Farewell: Bill Kerr aged 92

Bill Kerr obituary | Television & radio | The Guardian

Perhaps Bill was the first Aussie I ever heard when he walked on in Hancock's Half Hour

as the bloke from Wagga Wagga. And I was amazed to find WaggaWagga.  was a real place.

Bill was a laconic butt for "Tony" and the show was so funny.
Above Tony Hancock, Moira Lister, BILL KERR, Sid James

Bill had walk in parts in all manner of films Bill Kerr - IMDb ..  amazing his first film was 1933. Bill often very funny but also serious roles such as The Lighthorsemen (1987) - as General Chauvel


I will always remember his mad role in Razorback (1984) - IMDb

about the wild monster pig that brings terror to an outback town and Bill is the professional hunter  "There's something about blasting the shit out of a razorback that brightens up my whole day. "

Good on yer cobber

Farewell: Jack Brabham

Back in Jack's time I was very keen on Motor Racing 

Jack Brabham obituary | Sport | theguardian.com



For me it was all Jack, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Graham Hill.
Jack was high on my list at the time for his determination
Jack Brabham pushes his car to world title, Florida 1959
He was also obviously a very great gentleman


The photos are of Brands Hatch in March 1965 in the pits and at Druid's corner a severe test for the drivers

Farewell: Max Bygraves dies aged 89

British entertainer Max Bygraves dies aged 89 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Max was indeed one of the greats of British show business. Always there at big events. And a truly lovely man. Good to know he found Australia a good place to live

Farewell: Patricia Medina dies at 92; born in Briton

An actress that was in so many Hollywood movies especially swashbuckling ones and if you are my vintage you would know her well. Patricia had a good touch for comedy.

Patricia Medina dies at 92; Briton was '50s Hollywood leading lady - latimes.com

Married to Richard Greene the TV Robin Hood and then to the great Joseph Cotton.

Farewell?: Dame Edna

Dame Edna Everage, announced her impending retirement from live - or what she calls ''flesh and blood'' - theatre.
Not your average Edna

Amazingly Edna has been "''To be the most loved woman - I won't say in the world" since 1955....
Ah the trick was not to be arrive late at his/her show as you'd be up the front and have words and gladdies thrown at you....
Fortunately Sir Les seems to have retired BUT I do miss Sandy Stone....

The LAST show may appear somewhere near you anytime in this decade

Farewell: Cheetah dead at 80 -

Amazing I just did not realise he was still around
Tarzan's chimp Cheetah dead at 80 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I liked "He could tell if I was having a good day or a bad day. He was always trying to get me to laugh if he thought I was having a bad day. He was very in tune to human feelings," Ms Cobb said.

I would say Cheetah was the best actor in those movies - a great comedian - ok Maureen O'Sullivan tolerated all the hokum well.

I actually saw Johnny Weissmuller at Earls Court Hall London in 1948. Dived into a small pool from a very high board and also filled the place with the famous Tarzan call.....

Ah they were fun movies.

Farwell Svetlana Stalin

Stalin's daughter dies aged 85 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


Well I just have to acknowledge such a momentous historical moment. I must say I was surprised Svetlana was still alive - so much suffering in her past and the pressures on her as HIS daughter. I always felt sad for her.... The last few years seem to have been reasonably peaceful

Farewell: Director Ken Russell

Director Ken Russell dies in his sleep - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

They mention his major commercial films

Ken Russell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But to me Ken is the man who wonderful films at the BBC during the 1960s about classical composers

As Wiki says

"job at the BBC, where he worked regularly from 1959 to 1970 making arts documentaries for Monitor and Omnibus. Among his better-known works were: Elgar (1962), The Debussy Film (1965), Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967), Song of Summer (about Frederick Delius and Eric Fenby) (1968) and Dance of the Seven Veils (1970), a film about Richard Strauss. He once said that the best film he ever made was Song of Summer, and that he wouldn't edit a single shot."

I agree with Ken about the Delius film it was a joy. The music was so lyrical and the unselfish work that Eric Fenby did for Delius was wonderful.....
And then the fun Percy Grainger arrives to his bouncy English Country Garden music and charges up, throws a tennis ball over the house and runs through the corridor to catch ball the other side....

And poor Isidora Duncan who driving in an open car managed to get her long trailing scarf around the back wheels and ...........

Elgar cycling over the hills with all his wonderful music the thought of it just brings the English countryside to life for me.........

Thanks for all the enlightenment Ken

Farwell: Former heavyweight champ Henry Cooper

Former heavyweight champ Henry Cooper dies at 76 : World News Australia on SBS

Back in days when I followed Boxing - well my father had fought in the Marines and he liked to watch - back then Henry was a hero.
I can remember listening on car radio to an excited moment for commentator Barrington Dalby in the 1963 fight with Cassius Clay when Henry put him down.
I just didn't believe it. And of course Cassius picked himself up and stopped playing around BUT Henry did put him down in spite of all that brilliant foot work and shadow boxing etc Henry got through.
Sadly Henry was easily cut on the face and his career was doomed but he was a nice guy and I remember him well.

Farewell: Susannah York

Susannah York - 1939-2011

She of the cropped hair cut. She just meant 1960s British films for me

So many good films - just thinking of early one - Tom Jones - A Man for All Seasons - Battle of Britain.

Farewell: Pink Panther director Blake Edwards dies at 88 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Pink Panther director Blake Edwards dies at 88 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Strange coincidence Geoffrey Rush film of Peter Sellers "Life and Death" was on TV last night and of course Blake was shown having great fun as well as strain working with Peter.
But what wonderful films they made. Such memorable moments. Peter spinning the big office globe of the world and crashing to the floor. The word games in French. Ah Blake knew how to get Peter performing.

And of course "Breakfast at Tiffany's" what an icon that has become.

And I just found out this
Edwards began his career as a scriptwriter for radio. In fact, one of his early breaks was writing dialogue for Orson Welles’ famous 1938 production of War of the Worlds.
Now that was major - that Radio show was so authentic that is caused panic as people thought the Martians were coming. Orson and Blake's great success.





All our sympathy to Julie Andrews for her loss

Farewell: Jean Simmons aged 80

British actress Jean Simmons dies aged 80 - Telegraph
One of the truly greats. And one of those who helped make the Great British films of the post WW2 time.

Full list of films see Jean Simmons (IMDB)

I'll focus on just some from the wonderful early ones

Great Expectations (1946) the young Estella and then years later Miss Havisham "Great Expectations" (1989)

Black Narcissus (1947) the cheeky village girl - a film so full of life and light and colour - one of my favourite films. And amazingly it was all filmed in a English studio - no visits to mountains at all. Only last week I saw Kathleen Byron who played the "mad" nun in a Midsomer Murders of course she did it - Kathleen died January 2009

and a minor role Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) but a film of light and colour too - was it then she met Stewart Granger whom she married in 1950

Hamlet (1948) Ophelia to Laurence Olivier - ah what a dark brooding story

and of course The Robe (1953) and Spartacus (1960)

a film I always like for whimsical humour The Grass Is Greener (1960) and with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr who of course was the star of Black Narcissus

This with Dirk Bogarde where her brother and his hotel room disappear So Long at the Fair (1950)








Bless you Jean for giving so much enjoyment

Farewell: Donald Pickering

Donald Pickering 76 - Telegraph

Donald had this wonderful upper crust voice. He could so easily put down a pushy yob. I always enjoyed his polished performances  

Farewell: Richard Todd aged 90

Richard Todd - Telegraph

Richard was one of my favourite actors from way back. I remember his touching performance in "The Hasty Heart", a sad but warm film. He was so good. In most of his films he was an action man. Of course Guy Gibson in "the Dam Busters".


And so many other roles - Robin Hood and Rob Roy were him at his dashing best.
The Telegraph article is a good tribute and the comments also.
They mention how he really was an action man, one of the paratroopers landing on D-Day and in the film he played his own commanding officer and in one scene is talking to another actor playing Richard himself.

Danger! Robot of Lost in Space dies: Farewell Bob May

Danger! Robot of Lost in Space dies - World - smh.com.au

LOS ANGELES: Bob May, who won a cult following as the Robot in the hit 1960s television show Lost In Space, has died of heart failure. He was 69.

May died at a hospital in Lancaster, California, said his daughter, Deborah.

May's entertainment career spanned more than 65 years. He was already a show business veteran who had worked as an actor and stuntman in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by Lost In Space creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family's loyal metal sidekick in the hit series that debuted in 1965.

"He always said he got the job because he fitted in the robot suit," said June Lockhart, who played the family matriarch Maureen Robinson.

Although May didn't provide the robot's distinctive voice (that was done by announcer Dick Tufeld), he had a devoted following of fans.

Lost In Space was a space-age retelling of the Swiss Family Robinson story.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Judith, two children and four grandchildren.

Author Michael Crichton dead at 66

Author Michael Crichton dead at 66 | The Daily Telegraph

Michael wrote some great stories on Dinosaurs that my grandsons much enjoy.

Farewell: Charlton Heston

Actor Charlton Heston has died | The Daily Telegraph

Charlton Heston dies - Film - Entertainment - smh.com.au

Charlton Heston's key movies - Film - Entertainment - smh.com.au

Charlton Heston Takes Some of Sci-Fi's Best Lines to the Grave | The Underwire from Wired.com  What a titan - all those images I have of him in all those roles.  Just thinking of one - Ben Hur - in chains and he takes a drink from a man and we realise it is the Lord.   Now he is not lending his power to NRA - can America now do something about guns  

Richard Widmark, Actor, Dies at 93 - New York Times

Richard Widmark, Actor, Dies at 93 - New York Times

Richard Widmark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Forgive me Richard this amazed me - I just did not know you were still around. Then I read on Wiki that he was never on a talk show - last film was 1991 - so no wonder he dropped from view

To me he was the greatest villain I ever saw. He just oozed badness.
But then he could also be a most noble hero.
His classic films were in the late 1940 into 50s


Great picture of him as psychopathic killer from 1947 “Kiss of Death”. Yes and that's Victor Mature behind Richard.

The intensity was always there - "The Bedford Incident" said so much about the Cold War stupidity of vessels running around with WMD

And this says a lot about the man:
Widmark was married to his first wife, writer Jean Hazlewood, for almost 55 years, from April 5, 1942 until her death on March 2, 1997

Emily Perry dies at 101

Humphries pays tribute to 'Madge' | The Daily Telegraph
"Barry Humphries realised immediately Emily Perry was a star."
I loved Madge Allsop - she was the best straight "man" I've ever seen and as Barry says he tried to make her laugh. It seems she was 80 when she first played Madge - amazing.

Recently we saw Barry on the last Michael Parkinson and it was right Dame Edna was there at the last he brought tears to my eyes on many Parkinson - the Gloria Swanson (was Gloria confused about Dame Edna?) - Barry and the Russian Salad in that brown paper bag on the aeroplane.

Ah Madge wasn't on those shows - perhaps she was home laughing - Thanks Emily

Israel and scripture

Israel And Scripture In Correct Context « Matthew Manchester