mars' westerns - actor:
Gunsmoke (TV) - 1967 (Clyde Hays)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - 1969 (Marshal)
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again - 1979 (Marshal Wooly Bill Hitchcock)
Posted by Tom B. at 3:36 PM No comments:
RIP David F. Friedman
Friedman's niece, Bridgett Everett, said he died of heart failure Monday morning at a nursing home.
Friedman was an independent movie producer who was credited with helping create "gore" or splatter movies. He produced "Blood Feast" in 1963 for $24,500. His niece says the cult classic ended up netting $6.5 million for him and the other investors.
Friedman spent much of his career in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. He moved to Anniston in 1988 to be near family.
Visitation will be from 1-5 p.m. Saturday at K.L Brown Funeral Home in Anniston.
FRIEDMAN, David F. (David Frank Friedman)
Born: 12/24/1923, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.
Died: 2/14/2011, Anniston, Albama, U.S.A.
David F. Friedman's westerns - producer, screenwriter, actor:
Brand of Shame (Nude Django) - 1968 [producer, screenwriter, actor]
The Ramrodder - 1969 [producer]
The Erotic Adventures of Zorro - 1972 [producer, screenwriter, actor
Posted by Tom B. at 9:20 AM No comments:
Sunday, February 13, 2011
RIP Manuel Esperon
The musicalizador of more than 500 films, mostly during the Golden Age, he suffered a respiratory arrest.
Posted: 13/02/2011 17:21
Mexico, DF. The Mexican composer Manuel Esperon one of the most important of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, died Sunday at 99-year-old victim of a respiratory arrest.
According to agency staff funenaria Felix Cuevas, the remains of the composer, who died today, 10 minutes after noon, will be veiled in one of its rooms.
The creator of iconic themes such as Amorcito heart , my darling and Ay Jalisco, no give in! , excelled in the art world, thanks to the gift of writing songs that have become anthems that identify people of Mexico, which became hits in the voices of singers like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante.
Manuel Esperon's talent extended to the big screen musicalizar over 500 films during his career, that during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Over 947 songs are part of his musical legacy he left immortalized in such films as: For your damn love , My dear old , We the poor , The three Garcia , The Abandoned , Eyes of Youth and Death in love , to name a few titles.
Worked with leading figures such as Alberto Vázquez, María Félix, Antonio Aguilar, Elsa Aguirre, Silvia Pinal, Maria Antonieta Pons, Libertad Lamarque and Irma Dorantes.
In addition to Lola Beltrán, Ernestina Garfias, Antonio Aguilar, Luis Aguilar, Javier Solis, Manuel Capetillo, Demetrio González, Mario Moreno Cantinflas , Germain Valdés Tin Tan , Joaquin Pardavé and Alberto Vazquez, among others.
The composer will have a tribute for his musical contribution to the film industry and the national popular culture during the 26th edition of International Film Festival Guadalajara (FICG26), to be held March 25 to April 1.
Moreover, in his honor, last year unveiled a plaque in the Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City. Esperon is considered the most prolific of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Manuel Esperon Gonzalez was born in Mexico City on 3 August 1911, the artistic side he inherited from his mother, Raquel Gonzalez Cantu, who was a pianist and belonged to an aristocratic family and their great-grandparents were French, Yucatan and Monterrey.
From an early age showed willingness and talent for music, at age 14 began formally studying piano and music. He learned the piano with a teacher who was very dear to him, Alfredo Carrasco, author of the famous song Goodbye .
Subsequently, Esperon was entered in the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts and then studied at the Escuela Superior de Música del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes.
His foray into music was as a pianist in silent films, then developed as an arranger and orchestrator of the music that made other authors for the first sound film productions.
Began writing professionally in 1933 for the movie "Woman of the Port." From this work he developed his career as a film composer, created the background music of more than 500 films and about 947 songs.
Manuel Esperon mariachi introduced the film and instructed him to study music, in this way, he could attach the mariachi band for the instrumental arrangements of the films.
Composer was head of the great film idols of the Golden Age, including highlighting Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante. He touched on Pedro Infante find great value in interpretation for the popular song, and though Peter wanted to sing in the manner of Jorge Negrete, managed to convince him to take the style that made him succeed.
A similar case happened with Jorge Negrete, who wanted to play opera, and never imagined singing other songs. In the beginning was hard to convince him to switch to another genre.
In the voice could be heard Negrete Esperon issues as Ay Jalisco no give in! , Cocula , Jalisco These high , Serenata Ochoa , among many others.
Manuel Esperon achieved great recognition in a short time and thus became musical director of nearly 500 films. Parallel was artistic director of several radio stations.
His music is still played by the vernacular singers and mariachi bands, as well as trios bolero and even has arranged for symphony orchestras. He has received numerous awards for his career in Mexico and in U.S. cities like San Antonio, Texas and Los Angeles, California.
In 1989 he won the National Award for Arts and Crafts and a year later he received the President of Mexico, the National Prize of Arts and Sciences, the highest award that is given to people whose work has influenced decisively the country.
In addition, he is awarded the Silver Goddess PECIME (Mexico's Film Journalists) and the honorable council of the city of Guadalajara given a Diploma and a Gold Medal for 57 years of artistic creation to the State of Jalisco and the city of Guadalajara. He is granted entry into the Hall of Fame, by the COMEDEP.
In 2001, he paid homage at the Palace of Fine Arts in the Historic Center of Mexico City, also received the Trustees Award (Prize of the Council), the Latin Recording Academy (Latin Grammy) in 2004.
ESPERON, Manuel (Manuel Esperon Gonzalez)
Born: 8/3/1911, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Died: 2/13/2011, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico
Manuel Esperon's westerns - composer actor:
Jesusita en Chihuahua - 1942
Love in Jalisco - 1942
Cuando hable el corazón - 1943
Hands Across the Border - 1944 [soundtrack]
Hasta que perdió Jalisco - 1945
El tigre de Jalisco - 1947
Tres hombres malos - 1949
El siete machos - 1951
My Outlaw Brother - 1951
El enamorado - 1952
The Children of Maria Morales - 1952
Watch Out for Love - 1954
El aguila en 'El vengador solitario' - 1954
El rapto - 1954
El 7 leguas - 1955
Los gavilanes - 1956
Pancho López - 1957 [musical director]
Gritenme piedras del campo - 1957
El jinete solitario - 1958
30-30 Carbine - 1958
Ángel del infierno - 1959
El ciclón - 1959
Dicen que soy hombre malo - 1960
Viva la parranda - 1960
Ladrón que roba a ladrón - 1960
Chip on the Shoulder - 1960
Stray Bullet - 1960
Remolino - 1961
Tres balas perdidas - 1961
Mi guitarra y mi caballo - 1961
Juan sin miedo - 1961
Martin Santos el llanero - 1962
The White Horse - 1962
Los cinco halcones - 1962
El centauro del norte - 1962
¡En peligro de muerte! - 1962
Vuelven los cinco halcones - 1962
Juan guerrero - 1963
Vuelve el Norteño - 1964
El halcón solitario - 1964
El último cartucho - 1965
Los tres calaveras - 1965 [also actor]
Alma grande - 1966
Los tres salvajes - 1966
Los cuatro Juanes - 1966
Juan Colorado - 1966
Juan Pistolas - 1966
The Two Rivals - 1966
The Bandits - 1967
A Real Man - 1983
Posted by Tom B. at 5:34 PM No comments:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
RIP Peter Alexander
The Austrian actor, singer and entertainer Peter Alexander is dead confirmed his spokeswoman Erika Swatosch in the early hours of Sunday, the Austrian news agency APA.
Alexander was for more than 30 years on of the most popular entertainers in Germany. He appeared in 50 movies and 40 TV shows and recorded over 120 recordings.
According to the spokeswoman, who "on behalf of the family", commented Alexander died on Saturday February 12th. Information on the cause of death was not made in the statement, APA reported that, "The funeral will take place in the closest family circle," it said.
Alexander was born in Vienna in 1926 under the name of Peter Alexander Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer son of a banker. An ongoing study of medicine he traded after one year of a British prisoner of war against an acting training at the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar, which he graduated in 1948.
He taught himself how to sing and play the piano. Even during his training, he intended more for Peter Alexander, to become a professional comedian.
His first song "Das machen nur die Beine von Dolores" in 1952 was a great success. In the same year he began a career as a film actor. Among his most successful films include, for example, "Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager" in 1955, "Charley's Tante" in 1963 and "Im Weissen Rössl" in 1969.
On Austrian television in 1952 Alexander was at first seen as a quiz master on German television, he was one of TV's the most popular entertainers. On ZDF in 1969, he had his own show "Peter Alexander Show".
With Soccer's 1986 World Cup in Mexico Peter sang the German national team with the title "Mexico mi amor." Until his resignation from the stage in the early 1990s he continued on with his "Peter Alexander Show" - a mixture of music, skits and guests - for joy.
For his decades of achievements in showbiz, he received a Bambi including six times and four times the Golden Camera.
In recent years he has been quiet, "Peter the Great," as his fans call him affectionately. From the mid-1990s, the entertainer moved increasingly into private life and spent most of his time at his country home at the Wörthersee.
Especially after the death of his wife he had withdrawn more and more of the public. In 2009 he also lost his daughter, Susan Neumayer, in a car accident in Thailand.
ALEXANDER, Peter (Peter Alexander Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer)
Born: 6/30/1926, Vienna, Austria
Died: 2/12/2011, Vienna, Austria
Peter Alexander's western - actor:
County Bobby, the Terror of the Wild West - 1965 (Count Bobby Pinelski)
Posted by Tom B. at 7:17 PM No comments:
RIP Betty Garrett
A revered figure in the Los Angeles theater community, she was the recipient of nearly every artistic award the city could bestow, including Career Achievement Awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle and the Ovation Awards, and the Queen of the Angels Award from L.A. Weekly. She was a founding member of the 49-year-old Theatre West, and was moderator of its Musical Comedy workshop until the time of her death. She frequently appeared on the Theatre West stage. Her final shows there included "Nunsense," the Los Angeles premiere of Noel Coward's "Waiting in the Wings," and a revue, "Betty Garrett, Closet Songwriter."
A Broadway star, she appeared in thirteen Broadway shows, among them "Call Me Mister," "Bells Are Ringing," "The Supporting Cast," the revival of "Follies," and the 1963 production of "Spoon River Anthology" originally developed at Theatre West.
She appeared in a dozen films, including classic Hollywood musicals including "Words and Music," "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Neptune's Daughter," "On The Town," "Hit Parade of 1951," and "My Sister Eileen."
She was also a popular television performer, best known for her work on "All in the Family," for which she received a Golden Globe ®, and "Laverne and Shirley." She received an Emmy ® nomination in 2003 for a guest appearance on "Becker." Her final TV appearance was on "Grey's Anatomy" in 2006.
Betty Garrett received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.
A longtime social activist, in her later years she was active in supporting activities of charities assisting those living with HIV/AIDS.
Widowed in 1975 from the late actor Larry Parks, she is survived by her son , actor Andrew Parks and his wife Katy Melody; her son, composer Garrett Parks and his wife, actor Karen Culliver Parks; and a granddaughter, Madison Claire Parks.
A memorial will be planned for a later date. Donations in Ms. Garrett's memory can be made to Theatre West, the Actors' Fund, or S.T.A.G.E.
GARRETT, Betty (Annie Wright Seminary)
Born: 5/23/1919, St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.A.
Died: 2/12/2011, Westwood, California, U.S.A.
Betty Garrett's western - actress:
Harts of the West (TV) - 1994 (Thelma)
Posted by Tom B. at 6:05 PM No comments:
Friday, February 11, 2011
RIP Nicola Rizzo
Worked at various studios for more than three decades
By VARIETY STAFF
Hollywood costume designer Nicola Rizzi died of lung cancer on Feb. 5 in San Clemente, Calif. He was 84.
Rizzi was a freelance costume designer who worked for studios including 20th Century Fox, Paramount Studios, Burbank Studios, Culver City, Universal and Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope beginning in 1962.
Born in Giovinazzo, Italy, Rizzi migrated first to Toronto, where he worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Co. He moved to Los Angeles in the early '60s.
Film credits include "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "One From the Heart" and "Silverado"; he worked with Coppola, Terry Garr, Sylvester Stallone, Dolly Parton, Lainie Kazan and Roberto Benigni, among others. "L.A. Law" was the last show on which he worked; he retired in 1995.
He was a member of Motion Pictures Costumers Local 705.
Survivors include two sons, a daughter and three grandchildren.
Funeral will be at noon Friday at St. Edwards the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, Calif.
RIZZO, Nicola
Born: 1927, Giovinazzo, Puglia, Bari, Italy
Died: 2/5/201, San Clemente, California, U.S.A.
Nicola Rizzo's western - tailor:
Silverado - 1985
Posted by Tom B. at 6:21 PM No comments:
Thursday, February 10, 2011
RIP William Justice
Justice joined Walt Disney Studios in 1937 and animated Thumper in 'Bambi' and Chip 'n' Dale. He directed the animated opening for the TV series 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'
By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times
February 11, 2011
Bill Justice, a former Walt Disney Studios animator who worked on classics such as "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Alice in Wonderland" and later joined Walt Disney Imagineering where he helped program Audio-Animatronics figures for attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, died Thursday, a day after he turned 97.
Justice died of natural causes in a nursing home in Santa Monica, said Ted King, a family friend.
An Ohio native who launched his career at Walt Disney Studios in 1937, Justice's credits as a Disney animator include "Saludos Amigos," "Victory Through Air Power," "The Three Caballeros," "Make Mine Music" and "Peter Pan."
Among the characters Justice animated were Thumper in "Bambi" and the mischievous Chip 'n' Dale.
Justice also directed the animated Mickey Mouse March opening for the popular 1950s TV series "The Mickey Mouse Club."
"If he'd done nothing else but direct that unforgettable Mickey Mouse Club opening, he'd have a place in the hearts of baby-boomer Disney fans everywhere," said film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, adding that Justice had a long and diverse career at Disney.
"He did so many different things over the course of his career and wound up as an Imagineer, bringing the same sense of inventiveness to that field as he did to animation," Maltin said.
After joining Walt Disney Imagineering in 1965, Justice helped program Audio-Animatronics figures for Disneyland attractions such as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Carousel of Progress, Mission to Mars, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree and America Sings.
He later was involved with the Hall of Presidents attraction at Walt Disney World and is said to have "masterminded" the Mickey Mouse Revue featured at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.
Justice was born Feb. 9, 1914, in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Indianapolis. He studied to be a portrait artist at the John Herron Art Institute, which is now affiliated with Indiana University in Indianapolis. He moved to California after graduating in 1935.
In the 1950s and early '60s, Justice directed three Oscar-nominated Disney animated shorts, "Noah's Ark," "A Symposium on Popular Songs" and "The Truth About Mother Goose."
Teamed with Disney colleagues X Atencio and T. Hee, Justice also did stop-motion animation in live-action Disney features such as "The Parent Trap," "Mary Poppins" and "Babes in Toyland."
"Bill was the leader of our trio," said Atencio. "He was a great animator, particularly on the short subject. He was as good as they came."
Justice also designed the floats and costumes for the first Disneyland Christmas Parade and created sketches for the first Main Street Electrical Parade.
Justice, who retired in 1979, chronicled his 42 years at Disney in the book "Justice for Disney," which Maltin described as "a vivid personal reminiscence."
"In his later years," Maltin said, "he was happy to attend Disney fan conventions and was notorious for drawing Disney characters on linen hotel napkins or paper plates wherever he went."
Justice is survived by his wife, Kim; his daughter, Melissa Justice; and a granddaughter.
Services are pending.
JUSTICE, William
Born: 2/9/1914, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A.
Died: 2/10/2011, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.
William Justice's western - director:
A Cowboy Needs a Horse - 1956
Posted by Tom B. at 8:08 PM No comments:
RIP Edward J. McDonald
In Memory of Edward J. McDonald
The SDSA announces the passing of beloved colleague Edward J. McDonald on February 2nd.
Eddie McDonald had a long and distinguished career as a Set Decorator. An SDSA member prior to retirement, Eddie was the recipient of four Emmy Award nominations, taking home the trophy in 1988 for the period piece telefilm "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Other works include feature films "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", TV films "Mrs. Sundance" and "Studs Lonigan" (Emmy nomination), and TV series "Barney Miller", "Beyond Westworld" (Emmy Nomination), "Night Court" and The Drew Carey Show, ending his career with another Emmy nomination.. A favorite among vendors, Eddie was as kind and thoughtful as he was professional, he was known for taking personal interest in the well-being of staff members of the businesses he frequented. Mr. McDonald will be missed by a great many people.
McDONALD, Edward J.
Died: 2/2/2011, Glendale, California, U.S.A.
Edward J.McDonalds's western - set director:
Mrs. Sundance (TV) - 1974
Posted by Tom B. at 2:38 PM 2 comments:
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
RIP Peggy Rea
Character actress, Peggy Rea, 89, known for her many roles in television series, and a number of films, died at her home in Toluca Lake on February 5th. She died of complications from congestive heart failure. Peggy was born in Los Angeles to her parents, Jack and Ruth Rea, on March 31, 1921. Peggy began her television acting career in the 1960's as a member of Red Skelton's TV stock company. Among her recurring roles in television were as Olivia Walton's cousin, Rose Burton, on "The Walton's", as man chasing, Lulu Hogg on "The Dukes of Hazzard", as Ivy Baker, the mother of Suzanne Sommers' character on "Step by Step", and as Brett Butler's mom, Jean Kelly on "Grace Under Fire". Peggy also appeared in such television programs as "I Love Lucy", "Sergeant Bilko", "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke" "Ironside", "Hunter", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Burke's Law", and "MacGyver". Among her many film credits are "Cold Turkey" (1971) "In Country" (1989), "Love Field" (1992), and "Made in America" (1993). Interment will take place at 11:00 a.m., on Monday, February 28, at Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Drive. Santa Barbara, in the Mausoleum in the Pines Courtyard.
REA, Peggy
Born: 3/31/1921, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 2/5/2011, Toluca Lake, California, U.S.A.
Peggy Rea's westerns - actress:
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV) - 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963
Gunsmoke (TV) - 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971
7 Faces of Dr Lau - 1964
The Wild Wild West (TV) - 1966
Death Valley Days (TV) - 1969
Bonanza (TV) - 1971
How the West Was Won (TV) - 1977
Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (TV) - 1978
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
RIP Donald S. Sanford
March 17,1918 - February 8, 2011
Donald S. Sanford, died Feb. 8, 2011. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Teddi, and his step-chlldren, Jennifer Levinson, Daniel Levison, and Michael Levinson, all of Atlanta. Don served in the U.S. Navy before beginning his career in radio and television. He had a long and successful career, which included over 200 credits and several Writers Guild Awards. His movie "Midway" has become a cult classic. He wrote many episodes of Bonanza, Perry Mason, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Telephone Hour, Loretta Young Show, General Hospital, just to name a few. His movie credits in addition to "Midway" included "Ravengers", "Thousand Plane Raid", and numerous others. He was also a key member of the Pension and Health Finance Committee for the Writers Guild Pension and Health Fund for many years and was instrumental in getting one of the best health plans in the country. When he retired from writing he embarked on a new career as CEO of Stansbury Inc., a company that mined vermiculite. He was an excellent tennis player, a seasoned backpacker (hiking for 28 days on the Muir Trail), and really a man for all seasons. He loved animals and birds and on our deck in L.A., birds would perch on his hand to be fed. He also loved gardening and supplyed neighbors with beautiful vegetables every season. He was a classical music buff and could identify any symphony as well as a history of the composer. He played the flute for many years but decided he could never master it so he just listened and enjoyed. He was the kind of person that everyone wanted to sit next to at a dinner party. He knew how to listen, as well as how to converse. He was very comfortable being alone with himself and his music. Much of his work was requested by and donated to the University of Wisconsin. He was a gentle and kind person and will be very much missed and always remembered. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA 30327. There will be a private Celebration of Life gathering, Thursday, February 12, 2011 from 4-6:30 PM at Park Place. Arrangements handled by Fischer Funeral Care and Cremation Services, Atlanta, 678.514.1000
SANFORD, Donald S.
Born: 3/17/1918, U.S.A.
Died: 2/8/2011, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.
Donald S. Sanford's westerns - screenwriter:
Wagon Train (TV) - 1959
Bonanza (TV) - 1959
The Wide Country (TV) - 1962
The Virginian (TV) - 1962
Laramie (TV) - 1963
Temple Houston (TV) - 1963, 1964
The Monroes (TV) - 1966
Gunsmoke (TV) - 1970, 1971
Posted by Tom B. at 5:20 PM No comments:
Monday, February 7, 2011
RIP Michael Habeck
After a time at the Frankfurt Schauspielhaus which Habeck belonged to the mid-80s, and the ensemble of the Munich Chamber he appeared in international film productions such as Jean-Jacques Annaud's 'The Name of the Rose', where he embodied the bald-headed, homophilic monk Berengar. Michael Habeck passed away last Friday, February 4, 2011 at the Schwabinger Institution in Munich. He died after a short illness at the age of 66.
HABECK, Michael
Born: 4/23/1944, Bad Grönenbach, Bavaria, Germany
Died: 2/4/2011, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Michael Habeck's westerns - actor, voice actor:
Texas Doc Snyder - 1993 (Buckliger)
Asterix Conquerors America - 1994 [German voice of Lucullus]
Saturday, February 5, 2011
RIP Eddie Fowlie
Richmond - Twickenham Times
February 4, 2011
By Clare Buchanan
A Hollywood special effects expert whose humble beginnings transformed into a remarkable career rubbing shoulders with the stars has died aged 89.
From creating quicksand in Lawrence of Arabia, to blowing up a bridge on the River Kwai, Eddie Fowlie led an adventurous life.
Born and brought up in Teddington, Mr Fowlie landed his first job at Kingston's Hawker Aircraft factory, helping to build fury biplanes. Quickly realising factory work was not for him, he joined the war effort with an 18-month stint before being discharged due to an injured leg. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In the hospital, pondering his next move, Mr Fowlie got chatting to a soldier in a neighbouring bed, who told him he had worked in a film studio before the war. Not one to shy from adventure, Mr Fowlie wasted no time in heading to the Warner Brothers film studios in Teddington where he landed himself a job as a set dresser and worked on his first major film, Captain Horatio Hornblower. It was here he became known for his ability to go the extra mile for every film and he cultivated his interest in special effects and explosives. A breath of fresh air to Hollywood, he broke into the golden era of cinema and went on to join some of the world's leading film directors and worked on some of the biggest films of our time, including Doctor Zhivago, Swiss Family Robinson and the Three Musketeers.
On the set of the Bridge on the River Kwai, in 1956, Mr Fowlie forged a friendship with legendary film director David Lean, which lasted until his death in 1991. He worked on all of Lean's films and the pair became inseparable as working colleagues and friends. Mr Fowlie's retirement to Spain coincided with the boom of special effects in cinema, however, his skill is still recognised as remarkable. He received a standing ovation when he was presented a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to film making at the International Short Film Festival in Almería in December 2009. But Mr Fowlie never forgot his roots and when asked which film school he went to he would always say he "learned everything playing in Hampton Court Palace and Richmond Park as a boy". He was also drawn to Kingston's Super Cinema saying that "despite being very old, dilapidated and infested with rats, we were drawn to like a magnet".
Mr Fowlie died in his sleep, at his home in Carboneras, Spain, on January 22, just one month after the release of his autobiography, David Lean's Dedicated Maniac – Memoirs of a Film Specialist.
FOWLIE, Eddie (Edwad George Fowlie)
Born: 8/8/1921 Teddington, Middlesex, England, U.K.
Died: 1/22/2011, Carboneras, Almeria, Spain
Eddi Fowlie's westerns - property manager:
The Desperados - 1969
Charley One-Eye - 1973
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2HahJ_8eDE
Posted by Tom B. at 9:03 AM No comments:
Friday, February 4, 2011
RIP Michael Tolan
The cause was heart disease and renal failure, his partner, Donna Peck, said. They lived in Ancram, N.Y.
By the early 1960s Mr. Tolan had had roles in films, like Edwin L. Marin's western "Fort Worth" (1951), and on Broadway, including big parts in long-running romantic comedies like Peter Ustinov's "Romanoff and Juliet." But he was dissatisfied.
"This Broadway is for the birds," he told The New York Times in 1965. "In 99 percent of the cases it has nothing to do with acting as a craft, as an art."
So Mr. Tolan began acting in televised plays, which led to roles on weekly series. In 1964 he starred as Dr. Alex Tazinski, a character he called "hard-hitting, uncompromising, somewhat antisocial" on the CBS prime-time medical drama "The Doctors and the Nurses."
He later starred on the NBC drama "The Senator" (1970-71) and appeared on other shows, including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," as Ms. Moore's journalism teacher and boyfriend, Dan Whitfield.
Mr. Tolan founded the nonprofit American Place Theater with Wynn Handman and Sidney Lanier at St. Clement's Church on West 46th Street in 1963. The theater has since moved to 9th Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets.
"We wanted to attract some of the writers who wrote fine, intelligent, deep material about American life, and see if we could interest them in writing for the theater," Mr. Tolan wrote in an unpublished memoir.
The American Place produced first plays by writers like Donald Barthelme and Anne Sexton. Faye Dunaway, Morgan Freeman and other Hollywood stars performed there early in their careers.
Michael Tolan was born Seymour Tuchow on Nov. 27, 1925, in Detroit. He graduated from Wayne State University in 1947 and performed with a repertory company in Detroit. In New York he studied under Stella Adler and won a fellowship to study acting at Stanford University.
A performance at Stanford led to his first movie role, as a gangster (under the name Lawrence Tolan, which he later changed) in "The Enforcer" (1951) with Humphrey Bogart.
He made his Broadway debut in George Axelrod's "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" in 1955, and appeared in five more Broadway plays through 1961. He later had supporting roles in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965) and "Presumed Innocent" (1990), among other films.
His two marriages ended in divorce.
In addition to Ms. Peck, he is survived by a brother, Gerald Tuchow, of Detroit; a daughter, Alexandra, of Watertown, Mass., from his first marriage, to the actress Rosemary Forsyth; and two daughters, Jenny and Emilie, both of New York, from his marriage to Carol Hume.
TOLAN, Michael (Seymour Tichnow)
Born: 11/27/1925, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
Died: 1/31/2011, Hudson, New York, U.S.A.
Michael Tolan's westerns - actor:
Fort Worth - 1951 (Mort Springer)
The Savage - 1952 (Long Mane)
Hour of the Gun - 1967 (Pete Spence)
Nichols (TV) - 1971 (Flying Fox)
Posted by Tom B. at 7:46 AM No comments:
Thursday, February 3, 2011
RIP Stefanie Staffin Kowal
At Universal, she oversaw the development, sales and production of such titles as James Michener mini 'Centennial,' 'Off the Minnesota Strip' starring Hal Holbrook and 'Little Women.'
Stefanie Kowal (aka Stefanie Cragg), the head of movies and miniseries at Universal TV during a strong era of television longform, died Jan. 26 of lung cancer at her home in Los Angeles. She was 69.
Survivors include her husband, veteran TV director-producer Stephen Cragg.
At Universal in the late 1970s and early '80s, Kowal oversaw development, sales and production of such titles as James Michener miniseries Centennial, Off the Minnesota Strip starring Hal Holbrook, Little Women and Harvest Home. She also produced the 1986 Showtime movie Slow Burn starring Eric Roberts, Beverly D'Angelo and Johnny Depp.
Kowal served as the production executive on the 1982 CBS documentary special E.T. and Friends: Magical Movie Visitors starring Robin Williams and developed and produced numerous primetime series at Universal, including 1984's The Four Seasons, starring Alan Alda.
In 1986, Kowal left Universal but continued to mentor aspiring artists and young filmmakers. Her later TV work was mostly consulting jobs, mainly with her husband. More recently, she wrote comics books as Stefanie Cragg.
Born Diana Stefanie Staffin in Chicago, Kowal worked for the syndicated advice columnist Ann Landers at the Sun-Times newspaper in the late 1960s, eventually writing and producing Landers' daily radio program on NBC. Kowal then moved to Chicago O&O WLS-TV and launched AM Chicago starring Steve Edwards, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1976.
In addition to her husband, survivors include two sisters and a brother. A memorial service is set for 3 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.
KOWAL, Stefanie Staffin (Diana Stefanie Staffin)
Born: 1941, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Died: 1/26/2010, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Stefanie Staffin Kowal's western - producer:
Centennial (TV) - 1978-1979
Posted by Tom B. at 3:48 PM No comments:
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
RIP Charles E. Sellier, Jr.
Darryl Howard, director of sales and marketing for Sellier's production company, says Sellier died unexpectedly in his home near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, on Monday. Howard declined to specify the cause of death.
Sellier produced dozens of family-friendly films and television shows, many of them with religious themes. They include "In Search of Noah's Ark" and "Mark Twain's America."
But he was perhaps best known for creating Grizzly Adams, a fictional book and television character who flees bounty hunters and recues a bear cub that grows into a companion.
SELLIER, Jr., Charles E.
Born: 1944, U.S.A.
Died: 1/31/2011, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.A.
Charles E. Sellier, Jr's. westerns - screenwriter, producer:
The Brothers O'Toole - 1973 [producer]
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams - 1974 [producer]
The Adventures of Frontier Fremont - 1976 [screenwriter, producer]
Guardian of the Wildreness - 1976 [screenwriter, producer]
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (TV) - 1977 [screenwriter, producer]
Last of the Mohicans (TV) - 1977 [producer]
Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (TV) - 1978 [producer]
The Deerslayer (TV) - 1978 [producer]
The Legend of the Wild - 1981 [producer]
California Gold Rush (TV) - 1981 [producer]
Desperado (TV) - 1987 [producer]
The Return of Desperado (TV) - 1988 [producer]
Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge (TV) - 1988 [producer]
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars (TV) - 1989 [producer]
Desperado: Badlands Justice (TV) - 1989 [producer]
Brotherhood of the Gun (TV) - 1991 [producer]
The Capture of Grizzly Adams (TV) - 1982 [screenwriter, producer]
Posted by Tom B. at 7:57 PM No comments:
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text: In the middle of a desert in an oasis is a single prospering oak tree. Near the tree is a large pool of water. Drinking from the water is said to give you eternal life but really only extends your life for as long as you continue drinking from it. Those that have found it and left, have never found it again. Some search for it still.

subset: commoncrawl


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GENEVA – Marketing campaigns can double the likelihood of condom use, according to a study published this month in the WHO Bulletin.
The study showed that people were twice as likely to use condoms, on average, if they were exposed to marketing methods, such as an effective supply of locally-branded condoms, compared to those who had not come across marketing campaigns. Similar results were also found when analysing condom use in the most recent sexual encounters. Condom use again increased significantly, with rates almost twice as high on average, after they had been targeted at consumers in a marketing drive.
The research – the first of its kind – was based on all available evidence contained in six studies carried out in India and sub-Saharan Africa between 1990 and 2010, and involving more than 23 000 people.
A doubling of condom use
Michael Sweat, one of the lead authors of the research from the Medical University of South Carolina, said: "Condom social marketing was associated with a doubling of condom use in communities. This is impressive, and demonstrates the need to maintain access to low-cost and free condoms in developing countries."
Increasing awareness
"The findings underline the importance of using condoms and the need to continually increase awareness and access to condoms through targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with local consumers and help bring about a change in behavior," added Dr Sweat.
The analysis was done through a collaboration with researchers from WHO headquarters in Switzerland, together with staff from the Medical University of South Carolina, Family Health International and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, all in the USA.
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is one of the world's leading public health journals. It is the flagship periodical of WHO, with a special focus on developing countries. Articles are peer-reviewed and are independent of WHO guidelines. Abstracts are now available in the six official languages of the United Nations.
Also in this month's issue:
- Harnessing traditional Chinese medicine for public health
- Genomics in low- and middle-income countries
- Counting the cost of calories
- Lessons from Fukushima
- Biomedical engineering in disaster management
For more information contact:
WHO Media centre
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222


text:
Flash: Two Workers at Berkeley's Ashkenaz Shot in Midnight Robbery
Suspects shot and wounded two employees at a long-standing Berkeley music venue during an armed robbery early this morning, a police spokeswoman said.
The shooting and armed robbery occurred minutes after midnight at the Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center at 1317 San Pablo Ave., Officer Jennifer Coats said.
Two armed suspects entered the crowded center and demanded cash from employees. The suspects shot and wounded two of the employees before fleeing the business, Coats said.
The wounded employees were taken to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
Officers arrived on the scene within moments and attempted to stop one of the suspects who was fleeing from the area.
The suspect ran into a yard and officers surrounded the block.
Police conducted a yard-to-yard search of the area with the aid of an Alameda County Sheriff's K-9 deputy and were found the suspect hiding behind a building in the 1300 block of San Pablo Avenue.
During the search, area residents were notified of the incident and asked to stay inside their homes.
Police have not released the name of the suspect who was arrested. The second suspect remains at large.
Detectives are investigating the incident and attempting to locate the outstanding suspect.
Police are urging anyone with any information about this morning's robbery and shooting to call the Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5742 or (510) 981-5900. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Bay Area Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Police stressed that any information could be critical to solving this case.
The Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center is an international music and dance venue and teaching center "committed to providing a great place to dance that supports local and international bands of both established and emerging artists in a respectful, comfortable, safe, and family atmosphere," according to its website.
In 1996 Ashkenaz founder David Nadel was murdered by a drunk he refused to let back into the building.
The non-profit celebrated its 40th anniversary on Thursday.


text:
UC and CC environments are generally complex and often involve multivendor technology: as complexity increases, visibility is reduced. Troubleshooting becomes a lengthy and difficult process and availability of systems become harder to ascertain.
Top 3 reasons to use Prognosis:
Key benefits of Prognosis
• Simplifies the troubleshooting of many types of issues by providing the granular data and historical information to assist in root cause analysis. Collects deep metrics using a variety of collection methods
Some key questions answered by Prognosis
• Is my voice estate up and running, are there any elements down?
Why is Prognosis a market leader?
Who benefits from Prognosis?
Voice Team: Viewing granular data helps them troubleshoot issues and resolve incidents more efficiently. Prognosis provides proactive alerts which help stop issues before they become system affecting.
Network Team: Prognosis provides clarity for network engineers to see exactly where the network could be impacting the voice estate, reducing finger pointing between the teams and helping them to understand what the voice team is seeing.
CTO: Prognosis brings to light the details that provide insight into how an estate is running. These insights assist in resolving issues that could be stopping a project being completed on time and helps realise ROI on finished projects by clarifying how well a new function has been adopted and is being utilised.
Key verticals for Prognosis
Financial services and banks
Betting and gambling
Contact Centres
Quotes from existing customers
"Prognosis means we can understand our environment better. Our voice and UC technology is complex, and the insight it gives us is invaluable."
"Within 36 hours Prognosis helped us find something that we'd been looking at for months! Because the environment is vast and the problem long-standing, the joy of discovery was immense."
"UC management is a critical piece of delivering quality services. Prognosis empowers Client Services to pro-actively avoid voice quality problems so that we can benefi t from cost savings and protect our long term client relationships."


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Trying to put the basics about building a pond into one short article is very difficult, to say the least. However, in an effort to keep it concise, I've broken it down to 15 points that you should keep in mind when building a pond.
One of the first things to remember is that no two ponds are built the same way. Each pond is built on-site, and the terrain at every site is slightly different. Another thing to remember is that the builder of the pond has put his interpretation of what a pond should look like when finished. Some will place the rocks for a waterfall in one fashion, while another may place them a little differently. Others may use plant material around the rocks with a different treatment. However, one thing should always be the same, and that is following the basics of building a quality pond.
Before you even place your shovel to the ground, however, remember to call before you dig. You want to make sure you call the local water and power authorities to make certain that there are no pipes or power lines at the place you're going to dig.
1- Select your location: Select the spot where the pond will go. Ideally, the pond should be in a location that can be seen from inside the house. That way, it can be enjoyed both indoors and out.
One thing you should keep in mind is not to build the pond where any runoff will run into or under it. Water under the liner can cause enough ground water pressure to push the liner, and the pond, right out of the hole. Also, you don't know what chemicals the neighbor up the hill is using. You don't want to find out the hard way, when it kills every living thing in the pond.
2- When building a Pond With a stream, you need to make sure that the pond is large enough. It has to be able to hold all the water that will run into it without overflowing whenever the pump or power is shut off. Otherwise, there won't be enough water in the pond to run properly once the pump or power is turned back on, without refilling it first. Most skimmers today are supplied with overflow outlets. However, there's only about a three- quarter-of-an-inch difference between optimum and overflow levels.
A 10- to 12-foot long, shallow, meandering stream easily holds 15 to 20 gallons of water. The longer, wider, and faster it flows, the more water will be "in suspension." You should make sure you have enough surface area to handle it. This is especially critical when you have one pond flowing down into another.
Here's a good rule of thumb: the surface area of the upper pond(s) and stream, plus the square footage of the surface area, must be equal to or less than the surface area or square footage of the lowest pond.
3- Size the Pumps and filters to the Pond size. First, determine the size of the pond or water garden. Then, calculate its gallon capacity. A 1,000-gallon pond should have, at minimum, a 1,200 gallons-per-hour (gph) pump. A 3,000 gph system would be more forgiving, though, and could handle more hiccups than the smaller pump. Make sure that the pipes can handle the flow of water that the system needs to work properly. A garden hose can't give you much above 300 gallons per hour.
4- Leave slack in the liner at the attachment points. If you don't, the silicone seals will pull loose from the settling of the soil and rocks. If you have a six- to eight-inch fold left over when you get to the top of the waterfall, just fold it over and cover it. If you leave a 10- to 12-inch fold at the base of your units, you'll have extra liner if you ever have to do a swapout.
5- Don't cut the liner until the pond, waterfall and stream are full and running. If you must cut it, leave at least one or two feet of extra liner. Just fold it over, roll it up tight and cover it with stones, dirt or mulch. You might need it later. If the dirt settles, or down the road you want to get a bigger pump, you'll have enough liner to "stretch" and to handle any future leaks. (The inability to stretch accounts for more than half the liner leaks we professionals see.)
6- Make sure all equipment and pond sides are level. Water always sits at level, as it follows the path of least resistance. You'd swear at times that it was intelligent, the way it finds a low spot and leaks out. So don't give it one—and if it does leak, you've got extra liner to pull up to fix it.
7- Ecological balance. A balanced pond has just the right amount of plants in it to consume the fish and plant wastes. If you overfeed the fish and don't have enough plants, you will have green water 90 percent of the time.
Fish and plant wastes (ammonia) are converted by bacteria into nitrite. This, in turn, is converted by other bacteria into nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite, in small amounts, can be lethal to fish. Nitrates, however, can be concentrated at much higher levels without being harmful to fish. If there aren't enough plants to handle the additional nitrate, nature will supply it in the form of algae. In a balanced pond, algae will still be present, but in low numbers. A mature, balanced pond will have no traces of ammonia or nitrites, only nitrates.
Go slow with a new pond. Don't put in a whole bunch of fish or feed them a lot for the first month or so. Give the bacteria a chance to colonize in sufficient numbers to be able to handle the pond's biological needs. This also lets the aquatic and marginal plants get established.
8- Check the structural integrity of the soil. Digging a straight-down, bathtub-shaped hole in unstable soil can cause major problems in the future. You don't want to see a patio or wall collapsing into the pond. You might want to try stepping or shelving the hole to give the pond's sides stability and depth. This will make the surface area slightly larger, but it's worth it in the end. And did I say, "Call before you dig?"
9- Make the pond deep enough. Going deeper protects the fish in two ways. First, the water stays cooler in summer, and warmer in winter. They'll be healthier, with better muscle tone and conformation.
Second, deeper water helps fish escape predators. Large, fish-eating birds, such as herons, can stand in water as deep as 24 inches, but they can't catch fish while they're swimming. Going slightly deeper in a fairly large area helps protect them from these natural-born fish killers. Raccoons catch fish in the shallows, but they don't swim. Hawks and owls might snatch a quick fishburger on a fly-by, but fish learn quickly to stay low, except at feeding time.
10- Bigger is better. Larger ponds give fish more protection. And they're easier to keep ecologically balanced. A larger pond allows the owner to explore more options without building a second pond. For instance, one water lily can overwhelm a 6'-by-6' pond, but a 15'-by-20' can comfortably have four or five, with room left over. Once folks get a pond, they're always finding cool fish or plants they want to add. Going larger to begin with allows this flexibility from the start.
11- No chemicals needed. If you grasp the basics of design and eco-balance, you won't need to play with chemicals.
12- Stay away from sh arp, pointy rocks. People like large, flat, slate flagstones because they cover a lot of area quickly, but they also cut liner, quickly and easily. Instead, use weathered and water-rounded rocks and gravels. Most stone centers have really nice, naturally weathered stones that don't look like basketballs.
Any gravel placed in a pond should just cover the liner, not more than one-and-a-half to two inches deep. Again, make sure it's rounded, without any sharp or broken pieces in it.
13- Size the liner. With a tape measure, find the maximum width and length. Add the maximum depth, twice (once for down, once for up). Then, add at least one extra foot to each side and end (two for width, two for length). You will now have enough liner to do your project.
Liner comes in five-foot increments of width; round up to the next size, never down. Since sand won't stay on a vertical surface, always use an underlayment fabric under the liner; it's cheap protection. You wouldn't install new carpet without a pad, so don't install your liner without underlayment.
14- Use the right size filter. Undersized filters are a common problem with ponds. The filter should be sized to handle the pump flow, not the gallons of pond capacity. You can use a 5,000 gph-rated filter with a 3,000 gph pump, but you can't use a 2,000 gph-rated filter with a 3,000 gph pump and expect it to perform properly.
The more fish you have, the more filtration capacity you're going to need to capture and convert their wastes to plant food. Choose a filter that's easy to clean. Check with the supplier or manufacturer to see how often you should clean it; once a week or so should do it, if it's properly sized. Oversizing the filter may cut down on the number of cleaning intervals, but won't eliminate them.
Whatever you do, don't undersize the filter. It's going to cause more headaches than the small amount of money you'll save is worth.
15- Always have some dechlorinator nearby. If the pond will be using municipal water, this product should be available any time more than five percent of new water is added to the pond. It should always be kept handy.
I hope you find this information valuable. I've shared my decades of experience installing ponds and water features with one goal in mind, and that's your success.


text:
|System: PS2, Wii
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Maxis
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: EA
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Oct. 23, 2007
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Teen
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
As said earlier, Castaway revolves a lot more around exploring the environment than previous simulation titles. One of the main things you will be doing while trekking through the island is searching for skill books. These books, along with raising your individual attributes, will be the primary way of improving your Sim. Each manual you find will contain plans for creating different tools such as: larger houses, clothing patterns, furniture, and more (looks like you weren't the first group to have crash landed here). Alongside showing you what items you need and where to acquire them, the prints will also explain what skill level you need. These "levels" are broken into different categories, and by performing different tasks, you will raise each one depending on the factor involved. The issue here is that sometimes you will get confused on what job to perform to raise a certain skill. Also, the game only lets you know when you have gotten a new skill once, making it even more difficult to keep track of just what you can and cannot do. Bummer.
Though the game thus far sounds like nothing more than a collection hunt, Castaway never really goes overboard with it. If you can occasionally look past the repetition in some of the objectives, you will find a relaxing game experience similar to that of the Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing series. As with those, you always have some small thing to maintain, such as health, finances, building materials, and food, but they are easy enough to keep tabs on. Also, upgrading your individual attributes will come naturally, as you continue to improve while going about your daily life. Nevertheless, it is the interaction with the other islanders that really shines as the centerpiece of the game. Whether it is traversing to a nearby part of the island to look for new arrivals or strengthening your relationship with the other Sims, the core community element of the Sims series is still there and better than ever.
Along with a new setting and task system, the game also features a new visual style. Characters are a little smaller than in early installments and the environment has a mix of both 3D and cel-shaded graphics. There could have been a little more detail on the islanders and the land occasionally gives off a very "sketchy" feel to it. However, it really doesn't look too bad for a game this late in the Playstation 2 life cycle. While the visuals may not come off too stunningly, the audio department fares a lot better. Unlike the last few Sims games which borrowed a lot of music from previous versions, Castaway brings along a tropical island set-list, with a lot of songs you'd expect to hear at the beach. Overall, the sounds help give off the impression that you really are stranded on a far-away island. Whether that is a good thing or not is entirely up to you.
In closing, The Sims 2: Castaway is a unique approach to the series and is one of the more pleasant simulations to have come out this year. With plenty of new tasks to accomplish, people to find, and lands to explore, there is little more you could ask for in terms of content. Sure the visuals could have been better and there are a few gameplay kinks that could've been worked out, but for a Sims fan, it is right on target. Newcomers to the series will fit in quickly, and if you don't happen to own a gaming PC, then all the more reason to pick up this particular version anyway. It may not be the best simulation ever or even in the series itself, but it makes for a rather lengthy adventure with plenty of charm. Try not to burn yourself out though.
Branden Barrett
CCC Freelance Writer


text:
FA-OM24TW-OAK - Amish made Old Mission Solid Oak 24" Barstool with Wood Seat
No page specified. To populate this tab, choose which page you wish to display in Theme Settings under the Product Pages heading.
At Oak For Less® furniture, we offer furniture from many different builders. Some are right here in Phoenix, AZ, while others are in California or the midwest. Many of our domestic items are made-to-order and are built when the order is placed, so their production time is a little longer than others. We also offer a selection of items that are imported, so they often have quicker production times since those items are already made.
Since production times can vary, we give an estimated range. These Production Times are ESTIMATES, they are NOT EXACT. Items may arrive early or unexpected delays can occur with builders and/or shippers. These situations are beyond our control. By placing an order, the customer agrees that they understand the production time is our best estimate. When the order is ready for In-Store Pick Up or Local Delivery, we will give you a call to schedule it.
Current estimated production time is per manufacturer item # prefix.
For example, item FD-3051T has an "FD-" at the beginning of its item #. On our list below, FD- items have a production time of 6 - 8 weeks. So item FD-3051T has a production time of 6 - 8 weeks.
If your delivery location is outside of Arizona please add at least 2 weeks extra to these estimates to allow for the shipper's scheduling and routing delivery arrangements.
|10 - 12 weeks +
|10 - 12 weeks +
|10 - 14 weeks +
|5 - 8 weeks +
|6 - 8 weeks
|2 - 3 weeks
|2 - 3 weeks
|4 - 6 weeks
|8 - 12 weeks
|2 - 3 weeks +
|10 - 14 weeks +
If you don't see the prefix of your item # here, please call us at 480-962-9930 to ask about the current production time.
Need to expedite your order?
We're here to help. Call 480-962-9930 and we'll let you know if it is possible to get your order sooner. A few builders offer expediting for an extra charge.
FA-LV24WF-OAK - Amish made Ambrosia Swivel Barstool with Cushion Seat Solid wood frame Cushioned seat and back Swivel seat Seat is 24" h Back is 41" h Oak #99 Toffee Finish only - if ordered online. Comes in a variety of finish choices if you order in the store. Comes in a variety of fabrics (pictured fabric may not be available). Leather avai...
FA-OM24TL-OAK - Amish made Old Mission Solid Oak 24" Barstool with Leather Seat Steam-bent back Black Leather seat Seat is 24" h Solid Oak (regular oak, not quarter sawn) #89 Rexford Finish only - if ordered online. Comes in a variety of finish choices if ordered in the store. NOTE: This Barstool is also available in other woods - contact the ...
*** We currently have 1 at our store, but this model has been discontinued so we unable to order any more. Come in to buy this one, but call first to check availability. SD-1720RO - Sedona Rustic Saddleseat Barstool with Wood Seat Wood seat 24" h No back Assembled. Rustic oak Finish is distressed Rustic finish only


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\u003Cp\u003EADP is hiring an \u003Cstrong\u003EOutside Sales Representative, Small Business Services.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThanks for clicking! Let us tell you a little more...\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cul\u003E \u003Cli\u003EAre you restless, revved up, and ready to get thing...


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Are there any GUI's for Linux that doesn't use X11?
Since X has very poor security :O
e.g.: Ubuntu, Fedora - what else are there?
Goal: having a Desktop Environment without X. - what are the solutions? (e.g.: watch Flash with Google Chrome, Edit docs with LibreOffice, etc., not using text-based webbrowsers)
Maybe with framebuffers? But how? :O


text:
baby carriers (2)
Was £55.00 £38.503 colours
Was £55.00 £38.503 colours
Keep your little one cuddled up close in a cosy baby carrier. Your newborn will love the soothing rhythm of your breathing and movements, and you can enjoy going hands-free. When you're out and about, simply pop your baby into their snug baby sling or baby papoose, and you can stride out together. Baby carriers come in a wide range of styles and fits. There's the sporty, outdoor-ready feel of designs from brand BabyBjorn, or you can try a gentle baby wrap. This style swaddles your baby closely and allows for easy breastfeeding.
Front carriers are ideal to keep little newborns snuggled in tight to you where you can easily keep an eye on them. A newborn baby carrier is designed to support their head and neck, and hold their legs in the recommended 'frog leg' position (as endorsed by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute). When they get a bit bigger, your curious baby will enjoy the move to a back carrier, which fits like a rucksack, and lets them see the world. We also stock a range of hip seat carriers, which are perfect for active parents.
Baby carriers are also designed with your comfort in mind, with padded straps and easy-to-adjust straps. You'll soon be popping your baby into their papoose like a pro, and you'll both love the flexibility a carrier gives you. Look out for designs with extra pockets to keep those baby essentials in. There are countless benefits of babyweaing, from bonding with baby to hands free mobility! As they start to get a bit bigger, browse our range of prams and pushchairs for the next step in baby transportation.