RIP: Reel Important People -- December 11, 2006
Posted Dec 11th 2006 9:00AM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Obits, James Bond, George Clooney
- Timothy Albrecht (?-2006) - Choreographer for The Intern, Camp and Pretty Dead Girl. He died in his sleep December 9, in Los Angeles.
- Nicolas Balla (1918-2006) - Producer of many short documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada.
- Jack Bean (c.1922-2006) - Producer of Witches' Brew and Very Close Quarters. He died of pneumonia December 5, in Beverly Hills, California.
- Peter Brayham (?-2006) - Stuntman on a number of Peckinpah and 007 films, including Straw Dogs, Goldfinger and Live and Let Die, as well as Brannigan, The Guns of Navarone and Sweeney! He later coordinated/arranged stunts on Cross of Iron, Time Bandits, The Razor's Edge, White Nights, Spice World, Quadraphenia, Drowning by Numbers, Bridget Jones' Diary and My Left Foot. He also played named characters in From Russia With Love and Safari 3000. He died of a heart attack.
- Glenis S. Gross (c.1943-2006) - Co-founder of Coming Home Entertainment and Coming Home Studios, which produced straight-to-video music documentaries and concert films. She died of complications from diabetes November 24, in Oceanside, California.
- Anthony Jackson (1944-2006) - Actor who provided character voices for Labyrinth and appeared in Alan Cumming's Burn Your Phone. He died of cancer November 27, in London.
- Max (c.1987-2006) - Potbelly pig owned by George Clooney, who once told USA Today that the pet was his longest relationship. He died of natural causes December 1, in Hollywood, California.
- Kevin McClory (1926-2006) - Director, screenwriter, producer and assorted crew member who co-wrote and produced the 007 pic Thunderball (and its sorta remake Never Say Never). He was a boom operator and assistant to John Huston on Moulin Rouge (1952) and The African Queen, assistant director on Huston's Moby Dick, second unit director on Around the World in 80 Days (1956), location manager on The Cockleshell Heroes and writer-director-producer on a flop called The Boy and the Bridge. He died November 20, in London.
- Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006) - President of Chile from 1973-2006. Though he had nothing directly to do with film, archive footage of the leader can be seen in many documentaries, including Bowling for Columbine, A Force More Powerful, The Trials of Henry Kissinger and Salvador Allende, as well as the films The Assassination of President Nixon and 11'09"01 - September 11. He died from heart complications December 10.
- Mavis Pugh (?-2006) - British actress who appeared in The Class of Miss MacMichael and Brothers and Sisters. She died December 6.
- Yvonne Severn (c.1927-2006) - Former child actress who appeared in Lloyd's of London, Tower of London, A Guy Named Joe and The Amazing Mrs. Holliday. She died November 22.
- Van Smith (c.1945-2006) - Costume designer and make-up artist (pictured, with Divine) for John Waters' films, including Hairspray, Pink Flamingos and Cry-Baby. He died of a heart attack December 5, in Marianna, Florida.
- Oksana Stasy (1945-2006) - Actress who appeared in Night of the Juggler. She was also the last girlfriend of Peter Lawford. She died in her sleep December 4.
- Ken Taylor (c.1920-2006) - World War II fighter pilot who earned the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart for his actions during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Portrayed by actor Carl Reindel in Tora! Tora! Tora!, he was one of two pilots who made it into the sky during the raid, and he shot down two Japanese planes. It is probably true that he also inspired either Ben Affleck's or Josh Hartnett's character in Pearl Harbor. He died of natural causes November 25, in Tucson, Arizona.
