Albert S. Ruddy, 94, Dies; Producer’s First Oscar Was for ‘The Godfather’

Albert S. Ruddy, 94, Dies; Producer’s First Oscar Was for ‘The Godfather’

The presence of Mr. Ruddy at the news conference so enraged Charles Bluhdorn, the combustible chairman of Gulf & Western, Paramount’s parent, that he fired him. But when Mr. Bluhdorn told Francis Ford Coppola, the director, and Robert Evans, the studio’s vice president of production, to find another producer, Mr. Coppola intervened. “Al Ruddy’s the … Read more

Zack Norman, Actor Who Juggled Multiple Professions, Dies at 83

Zack Norman, Actor Who Juggled Multiple Professions, Dies at 83

Zack Norman, who made his mark as an actor in films like “Romancing the Stone” and “Cadillac Man” and with appearances on television shows like “The A-Team” and “The Nanny” — and who, as a producer, also became known for a star-crossed movie that became a running punchline on the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000” … Read more

Fred Roos, Casting Director and Coppola Collaborator, Dies at 89

Fred Roos, Casting Director and Coppola Collaborator, Dies at 89

Fred Roos, a casting director and producer who championed the early careers of A-list actors like Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Carrie Fisher, and whose long collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola and his family, stretching from “The Godfather” (1972) to this year’s “Megalopolis,” earned him an Oscar and an Emmy, died on Saturday at his … Read more

Morgan Spurlock, Documentarian Known for ‘Super Size Me,’ Dies at 53

Morgan Spurlock, Documentarian Known for ‘Super Size Me,’ Dies at 53

Morgan Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker best known for the Oscar-nominated 2004 film “Super Size Me,” which followed him as he ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days, died on Thursday. He was 53. His brother Craig Spurlock confirmed the death in a statement to The Associated Press, and said the cause was complications from cancer. … Read more

Ivan F. Boesky, Rogue Trader in 1980s Wall Street Scandal, Dies at 87

Ivan F. Boesky, Rogue Trader in 1980s Wall Street Scandal, Dies at 87

Ivan F. Boesky, the brash financier who came to symbolize Wall Street greed as a central figure of the 1980s insider trading scandals, and who went to prison for his misdeeds, died on Monday. He was 87. The death was confirmed by his daughter Marianne Boesky. She did not provide further details. An inspiration for … Read more

Samm-Art Williams, Playwright, Producer and Actor, Dies at 78

Samm-Art Williams, Playwright, Producer and Actor, Dies at 78

Samm-Art Williams, who made his mark in several fields — as an executive producer of the sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as an actor on both stage and screen and as a Tony-nominated playwright for “Home,” died on Monday in Burgaw, N.C. He was 78. His death was confirmed by his cousin Carol Brown. … Read more

Susan Backlinie, Swimmer Who Was First Victim in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 77

Susan Backlinie, Swimmer Who Was First Victim in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 77

The actress and stunt woman Susan Backlinie, whose portrayal of a violent death as the first shark attack victim in the opening scene of the blockbuster movie “Jaws” terrified moviegoers, died on Saturday. She was 77. Ms. Backlinie died at her home in California, her agent, Sean Clark, said on Sunday. He said she had … Read more

Roger Corman, 98, Dies; Proud and Prolific Master of Low-Budget Cinema

Roger Corman, 98, Dies; Proud and Prolific Master of Low-Budget Cinema

Roger Corman, who for decades dominated the world of B movies as the producer or director of countless proudly low-budget horror, science fiction and crime films, has died. He was 98. He died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., his family said in a statement posted late Saturday on his official Instagram … Read more

Bernard Hill, Actor in ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Dies at 79

Bernard Hill, Actor in ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Dies at 79

Bernard Hill, a British actor who incarnated a humble style of masculine leadership in three hugely successful Hollywood movies, “Titanic” and two films in the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, died on Sunday. He was 79. His death was announced in a family statement sent by a representative of Lou Coulson Associates, a British talent … Read more

Laurent Cantet, Whose Films Explored France’s Undersides, Dies at 63

Laurent Cantet, Whose Films Explored France’s Undersides, Dies at 63

Laurent Cantet, an eminent director who made penetrating films about the prickly undersides of French life and society, died on April 25 in Paris. He was 63. His screenwriter and editor, Robin Campillo, said he died of cancer in a hospital. Mr. Cantet’s best-known film was “Entre les Murs” (“The Class”), which won the Palme … Read more

Bernard Hill, actor in Lord of the Rings and Titanic, dies at 79

Bernard Hill, actor in Lord of the Rings and Titanic, dies at 79

Bernard Hill, an actor best known for roles in “Titanic” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died at the age of 79. Hill infamously played Captain Edward Smith, who went down with his sinking ship in James Cameron’s history-making hit “Titanic,” and later took on JRR Tolkien’s literary classic when he starred as … Read more

Barbara O. Jones, Actress Who Brought Black Cinema to Life, Dies at 82

Barbara O. Jones, Actress Who Brought Black Cinema to Life, Dies at 82

Barbara O. Jones, an actress whose captivating work in films like “Bush Mama” and “Daughters of the Dust” helped define the cerebral, experimental and highly influential Black cinema movement that emerged in Los Angeles in the 1970s, died on April 8 at her home in Dayton, Ohio. She was 82. Her brother Marlon Minor confirmed … Read more

Lourdes Portillo, Oscar-Nominated Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 80

Lourdes Portillo, Oscar-Nominated Documentary Filmmaker, Dies at 80

Lourdes Portillo, the Oscar-nominated Mexican-born documentary filmmaker whose work explored Latin American social issues through spellbinding narratives, has died. She was 80. Ms. Portillo died Saturday at her home in San Francisco. Her death was confirmed by her friend Soco Aguilar. No cause was given. One of Ms. Portillo’s best-known works is her 1994 documentary … Read more

Mom issues warning about viral ‘chroming’ challenge after daughter almost dies

Mom issues warning about viral ‘chroming’ challenge after daughter almost dies

A mom from the UK feared her preteen daughter would die after inhaling several cans of deodorant while participating in the dangerous “chroming” trend claiming the lives of youngsters around the globe. “I could’ve easily lost my daughter that day,” Mikayla Solomon, 37 told Kennedy News of the horrific ordeal. Her 12-year-old daughter Tiegan was … Read more

Eleanor Coppola, Who Chronicled Her Family’s Filmmaking, Dies at 87

Eleanor Coppola, Who Chronicled Her Family’s Filmmaking, Dies at 87

“I may hold the world’s record for the person who has made the most documentaries about their family directing films,” she said. Her career, she wrote in “Notes on a Life,” a 2008 book, reflected that “I am an observer at heart, who has the impulse to record what I see around me.” Late in … Read more

Trevor Griffiths, Marxist Writer for Stage and Screen, Dies at 88

Trevor Griffiths, Marxist Writer for Stage and Screen, Dies at 88

Trevor Griffiths, a prolific and avowedly Marxist writer for stage and screen most widely known for his play “Comedians,” which was staged in London and on Broadway, died on March 29 at his home in Yorkshire, England. He was 88. His agent, Nicki Stoddart, said the cause was heart failure. An important figure on the … Read more

Eli Noyes, Animator Who Turned Clay and Sand Into Art, Dies at 81

Eli Noyes, Animator Who Turned Clay and Sand Into Art, Dies at 81

Eliot Fette Noyes Jr. was born on Oct. 18, 1942, in Alexandria, Va., and grew up in New Canaan, Conn. His father was a prominent industrial designer and architect whose designs included the IBM Selectric typewriter and round gas pumps for Mobil. His mother, Mary (Weed) Noyes, known as Molly, was an architect and interior … Read more

Barbara Rush, Award-Winning TV and Film Actress, Dies at 97

Barbara Rush, Award-Winning TV and Film Actress, Dies at 97

Barbara Rush, the supremely poised actress who rose to fame with supporting roles in 1950s films like “Magnificent Obsession” and “The Young Lions,” died on Sunday at her home in Westlake Village, Calif., in Los Angeles County. She was 97. The death, in a senior care facility, was confirmed by her daughter, Claudia Cowan. If … Read more

British beautician, 30, dies after botched boob job in Spain

British beautician, 30, dies after botched boob job in Spain

A British beautician has tragically died after undergoing a boob job in Spain. Donna Butterfield, 30, from Wrexham in north Wales, had a breast enlargement performed several years ago but had returned to have an imbalance corrected, costing her more than $6,480.30 (USD), according to her relatives. She flew back to Majorca, in Spain’s Balearic … Read more