The End - the Classic Film Obituary thread 2017 [CLOSED]

www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/sep/12/sir-peter-hall-theatre-opera-and-film-director-dies-aged-86

Sir Peter Hall, the former director of the National Theatre and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has died aged 86, the theatre said.

He died on Monday at University College hospital in London, with his family at his bedside.

During a career that spanned more than half a century he staged the English-language premiere of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and the world premiere of Harold Pinter’s Homecoming.

In a statement, the National Theatre said it was deeply saddened to announce the death of “one of the great names in British theatre”.

“Peter Hall was an internationally celebrated stage director and theatre impresario, whose influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled,” it said.

He founded the RSC in 1960, aged 29, leading it until 1968.

“The RSC realised his pioneering vision of a resident ensemble of actors, directors and designers producing both classic and modern texts with a clear house style in both Stratford and London,” the National Theatre said.

After being appointed director of the National Theatre in 1973, Hall was responsible for the move from the Old Vic to the purpose-built complex on the South Bank.
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“He successfully established the company in its new home in spite of union unrest and widespread scepticism,” the theatre added.

After leaving the NT in 1988, he formed the Peter Hall Company, and in 2003 became the founding director of the Rose Theatre Kingston.

Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland

“Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland,” a Kentucky Muse production produced by Tom Thurman, examines the life of one of Hollywood’s more eccentric and intriguing personalities. Tracking the actor’s path from humble beginnings in West Irvine, Ky., through a prolific and storied film career, “Crossing Mulholland” paints a striking portrait of this one-of-a-kind Kentuckian.

Interviews with family and friends reveal that by the time Stanton left home to pursue acting in California, he had already acquired the raw look and intense presence that would become his on-screen signature. After attending Lafayette High School in Lexington, Stanton served in the Navy. He later attended the University of Kentucky on the G.I. Bill, studying everything from journalism and radio arts to acting and music. From there, he drifted west, finding a home at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he began honing his craft and making a name for himself.

“Crossing Muholland” viewers discover that in the 1950s, whenever television called, Stanton was there to play the loner, tramp, killer, thief, or whatever was required. More than half a century ago, he had already acquired that face: wolf-like, lonely, dangerous, and friendly at the same time.

Such notable Hollywood figures as actors Billy Bob Thornton and Richard Dreyfuss; musicians Kris Kristofferson and Michelle Phillips; critic Leonard Maltin; and directors John Carpenter and Wim Wenders discuss Stanton’s talents. Producers and directors have turned to Stanton again and again in films like “Paris, Texas,” “Repo Man,” “The Green Mile,” HBO’s acclaimed series “Big Love,” and the 2011 animated feature “Rango.”

“Crossing Mulholland” also takes time to look at Stanton’s other passion — music, featuring several intimate, living room jam sessions with friends Michelle Phillips and Jamie James. Stanton expresses his love for singing and playing music, while his unique voice brings a sense of mystery to each song.

A favorite of directors, critics, colleagues, and audiences, Kentuckian Harry Dean Stanton has carved his name into the cultural consciousness of cinematic arts. “Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland” offers an insightful look at this versatile and talented actor while giving viewers a chance to hang out with a pretty interesting fellow.

Variety.com



Bernie Casey, the former NFL star known for his work in the films “Boxcar Bertha” and “Revenge of the Nerds,” died on Tuesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, Variety has confirmed. He was 78.

Casey made his film debut in the 1969 sequel “Guns of the Magnificent Seven.” He then acted alongside fellow former NFL star Jim Brown in the crime dramas “…tick…tick…tick…” and “Black Gunn.” He played the title role in the 1972 science fiction TV film “Gargoyles,” and then portrayed Tamara Dobson’s love interest in 1973’s “Cleopatra Jones.”

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In Martin Scorsese’s “Boxcar Bertha,” he played a heroic former slave and train robber, and then a recurring character in Bond films, CIA agent Felix Leiter. In 1981, he portrayed a detective opposite another former NFL player-turned-actor, Burt Reynolds, in “Sharky’s Machine,” which was directed by Reynolds. The two worked together a few years later on “Rent-a-Cop.”

His prolific acting career also included films such as “Revenge of the Nerds,” “Black Chariot,” “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” “In the Mouth of Madness,” “The Glass Shield,” “Mr. Hyde,” “Once Upon a Time … When We Were Colored,” and “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”

On television, he was in “Roots: The Next Generations,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” and “Bay City Blues.”

Casey was born in Wyco, W.Va., and raised in Columbus, Ohio, before attending Bowling Green State University on a football scholarship. There, in addition to his football successes, he was a record-breaking track and field athlete, and competed in the 1960 U.S. Olympic trials.

He was picked ninth overall in the NFL draft, and spent six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before going to the Rams for two years. He retired at age 30 and finished his professional career with 359 catches for 5,444 yards and 40 touchdowns.