Notable Showbiz Deaths of 2015

Actress best known for playing Elly May Clampett on TV's 'The Beverly Hillbillies;' also known as the revealed face of Janet Tyler in the classic 'Twilight Zone' episode "Eye of the Beholder" and for starring opposite Elvis Presley in 'Frankie and Johnny' (1966)

September 26, 1932 – January 1, 2015

Actress who was a star of the golden age of Mexican cinema and a principal exponent of the Rumberas film — one of the "Queens of the Tropics;" best known for starring in 'Aventurera' (1950), considered a masterpiece of the Rumberas film genre; also known for starring in such films as 'Victims of Sin' (1951) and 'Cry of the Bewitched' (1957)

November 10, 1921 – January 1, 2015

Country music singer and oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry best known for his short stature and humorous novelty songs, most notably his 1965 hit "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose;" also credited with introducing rhinestone suits into live country music performances

December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015

Stuntman and actor best known for his work in over 125 Western films and TV shows, including 'The Alamo' (1960), 'The Comancheros' (1961), 'McLintock!' (1963), 'The Wild Bunch' (1969), 'There Was a Crooked Man...' (1970), 'Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid' (1973), 'Heaven's Gate' (1980), 'Young Guns' (1988), 'Gunsmoke,' 'Bonanza,' 'Rawhide,' 'Have Gun - Will Travel,' 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' and 'Daniel Boone;' was part of the famous exploding bridge scene in 'The Wild Bunch' in which he and other stuntmen, saddled on horses, were blown from the bridge into a river using real dynamite; was also known for being Glenn Ford's primary stunt double for more than 20 years, starting with 1968's 'Day of the Evil Gun' and including the TV series 'Cade's County'

December 11, 1934 – January 2, 2015

Playwright and screenwriter; wrote many of Yasuzô Masumura's most acclaimed films, including 'Giants and Toys' (1958) and 'Blind Beast' (1969), and was a writer on Kon Ichikawa's documentary masterpiece 'Tokyo Olympiad' (1965)

1932 – January 2, 2015

Popular singer-songwriter and composer known for his infusion of Italian music with jazz and blues; won multiple awards and nominations for his film scores, including those for Massimo Troisi's 'The Ways of the Lord Are Over' (1987) and 'I Thought It Was Love' (1991)

March 19, 1955 – January 4,2015

Beloved ESPN sportscaster who was a longtime anchor on the network's 'SportsCenter,' known for his unique blending of hip-hop culture with sports and use of catchphrases such as "Boo-yah!," "Holla!," "As cool as the other side of the pillow," and "He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin' him to school."

July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015

French director who made films which addressed a number of social and cultural issues, many of which were banned or condemned; was sentenced to prison for a year for his first film, 'Afrique 50' (1956), which was banned for 40 years and is hailed as the first anti-colonialist French film; subsequently won the Youth Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for his 1959 short 'Anneaux d'or' ('Golden Ring'); most famous for his dramatic Algerian War film 'To Be Twenty in the Aures' (1972), for which he received the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival

January 15, 1928 – January 4, 2015

Producer, production manager and assistant director; was associate producer on Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971) and 'Barry Lyndon' (1975) and collaborated with Frank Oz on six of the latter's films, starting with 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' (1988, as producer and first assistant director) and 'What About Bob?' (1991, as co-producer); subsequently served as both executive producer and unit production manager on Oz's 'HouseSitter' (1992), 'The Indian in the Cupboard' (1995), 'Bowfinger' (1999) and 'The Score' (2001); was also executive producer on such films as 'Flash Gordon' (1980), Milos Forman's 'Ragtime' (1981), Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' (1986), 'War Party' (1988), 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' (1993), 'Star Trek Generations' (1994), 'Blood and Wine' (1996), 'Daredevil' (2003) and 'Charlotte's Web' (2006) and was unit production manager on the last seven films

1942 – January 4, 2015

Hungarian cinematographer and award-winning film director; shot many films for director Péter Bacsó, most notably 'The Witness' (1969) and 'The Agony of Mr. Boroka' (1972); also directed photography on such films as Pál Sándor's 'Clowns on the Wall' (1968) and 'Love, Emelia' (1970) and Rezsö Szörény's 'BUEK!' (1978); as a director, received Grand Jury Prizes for his films 'Tüzikovácsok' (1975) and 'Don't Lean Out the Window' (1978), while his films 'Duty Free Marriage' (1980) and 'Sentence to Death' (1989) were entered into the Chicago International Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, respectively; perhaps best known, however, for directing Queen's 1986 concert film 'Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest'

January 30, 1939 – January 4, 2015

Actor, comedian, writer and singer famed for his work as a cast member on the groundbreaking satirical BBC program 'That Was the Week That Was,' particularly his impersonation and lampooning of prime minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home and his ability to spontaneously improvise comic calypsos based on suggestions from the audience; also known for voicing a cartoon version of Paul McCartney on ABC's animated series 'The Beatles' and for voicing Old Fred in the Beatles' animated film, 'Yellow Submarine' (1968); had supporting roles in many notable live-action films, as well, including 'Carry on Cruising' (1962), 'The Big Job' (1965), Blake Edwards' 'Darling Lili' (1970) and Robert Aldrich's 'Too Late the Hero' (1970); also appeared in the three movies spun off from the TV show 'Up Pompeii!' -- 1971's 'Up Pompeii' and 'Up the Chastity Belt' and 1972's 'Up the Front' -- and had brief roles in Anthony Asquith's films 'The V.I.P.s' (1963) and 'The Yellow Rolls-Royce' (1964)

July 26, 1933 – January 6, 2015

Polish screenwriter and film director known for such films as 'The Last Day of Summer' (1958), 'Salto' (1965) and 'A Tale of Adam Mickiewicz's 'Forefathers' Eve' (1989), the latter of which earned him the Special Jury Prize from the Polish Film Awards as well as a nomination for a Golden George (then known as the Golden St. George) from the Moscow International Film Festival; also known for collaborating with director Jerzy Kawalerowicz on the screenplays for the latter's films 'Mother Joan of the Angels' (1961), 'Faraon' (1966) and 'Austeria' (1982)

June 22, 1926 – January 7, 2015

Legendary actor best known for starring in George Pal's 'The Time Machine' (1960) and Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds' (1963); was also the voice of Pongo in Disney's animated classic '101 Dalmatians' (1961); previously had supporting roles in such classic films as 'The Catered Affair' (1956), 'Giant' (1956), 'Raintree County' (1957) and 'Separate Tables' (1958); went on to star or co-star in such films as Anthony Asquith's 'The V.I.P.s' (1963), Peter Tewksbury's 'Sunday in New York' (1963), George Seaton's '36 Hours' (1964), Jack Cardiff's 'Young Cassidy,' 'The Liquidator' (both 1965) and 'Dark of the Sun' (1968), Michelangelo Antonioni's 'Zabriskie Point' (1970) and Burt Kennedy's 'The Train Robbers' (1973) and starred opposite Doris Day in the comedies 'Do Not Disturb' (1965) and 'The Glass Bottom Boat' (1966); also starred in the short lived TV series 'Hong Kong,' 'Bearcats!,' 'The Oregon Trail,' ''Masquerade' and 'Outlaws' and played the recurring roles of Frank Agretti on 'Falcon Crest' and Gordon Cahill on 'Walker, Texas Ranger;' made his final screen appearance as Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglourious Basterds' (2009)

January 11, 1930 - January 7, 2015

Legendary, seven-time Grammy-winning gospel singer, composer, arranger, choir director and pastor heralded as "the father of modern gospel music" for pioneering a gospel sound with a more contemporary feel; known for his trademark songs "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power,' "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)," "I've Got Confidence," "Jesus Is the Answer" and "Soon and Very Soon;" also known for conducting the choirs which sang on such hits as Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" -- which he also helped arrange -- and Madonna's "Like a Prayer" and for creating original music arrangements for the films 'The Color Purple' (1985) -- for which he shared an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score -- and 'The Lion King' (1994); also composed the theme music for the TV series 'Amen;' known to have influenced such artists as Elvis Presley and Paul Simon, both of whom recorded their own versions of Crouch's songs; recipient of seven Grammys, six GMA Dove Awards, an ASCAP Award, Billboard and NAACP Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

July 1, 1942 – January 8, 2015

Actress best known for her seven years as a child performer on radio's 'Pleasure Time' in the '40s, for playing the "chow-chow-chow" lady in the popular Purina Cat Chow commercials of the '70s and for her role as the housekeeper Mary Gruber in 'Benji' (1974) and 'For the Love of Benji' (1977); also played the recurring roles of the nosy Mrs. Fowler on 'Nanny and the Professor' and school secretary Miss Hogarth on 'Room 222'

May 4, 1921 – January 8, 2015

Singer and songwriter best known for his classic doo-wop hits "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" and "Under the Moon of Love"

October 28, 1939 – January 8, 2015

Longtime drummer and vocalist for The Holmes Brothers

July 26, 1942 – January 9, 2015

Influential film producer and executive who was a pioneer of independent film; son of the legendary, pioneering movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn; founded The Samuel Goldwyn Company and, later, Samuel Goldwyn Films; credited as the inspiration for the founding of Fox Searchlight; gave Julia Roberts her big break as an executive producer on 'Mystic Pizza' (1988), backed the landmark AIDS film 'Longtime Companion' (1989) when no one else would, and supported the early films of such up-and-coming directors as Ang Lee (1993's 'The Wedding Banquet'), Anthony Minghella (1990's 'Truly Madly Deeply') and Kenneth Branagh (1989's 'Henry V'); earned an Oscar nomination as a producer on 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' (2003)

September 7, 1926 – January 9, 2015

Pioneering media executive who co-founded the Home Shopping Network (now simply HSN) and founded PAX TV (now Ion Television)

April 17, 1935 – January 9, 2015

Iconic writer and producer best known for his work on classic British television shows, particularly as one of the creative forces behind 'The Avengers' and as creator, writer and executive producer of 'The Professionals;' also well-known and admired as a creator, producer and writer of 'The New Avengers,' as the creator and primary writer of the anthology series 'Thriller,' as one of the creators of the BBC series 'Bugs,' for writing the pilots and subsequent episodes of 'The Persuaders!' and 'Danger Man,' and for writing numerous episodes of 'The Protectors;' known for his film work, as well, most notably as writer and director of 'Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter' (1974) and as the writer of 'And Soon the Darkness' (1970), 'See No Evil' (1971; a.k.a. 'Blind Terror'), 'Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde' (1971), 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad' (1973) and 'The Watcher in the Woods' (1980)

July 30, 1931 – January 10, 2015

Actor known for his policeman roles in David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet' (1986), 'Death Wish 4: The Crackdown' (1987) and the first season of 'Hill Street Blues;' also had roles in such films as 'Cutter's Way' (1981), 'Psycho II' (1983, again portraying law enforcement), 'The Star Chamber' (1983), 'After Dark, My Sweet' (1990), 'Death Warrant' (1990) and the Emmy-winning two-part TV movie 'Son of the Morning Star' (1991)

July 25, 1933 – January 10, 2015

Actor, comedian and writer most remembered for his brief appearance as an annoyed pizza delivery guy in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' (1982), his role as Rodney Dangerfield's son-in-law in 'Easy Money' (1983), his villainous turn in 'The Last Boy Scout' (1991), and his appearances on 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends;' also known for his roles in such films as 'River's Edge' (1986), 'Punchline' (1988), 'Nothing But Trouble' (1991), 'Angels in the Outfield' (1994) and 'Bio-Dome' (1996) and his appearance in 'The Aristocrats' (2005)

August 1, 1957 – January 10, 2015

Acclaimed Italian neo-realist film director and screenwriter; got his start as an assistant director on such films as Luchino Visconti's 'La Terra Trema' (1948), 'Bellissima' (1952) and 'Senso' (1954) before making his solo feature directorial debut with 'La sfida' (1958), which won him the Special Jury Prize and San Giorgio Prize at the Venice Film Festival; most noted for his films 'Salvatore Giuliano' (1962, for which he won the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Berlin Bear and an Italian Golden Globe as Best Director in 1962), 'Hands Over the City' (which unanimously won the Golden Lion at 1963's Venice Film Festival), 'The Mattei Affair' (which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972) and 'Christ Stopped at Eboli' (which won Best Film and Best Director at the David di Donatello Awards and the Golden Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1979 and the BAFTA Film Award as Best Foreign Language Film in 1983); made many other acclaimed, award-winning films, including 'The Moment of Truth' (1965), 'Many Wars Ago' (1970), 'Illustrious Corpses' (1976), the Oscar-nominated 'Three Brothers' (1981), 'Carmen' (1984) and 'The Truce' (1997)

November 15, 1922 – January 10, 2015

Actress, model, former Miss Sweden and sex symbol best known for her iconic role in Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita' (1960); also played Princess Hélène Kuragin in King Vidor's big-screen production of 'War and Peace' (1956) and starred in Fellini's segment in the Italian anthology film 'Boccaccio '70' (1962); other film credits include the Martin and Lewis comedies 'Artists and Models' (1955) and 'Hollywood or Bust' (1956), the John Wayne adventure 'Blood Alley' (1955), the lead role in 'Screaming Mimi' (1958), the Bob Hope comedies 'Paris Holiday' (1958) and 'Call Me Bwana' (1963), Robert Aldrich's Western comedy '4 for Texas' (1963), Jerry Lewis' 'Way... Way Out' (1966), Vittorio De Sica's 'Woman Times Seven' (1967) and Giulio Berruti's "nunsploitation" film 'Killer Nun' (1979)

September 29, 1931 – January 11, 2015

Popular New Zealand entertainer and actor best known for hosting the children's shows 'Chicaboom' and 'Chic Chat' in the '70s and '80s; became the first variety performer to win Entertainer of the Year and also won a Benny Award from Variety Artists Club in 1979; also played policeman Laurie Brasch on the long-running soap 'Shortland Street' from 1993 to 1996 and later appeared in films such as Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' (2005) and David Slade's '30 Days of Night' (2007)

November 17, 1930 – January 11, 2015

Actor known for his supporting roles in the French classic 'Taxi for Tobruk' (1961), Carlos Saura's Spanish masterpiece 'Cría Cuervos' (1976) and Pedro Almodóvar's acclaimed Spanish dramedy 'Law of Desire' (1987); also co-starred in Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Oscar-nominated short film 'Linked' (1996) and in such award-winning films as Juan Antonio Bardem's 'At Five O'Clock in the Afternoon' (1961), 'The Castilian' (1963), '¡Se armó el belén!' (1970), José Luis Garci's 'Alone in the Dark' (1978), Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi's 'Scent of a Crime' (1988), Paco Periñán's 'Against the Wind' (1990) and Felipe Vega's 'An Umbrella for Three' (1992); other notable credits include the 1984 miniseries 'Proceso a Mariana Pineda' and the films 'Susanna Whipped Cream' (1957), 'Wanted' (1967), 'A Girl Against Napoleon' (1959), 'Hidden Pleasures' (1977) and 'No Big Deal' (2003)

July 7, 1927 – January 12, 2015

Russian mezzo-soprano widely recognized as one of the greatest opera singers of all time due to her vocal intensity and extraordinary stage presence; a reigning international star during the Cold War and a leading figure in the emergence of Soviet singers into the world

July 7, 1939 – January 12, 2015

Television producer and director whose career extended from the medium's formative years in the 1950s into the 2000s; perhaps best known for his work on soap operas, specifically his Emmy-winning work on the daytime soaps 'Days of Our Lives' in the 1970s and 'The Young and the Restless' in the 1980s; also known for directing all 24 episodes of the tumultuous fifth season of 'All in the Family,' including "The Jeffersons Move on Up," which set up spinoff series 'The Jeffersons,' and the two episodes that were without star Carroll O'Connor when the actor refused to work out of sympathy with striking electricians; won seven Daytime Emmy Awards throughout his career, including three in 1974 alone -- one for his work on 'Days of Our Lives' and two for the Patty Duke-fronted segment of 'The ABC Afternoon Playbreak' titled "Miss Kline, We Love You;" also directed episodes of such shows as 'My Favorite Martian' and 'Flo' and served a stint as producer and director of 'General Hospital,' for which he received Emmy nominations in 1988 and 1989

January 3, 1926 – January 13, 2015

Actor-turned-film editor perhaps best known for playing gang member Crunch on Nicholas Ray's 'Rebel Without a Cause,' on which he also served as technical consultant, advising Ray on realistic gang speech and gang dress and helping to stage the classic knife fight between James Dean and Corey Allen; as a child, had bit parts in such films as 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1939), 'Casablanca' (1942) and 'The Boy with Green Hair' (1948) and also appeared with Dean in Elia Kazan's 'East of Eden' (1955); worked as an assistant for Universal Studios on classics such as Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1960) and Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus' (1960) and later for Fox Studios and Mirisch Corp.; served as assistant editor on films such as George Roy Hill's 'Hawaii' (1966), Delbert Mann's 'Fitzwilly' (1967) and, most notably, Blake Edwards' 'The Party' (1968) before becoming a chief film editor on Bernard L. Kowalski's 'Stiletto' (1969); later co-edited Kowalski's 'Macho Callahan' (1970) and edited Peter Fonda's directorial debut, 'The Hired Hand' (1971); most noted as an editor for his collaborations with director Donald Cammell, namely 'Performance' (1970) and 'Demon Seed' (1977), and for his well-received restoration of Cammell's final film, 1995's 'Wild Side,' as a "director's cut" released in 2000

March 7, 1935 – January 13, 2015

Legendary Spanish animator, cartoonist and advertising pioneer; created the iconic 'Family Telerín' cartoons which announced the end of children's programming on Spanish Television; co-founder of Estudios Moro, Spain's leading commercial animation studio during the '50s and '60s, through which he and his brother invented modern advertising in Spain and popularized the Cartoon Modern style and design in that country

December 22, 1926 – January 13, 2015

Director who helmed numerous live television programs of the 1950s, including 'All Star Revue,' 'The Colgate Comedy Hour,' and The Jimmy Durante Show;' later directed and produced 'The Bell Telephone Hour,' for which he earned an Emmy nomination; later still helped guide many of the Miss Universe Pageant telecasts and directed many of the later Christmas specials hosted by Bob Hope

ca. 1921 – January 13, 2015

Trevor Ward-Davies, actually; bass guitarist and vocalist who was Dozy in the '60s pop/rock group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, known for such hits as "Hold Tight!," "Zabadak!" and "The Legend of Xanadu"

November 27, 1944 – January 13, 2015

Actor, martial artist and stuntman known for playing Kano in the web series 'Mortal Kombat: Legacy' and boxing champ Taylor "The Twister" Milos in 'Ip Man 2' (2010); also appeared in such films as 'I Spy' (2002), 'The Final Cut' (2004), 'Alone in the Dark' (2005), 'Slither' (2006), 'Watchmen' (2009), 'The Package' (2012), 'The Marine 3: Homefront' (2013) and the upcoming 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' (2015) and performed stunts in 'The Chronicles of Riddick' (2004), 'Blade: Trinity' (2004), '300' (2006), 'Night at the Museum' (2006), 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ' (2009) and 'Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol' (2011)

August 5, 1972 – January 14, 2015

Actor who played three of Charlie Chan's sons (Charlie Chan Jr., Tommy Chan, and Willie Chan) in three different Charlie Chan movies (1937's 'Charlie Chan at the Olympics,' 1938's 'Charlie Chan in Honolulu,' and 1940's 'Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise') and was the only "son" to work with two different Charlie Chans (Warner Oland and Sidney Toler); also appeared in the Oscar-winning classics 'The Good Earth' (1937), 'The Hurricane' (1937), and 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939)

June 29, 1927 – January 14, 2015

Legendary songwriter best known for his Great American Songbook standards "It Was a Very Good Year" and "I Believe" and as the lyricist of the jazz standard "Good Morning Heartache"

April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015

Iconic, eccentric music producer, impresario, singer and songwriter known for his role behind a string of cult novelty and pop rock singles in the '60s and for creating and managing the all-female rock band The Runaways in the 1970s

July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015

Japanese veteran voice actor known for his work as Gold D. Roger (or Gold Roger) on 'One Piece,' Nezumi-Otoko (a.k.a. Rat-Man) on 'GeGeHe no Kitarō,' Mercenary Tao on 'Dragon Ball,' Captain Hook on 'The Adventures of Peter Pan,' Dr. Eggman in the Sonic video games, and many other TV anime roles; was also the Japanese voice dub of Hanna-Barbera's Dick Dastardly and the official Japanese dubbing artist of Charles Bronson and Richard Widmark

July 5, 1929 - January 15, 2015

Producer and Emmy-winning director best known for his frequent collaborations with filmmaker Arthur Penn; served as Penn's direction aide on 'The Miracle Worker' (1962), his assistant on 'Mickey One' (1965) and his production associate on 'Alice's Restaurant' (1969) before becoming casting director and associate producer on Penn's 'Little Big Man' (1970); later worked with Penn as associate producer on 'Night Moves' (1975), creative consultant on 'The Missouri Breaks' (1976), producer and second unit director on 'Four Friends' (1981) and casting director, second unit director and consultant on 'Target' (1985); was also casting director for Phil Karlson's 'The Young Doctors' (1961) and co-producer of Stuart Millar's 'When the Legends Die' (1972); won an Emmy and received a DGA Award nomination for directing PBS' 'American Masters' documentary 'W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult'

birth and death dates not yet known; death occurred on or prior to January 16, 2015

Background artist, color stylist and Disney Legend known for his avant-garde style; did backgrounds on such animated Disney films and shorts as as 'Paul Bunyan' (1958), 'Sleeping Beauty' (1959), '101 Dalmatians' (1961), 'The Sword in the Stone' (1963), 'Mary Poppins' (1964) and 'The Jungle Book' (1967); previously served as animator and designer on Disney's 'Peter Pan' (1953) and 'Lady and the Tramp' (1955); later worked at Hanna-Barbera, providing background art for such shows as 'Wacky Races,' 'Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines,' and 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?'

1925 – January 16, 2015

Iconic Egyptian actress widely known as the First Lady of Arab cinema; starred in some of the most acclaimed Egyptian films of all time, including 'Immortal Music' (1952; a.k.a. 'Immortal Song'), 'Struggle in the Valley' (1954), 'I Don't Sleep' (1957), 'The Nightingale's Prayer' (1959; a.k.a. 'The Curlew's Cry'), 'The Open Door' (1964), 'Last Night' (1964), 'The Sin' (1965), 'I Want a Solution' (1975), 'Bitter Day... Sweet Day' (1988) and 'Land of Dreams' (1993)

May 27, 1931 – January 17, 2015

Comedian, actor, writer and director best known for his iconic alter ego Charlie Farquharson, a Canadian country bumpkin he introduced on 'The Big Revue' in 1952 and later portrayed for 18 years as a radio news anchor on TV's 'Hee Haw,' on which he was also a writer; hosted a real radio show, CBC Radio's 'Morningside,' from 1977 to 1982; also known as the author and co-lyricist of the musical adaptation of 'Anne of Green Gables,' which, having been performed annually since its debut in 1965, is Canada's longest-running musical and holds the Guinness record as longest running annual musical theatre production in the world; had supporting roles in such films as Jean Nugelesco's 'The Best of Everything' (1959) and Arthur Hiller's 'The Hospital' (1971) and memorably appeared on such shows as 'The Outer Limits,' 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' and 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'

September 19, 1924 – January 17, 2015

Fitness model, instructor and actor best known for starring in the Bravo reality series 'Work Out' and for having his body digitized to create Dr. Manhattan's physique in 'Watchmen' (2009)

November 3, 1977 – January 17, 2015

A.K.A. Ol'ga Vital'evna Yakovleva; singer best known for performing the theme songs for the anime series 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'

October 12, 1970 – January 17, 2015

Prolific assistant director and later production manager and producer who worked on dozens of classic films from the '30s through the '70s; was second assistant director to Frank Capra on 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939), an AD for Cecil B. Demille on 'Unconquered' (1947) and 'Samson and Delilah' (1949) and served as assistant director on numerous Hal B. Wallis productions, including Kirk Douglas' film debut, 'The Strange Love of Martha Ivers' (1947) and Douglas' first movie with Burt Lancaster, 'I Walk Alone' (1948), as well as the Lancaster vehicles 'Sorry, Wrong Number' (1948), 'Rope of Sand' (1949), 'Come Back, Little Sheba' (1952) and 'The Rose Tattoo' (1955); also assisted William Dieterle on several films, including 'Dark City' and 'September Affair' (both 1950), 'Love Letters' (1945) and the aforementioned 'Rope of Sand;' was Lancaster's assistant on 'Trapeze' (1956) and served as production manager on Lancaster's 'Sweet Smell of Success' (1957); later worked as production manager on such films as Delmer Daves' 'Kings Go Forth' (1958), King Vidor's 'Solomon and Sheba' (1959), the Elvis Presley movie 'G.I. Blues' (1961) and Don Siegel's 'Charley Varrick' (1973); was also production manager and executive producer on Franco Zeffirelli's 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1967), associate producer on 'Anne of the Thousand Days' (1969) and unit production manager and associate producer on Carl Reiner's 'Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid' (1982)

June 6, 1914 – January 18, 2015

Legendary script supervisor/continuity girl best known for working on Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971), 'Barry Lyndon' (1975) and 'The Shining' (1980) and the James Bond films 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977), 'A View to a Kill' (1985), 'The Living Daylights' (1987), 'License to Kill' (1989) and 'GoldenEye' (1995); also worked on 'X: The Unknown' (1956), 'Enemy from Space' (1957), Tony Richardson's 'Look Back in Anger' (1959), 'Circus of Horrors' (1960), 'The Long and the Short and the Tall' (1961), TV's 'The Saint' (1963-1967) and 'The Avengers' (1965-1969), Roy Ward Baker's 'The Anniversary' (1968), Terence Fisher's 'The Devil Rides Out ' (1968), 'Vampire Circus' (1972), 'Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter' (1974), 'The Wild Geese' (1978), 'Flash Gordon' (1980), Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi' (1982), Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' (1986), David Fincher's 'Alien³' (1992), 'First Knight' (1995), and 'Fierce Creatures' (1997), among other productions

June 26, 1927 – January 18, 2015

Drummer best known for playing on Crosby, Stills & Nash's 1969 debut album and their 1970 follow-up with Neil Young, 'Déjà Vu;' played at Woodstock and appeared on a total of seven top-selling albums; later became an addiction counselor specializing in interventions and in reuniting alcoholics and addicts with their families

April 7, 1948 – January 18, 2015

TV producer and director credited with inventing the instant replay during CBS Sports' coverage of the Army-Navy game on December 7, 1963; other broadcasting hallmarks include Pope John Paul II's TV special 'A Prayer for World Peace' and the historic 1985 concert event 'Live Aid'

November 26, 1933 – January 18, 2015

Actress best known for her 42-year-long role as Deirdre Barlow on ITV's 'Coronation Street'

June 21, 1954 – January 19, 2015

Singer and musician who founded legendary, five-time Grammy-winning vocal group The Swingle Singers

September 21, 1927 – January 19, 2015

Musician best known as the founder and leader of the pioneering electronic music group Tangerine Dream

June 6, 1944 – January 20, 2015

Actress and author who was the daughter of Hollywood legends John Gilbert and Leatrice Joy; played Ann Rutherford's character as a child in Clarence Brown's 'Of Human Hearts' (1938) and made uncredited appearances in such films as Mervyn LeRoy's 'Random Harvest' (1942) and 'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo' (1944), Jules Dassin's 'Reunion in France' (1942), Victor Fleming's 'A Guy Named Joe' (1943), and William Dieterle's 'Kismet' (1944); was author of her father's biography, 'Dark Star: The Untold Story of the Meteoric Rise and Fall of Legendary Silent Screen Star John Gilbert,' and president of the John Gilbert Appreciation Society

September 6, 1924 – January 20, 2015

Prolific and influential songwriter whose 800-plus songs include the hits "Gabbin' Blues" for Big Maybelle, "Don't Be Angry" for Nappy Brown (later a hit for The Crew-Cuts), "It Hurts Me to My Heart" for Faye Adams, "I Beg of You" for Elvis Presley, "Tryin' to Get to You" for The Eagles (later recorded numerous times by Elvis Presley) and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" for Ike & Tina Turner (who earned their first Grammy nomination for their vocals), as well as tunes for Nat King Cole, Maxine Brown, Jerry Butler, Eartha Kitt, Aretha Franklin, Eddy Arnold, Louis Jordan, Ruth Brown, and many, many others

April 19, 1922 – January 20, 2015

Stuntman and actor who performed in such films as 'Fletch' (1985), 'Back to the Future' (1985), 'Commando' (1986), John Carpenter's 'They Live' (1988), 'Tango & Cash' (1989), 'Young Guns II' (1990), 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1992), 'Demolition Man' (1993), 'Tombstone' (1993), 'Bad Boys' (1995), 'Mars Attacks!' (1996), 'Con Air' (1997), 'Amistad' (1997) and 'The Mask of Zorro' (1998)

July 26, 1948 – January 21, 2015

Veteran Hollywood script supervisor whose career spanned four decades and included collaborations with such legendary directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kramer, Arthur Penn, John Huston, Mike Nichols and Mel Brooks; worked with Hitchcock on 'Psycho' (1960) and with Kramer on several films, including 'Judgment at Nuremberg' (1961), 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World' (1963), 'Ship of Fools' (1965), 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967) and 'The Secret of Santa Vittoria' (1969); was recruited by Penn for 'The Chase' (1966) and 'Night Moves' (1975), by Huston for 'Fat City' (1972) and 'Annie' (1982), by Nichols for 'Silkwood' (1983) and 'Postcards from the Edge' (1990) and by Brooks for 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' (1993) and 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It' (1995); also worked on such classic films as William Wyler's 'Funny Girl' (1968), Peter Bogdanovich's 'The Last Picture Show' (1971), Franklin J. Schaffner's 'Papillon' (1973) and 'Island in the Streams' (1977), Herbert Ross' 'Funny Lady' and 'The Sunshine Boys' (both 1975), Michael Ritchie's 'The Bad News Bears' (1976) and 'Fletch' (1985), Elaine May's 'Mikey and Nicky' (1976), James Bridges' 'The China Syndrome' (1979), Mark Rydell's 'On Golden Pond' (1981), Barry Levinson's 'Rain Man' (1988) and John Hughes' 'Uncle Buck' (1989)

March 3, 1928 – January 21, 2015

Actress best known for her role as Elizabeth Perrin on the BBC series 'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin;' also known for co-starring on ITV's comedy series 'Keep It in the Family' and her role in the Oscar-winning film 'Darling' (1965)

June 16, 1929 – January 21, 2015

Founder of the animation studio of the National Film Board of Canada, for which he made numerous acclaimed animated short films; most notable for writing, producing, directing and animating 1966's 'Notes on a Triangle,' for which he won a BAFTA Film Award, and for producing and earning an Oscar nomination for 1974's 'Hunger,' one of the first computer-animated films ever made; other notable credits include producing, co-directing and animating 'Spheres' (1969), producing Bretislav Pojar's 'Balablok' (1972r) and Robert Awad & André Leduc's 'L'affaire Bronswik' (1978), directing and animating 'Rectangle & Rectangles' (1984), and directing 'A Matter of Form' (1984), for which he was nominated for the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival

30 December 1920 – 22 January 2015

Distinguished Shakespearean actor who was a veteran of West End and Broadway but was perhaps best known for voicing the title character in Disney's 'The Great Mouse Detective' (1986); also remembered for his roles on British TV series 'The Caesars' and 'The Power Game' and in films such as 'Dr. Who and the Daleks' (1965) and 'The Day of the Jackal' (1973)

February 10, 1932 - January 23, 2015

Veteran actor and comedian who appeared in over 750 Telugu films, notably 'Punya Bhoomi Naa Desam' (1994), 'Pedarayudu' (1995), 'Rayudu' (1998), 'Yamajaathakudu' (1999), 'Nuvvu Naaku Nachchav' (2001), 'Indra' (2002), 'Tagore' (2003), 'Shankar Dada MBBS ' (2004), 'Athadu' (2005), 'Gamyam' (2008), 'Darling' (2010), 'Dookudu' (2011), 'Atharintiki Daaredi' (2013) and 'Manam' (2014)

April 16, 1951 – January 23, 2015

Renowned Brazilian theater actress and producer known for her eponymous theater house in São Paulo, where she brought many classic (and then-controversial) plays to a Brazilian audience

January 1, 1926 – January 24, 2015

Radio and TV host who pioneered the modern TV talk show format with 'The Joe Franklin Show,' which aired from 1950 to 1993, earning him the Guinness World Record for Longest Running Continuous On-Air TV Talk Show Host; affectionately known as “The Wizard of Was” and “The King of Nostalgia” for his encyclopedic knowledge of old-time show business; gave emerging talents such as Liza Minnelli and Dustin Hoffman their first talk-show experience; a TV legend if there ever was one

March 9, 1926 – January 24, 2015

Iconic, internationally renowned Greek singer known for his recordings as both a solo performer and as frontman for the progressive rock band Aphrodite's Child; sold over 60 million albums worldwide in a career spanning nearly 50 years; biggest hits included "Rain and Tears" (recorded with Aphrodite's Child during the student protests of May 1968) and the solo ballad "Forever and Ever;" also remembered for his flamboyant dress, being dubbed "the Kaftan King" for his fondness for that particular garment

June 15, 1946 – January 25, 2015

Director of Peter Gabriel's music videos "Big Time," "Stream" and "Sledgehammer," the latter of which won an still-unsurpassed nine MTV Video Music Awards; also directed the entire first season of 'Pee-wee's Playhouse'

July 12, 1952 – January 26, 2015

Musician best known for his 23-year stint as guitarist in the orchestra on 'The Lawrence Welk Show;' also played guitar on the iconic theme songs for the '60s TV shows 'Batman' and 'Green Acres' and performed on dozens of film soundtracks, including 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968), 'The Godfather' (1972), 'All the President's Men' (1976), 'Sophie's Choice' (1982), 'Good Morning, Vietnam' (1987) and 'Dick Tracy' (1990)

January 3, 1932 – January 26, 2015

Legendary make-up artist who was the head of make-up at the BBC from the late '50s to the early '60s, during which time she worked on numerous dramas, including 'An Age of Kings,' 'A for Andromeda' and the 1963 adaptation of 'Hedda Gabler' starring Ingrid Bergman; also famed for preparing the Queen of England for the first televised Royal Christmas Message in 1957; later supervised the makeup in such films as Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979), Bill Forsyth's 'Local Hero' (1983), Roland Joffé's 'The Killing Fields' (1984) and 'The Mission' (1986), Euzhan Palcy's 'A Dry White Season' (1989), and Jim Sheridan's 'The Field' (1990); also did make-up for John Cassavetes' 'Husbands' (1970), Alan Parker's 'Bugsy Malone' (1976), James Ivory's 'Quartet' (1981) and Ron Howard's 'Willow' (1988), among other films; earned BAFTA nominations for her work on 'The Killing Fields' and the 1987 miniseries 'Porterhouse Blue' and received a Special Achievement Award from the London Critics Circle Film Awards in 1988

September 13, 1912 – January 28, 2015

Animator, director and co-founder of the studios Wild Brain and Special Agent Productions; at Wild Brain, he directed the direct-to-video release 'FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue' (1998) and the award-winning short film 'Hubert's Brain' (2001) and created animated advertising characters such as Erin Esurance and Lamisil’s toenail fungus monster Digger; previously worked as an animator on films such as 'The Twelve Tasks of Asterix' (1976), 'Heavy Metal' (1981) and 'The Plague Dogs' (1982) and was storyboard artist or animation supervisor on such '80s cartoons as 'Snorks,' 'Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats,' 'The Flintstone Kid,' 'Fantastic Max' and 'Alvin & the Chipmunks;' was selected by Hanna-Barbera in the late '80s to launch and manage the studio's principle overseas studio, Fil-Cartoons; was senior animation director on the 'Back to the Future' series and worked as animation director at Colossal Pictures from 1991 to 1995, directing commercials for such clients as Cap’n Crunch, Apple and Cinnamon Cheerios and Carl’s Jr.; also had brief stints at ILM, working first on 'Howard the Duck' (1986) and later on 'Casper' (1995)

died January 28, 2015

Spanish actress best known for starring as Soledad "Sole" Huete in the sitcom '7 vidas,' for which she earned multiple awards, and for her role as Jacinta in the mystery-drama series 'El Internado;' also earned acclaim and accolades for her performances in the films 'Seven Billiard Tables' (2007) and 'Maktub' (2011) and co-starred in such films as 'November' (2003), 'Mouth to Mouth' (1995), 'The Things of Love' (1989), 'The Enchanted Forest' (1987) and the Oscar-nominated 'The Nest' (1980)

September 21, 1937 – January 29, 2015

Composer who scored several films for director Nagisa Oshima, including 'A Town of Love and Hope ' (1959) and the 1960 releases 'Cruel Story of Youth,' 'The Sun's Burial' and 'Night and Fog in Japan;' also composed the music score for such films as Yasuzô Masumura's 'A Wife Confesses' (1961), Kirirô Urayama's 'Taro the Dragon Boy' (1979) and two 'Godzilla' movies: 'Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster' (1971) and 'Godzilla vs. Megalon ' (1973)

November 9, 1924 – January 29, 2015

Immensely successful, husky-voiced singer-songwriter, musician and poet whose sentimental verses earned him the moniker "King of Kitsch" from critics, yet he was one of the best-selling poets in history and at his peak was America's most popular poet; won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording in 1968 for his poetry album "Lonesome Cities;" earned an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe for his song "Jean," which he wrote and recorded for the 1969 film adaptation of 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,' for which he also scored the music; also received Oscar and Grammy nominations for co-writing the songs for 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown' (1969); other well-known works include the lyrics for the pop hits "Seasons in the Sun" and "If You Go Away," both adapted from works by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, and his composition 'The City: A Suite for Narrator & Orchestra,' for which he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music

April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015

Producer and production executive who was behind a string of classic '60s British spy shows; was production supervisor of 'The Saint,' associate producer on 'The Champions,' executive producer of 'Reilly: Ace of Spies,' and executive in charge of production on 'The Persuaders!' and 'Minder;' served as chairman of BAFTA from 1987 to 1989

December 15, 1927 – January 30, 2015

Stage and screen actress best known for playing Miss Marple on 'Agatha Christie's Marple' for ITV from 2004 to 2009; also remembered for playing the title role in Scottish Television's 1978 series adaptation of 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and Lucia in Channel 4's 'Mapp & Lucia' series that aired in 1985 and 1986; won London Evening Standard Theatre Awards as Best Actress for her performances in 'The Rivals' (1983) and 'The Way of the World' (1995); also won a BAFTA for her work in BBC's 1990 TV serial 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' and earned a Tony nomination for her performance in 'The Chairs' in 1998; film roles include Katherine's lady-in-waiting, Alice, in Kenneth Branagh's 'Henry V' (1989), the witch Mortianna in 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' (1991), the nurse in Julie Taymor's 'Titus' (1999), Sister Bridget in 'The Magdalene Sisters' (2002) and the voice of Miss Thripp in 'Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' (2005)

May 9, 1932 – January 30, 2015

Character actor known for his villainous role in the first-season 'Twilight Zone' episode "Execution" and his appearances in such films as 'Imitation of Life' (1959), 'Being There' (1979) and 'Splash' (1984); also co-starred in the cult sci-fi film 'Beginning of the End' (1957)

May 2, 1919 – January 30, 2015

Screenwriter and producer best known for writing Douglas Sirk's 'Magnificent Obsession' (1954); also wrote Sirk's 'All I Desire' (1953), Allan Dwan's 'Cattle Queen of Montana ' (1954) and 'Slightly Scarlet' (1956), Robert Aldrich's 'Autumn Leaves' (1956), the Byron Haskin-directed 'From the Earth to the Moon' (1958) and later co-wrote the 1972 horror films 'Frogs,' 'Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?' and 'Dr. Phibes Rises Again;' served as writer and producer of the TV series 'Project U.F.O.' and also had brief stints producing such shows as 'Cannon,' 'Combat!' and 'Bonanza'

June 9, 1918 – January 31, 2015

Singer-songwriter who wrote or co-wrote and originally performed such classic tunes as "Pony Time," "See Saw," "Sookie Sookie," "It's Better to Have (And Don't Need)," and the pioneering "Mercy, Mercy," but is best known for writing Aretha Franklin's hit "Chain of Fools"

March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015

Actress best known for starring in classic films noir such as 'The Strange Love of Martha Ivers' (1947), 'Dead Reckoning' (1947), 'I Walk Alone' (1948), 'Pitfall' (1948), 'Too Late for Tears' (1949), 'Dark City' (1950), 'Two of a Kind' (1951) and 'The Racket' (1951); later co-starred in the noirish Western 'Silver Lode' (1954), the Elvis Presley vehicle 'Loving You' (1957) and Mike Hodges' 'Pulp' (1972) before retiring from the screen

September 29, 1922 – January 31, 2015

Italian pianist who was a champion of underrepresented French composers, particularly Erik Satie, and whose 50+ albums consisted mostly of neglected, little-known French compositions

August 15, 1925 – February 1, 2015

Award-winning animator, writer and director for Rooster Teeth Productions; praised for his work on Rooster Teeth's popular online animated series 'Red vs. Blue' and 'RWBY,' the latter of which he created

June 22, 1981 – February 1, 2015

Famous Hungarian actor who was awarded the title of Nemzet Színésze (National Actor) just months before his death and has had several other honors bestowed upon him by his home country; known for acting in numerous films for director Zoltán Várkonyi, notably 'Kárpáthy Zoltán' (1966), 'Men and Banners' (1966), 'A Hungarian Nabob' (1967) and 'Stars of Eger' (1968); also appeared in Károly Makk's Cannes award-winning drama 'Love' (1971) and was the Hungarian voice of such legendary actors as Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Gary Cooper, Brian Cox and Kirk Douglas, but is perhaps most fondly remembered, at least by younger audiences, for being the narrator of the beloved animated film 'The Little Fox' a.k.a. 'Vuk' (1981)

September 20, 1929 – February 2, 2015

Screenwriter best known for scripting Nicholas Ray's 'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955) and for writing the seminal 1976 TV movie 'Sybil,' for which he won an Emmy; earned Oscar nominations for co-writing Fred Zinnemann's 'Teresa' (1951) and for writing Paul Newman's 'Rachel, Rachel' (1968) and also wrote or co-wrote such films as 'The Rack' (1956), 'The James Dean Story' (1957), 'The Outsider' (1961), 'The Ugly American' (1963) and Dennis Hopper's 'The Last Movie' (1971)

March 22, 1922 – February 2, 2015

Actress, singer and entertainer who for over 50 years performed almost exclusively alongside her husband, Peter Lind Hayes; perhaps best known for starring opposite Hayes in Dr. Seuss' 'The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. ' (1953) and for guest-hosting 'The Tonight Show' with Hayes between Jack Paar's departure and Johnny Carson's arrival in 1962; also starred with Hayes in the short-lived comedy series 'Peter Loves Mary,' made frequent appearances (with Hayes) on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and was a frequent guest panelist (again, with Hayes) on 'What's My Line?;' had supporting roles in a few films prior to her union with Hayes, most notably 'Second Fiddle' (1939) and 'Star Dust' (1940)

April 14, 1918 – February 3, 2015

Sword master and actor best known for his many roles in the 'Star Wars' movies 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), including Sullustan smuggler Nien Nunb on the latter; also played the Scarecrow in 'Top Secret!' (1984), performed as a fight double in 'Highlander' (1986) and 'The Man in the Iron Mask' (1998) and appeared in 'Rob Roy' (1995) and several episodes of 'Doctor Who'

March 30, 1949 – February 4, 2015

Award-winning Swedish cinematographer who invented the Super 16 film format, for which he received an Academy Award of Commendation, and championed the 3-perf 35mm format; shot over 60 films, including Mai Zetterling's 'Night Games' (1966) and 'The Girls' (1968), Jerry Lewis' infamous, unreleased drama 'The Day the Clown Cried' (1972) and such audience favorites as 'The Brothers Lionheart' (1977), 'Rasmus på Luffen' (1981) and 'Ronia, the Robber's Daughter' (1984)

May 29, 1924 – February 4, 2015

Legendary Brazilian actress, singer, sex symbol and muse of Cinema Novo; known for starring in such films as 'Absolutely Right' (1957), 'Uma Certa Lucrécia' (1957), 'The Golden Mouth' (1963), 'Cute, but Ordinary' (1963), Walter Hugo Khouri 's 'Men and Women' (1964), da Fontoura's 'Copacabana Fools Me' (1968) and 'The Devil Queen' (1974), Glauber Rocha's 'Antonio das Mortes' (1969) and 'Câncer' (1972), and Hugo Carvana's 'Go to Work, Vagabond' (1973)

April 17, 1929 – February 4, 2015

Australian actor and opera singer best known for his long-running roles as Norm Baker on 'The Sullivans' and Senior Detective Jim Patterson on 'Homicide;' also known for playing Harry Collins on TV's 'Number 96' and for his many years as as a chief baritone with the Australian Opera

March 23, 1933 – February 4, 2015

Influential film and television producer considered a pillar of the Israeli film industry; was executive producer of Rafi Bukai's classic 1986 film 'Avanti Popolo,' a producer of the award-winning 2003 drama 'The Barbecue People,' and a co-producer on the acclaimed 2009 comedy 'A Matter of Size;' head of Kastel Productions, co-founder and first chairman of the Sam Spiegel School for Film & Television, Jerusalem, and also served as chairman of the Israel Film Fund; recipient of Life Achievement Awards from the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Israeli Film Academy

November 1, 1937 – February 4, 2015

Producer, writer and TV executive who oversaw production on 'The Wonder Years' for New World Television and shepherded hit CBS shows such as 'Murphy Brown,' 'The Nanny' and 'Designing Women,' helping to push the network to the top of the ratings; later noted for his breakthrough product-placement deals and promotional innovations such as the creation of the first-ever watch-and-chat event for fans of 'Young Americans,' a show he executive-produced

June 25, 1963 – February 7, 2015

Double-bassist for legendary rock and roll group The Crickets

July 8, 1940 – February 7, 2015

Production designer on numerous films for director Miklós Jancsó between 1966 and 2010, most notably 'The Round-Up' (1966), 'Silence and Cry' (1968), 'Red Psalm' (1972), 'Electra, My Love' (1974) and 'Hungarian Rhapsody' (1979); also a filmmaker in his own right, having won the Technical Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his 1964 musical 'Az Életbe táncoltatott leány'

September 21, 1925 – February 8, 2015

Pioneering filmmaker and founder of NFL Films who revolutionized sports broadcasting and re-imagined pro football as riveting, must-watch cinema; introduced a number of innovative techniques (multiple cameras, slow-motion replays, putting microphones on coaches and players, reverse-angle shots, etc.) which helped turn pro football into America's #1 spectator sport

September 11, 1916 – February 9, 2015

Legendary Serbian singer and composer; was one of the most famous names in the Yugoslav pop scene

May 21, 1946 – February 9, 2015

Popular French actor, writer and director who had roles in Jean-Luc Godard's 'Breathless' and Visconti's 'Rocco and His Brothers' (both 1960) but is best known for playing the title role in the long-running crime series 'Navarro;' also played the title role in Claude Chabrol's 'Code Name: Tiger' (1964) and 'Our Agent Tiger' (1966), had the lead role in Alexandre Arcady's 'Le Grand Pardon' (1982) and 'Le Grand Pardon II' (1992) and appeared in such films as Chabrol's 'Blue Panther' (1955), Jules Dassin's 'He Who Must Die' (1957), 'The Brides of Fu Manchu' (1966), Delbert Mann's 'The Revengers' (1972), 'Tony Arzenta' (1973; a.k.a. 'Big Guns' and 'No Way Out') and Robert Hossein's acclaimed screen version of 'Les Misérables' (1982); credits as writer and director include 'Hell Train' (1985), which won the Special Prize at the Moscow International Film Festival, and 'Soleil' (1997), starring Sophia Loren and Philippe Noiret (both films featured Hanin in a supporting role)

October 20, 1925 – February 11, 2015

Prolific TV writer and producer who co-created 'Quincy, M.E.' with the late Glen A. Larson; also wrote for such shows as 'Have Gun - Will Travel,' 'Wagon Train,' 'Mission: Impossible,' 'McCloud,' 'Columbo,' and 'The Fall Guy'

April 29, 1926 – February 11, 2015

Legendary, award-winning journalist and correspondent for CBS News; covered crises, war, and unrest in 67 countries, including the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the student protests in China's Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the Persian Gulf War in 1991, during which he and four members of his TV crew were taken captured and imprisoned by Iraqi forces for 40 days; served as a regular correspondent for CBS' '60 Minutes' from 1996 to 2015 and was the show's senior foreign correspondent at the time of his death; recipient of 27 Emmy Awards for journalism, four Overseas Press Club awards and three Peabody Awards, among several other accolades

May 29, 1941 – February 11, 2015

Musician and singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and guitarist of pioneering psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company

December 18, 1941 – February 12, 2015

Influential, highly respected and beloved media columnist for 'The New York Times,' where he was best known for initiating the awards-season blog "The Carpetbaggers" and for his column "The Media Equation;" was featured prominently in the 2011 documentary 'Page One: Inside the New York Times'

September 8, 1956 – February 12, 2015

A.k.a. Movita Castaneda; actress known for her roles as Tehanni in Frank Lloyd's 'Mutiny on the Bounty' (1935) and Guadalupe in John Ford's 'Fort Apache' (1948) and who was the last surviving cast member of both of those films; also appeared in Ford's 'The Hurricane' (1937), of which she was the last surviving credited cast member, and 'Wagon Train' (1950); had lead roles in films for Monogram Pictures in the late '30s (1937's 'Paradise Isle;' 1939's 'Girl from Rio'), supporting roles in films such as Anthony Mann's 'The Furies' (1950) and Sidney Sheldon's 'Dream Wife' (1953), uncredited performances in 'Flying Down to Rio' (1933) and 'Kim' (1950) and later a recurring role on 'Knots Landing;' also noted for being the second wife of legendary actor Marlon Brando

April 12, 1916 – February 12, 2015

Pioneering female sportscaster; became the first woman to serve as a full-time sportscaster for a national TV network when she began broadcasting on ESPN on February 6, 1981; was also golf commentator for ABC from 1978 to 1994

May 6, 1946 – February 12, 2015

(not to be confused with '100 Huntley Street' host Rhonda Glenn, who died in May 2010)

Iconic radio disc jockey, announcer and voice actor best known as the announcer on 'Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In' and for voicing the title characters in the cartoons 'Space Ghost' and 'Rocket Ramjet;' lent his voice to many other TV shows, including 'Batman,' 'Garfield and Friends,' 'Ren & Stimpy' and 'Bobby's World,' as well as countless commercials; hosted thousands of radio programs and was a staple of Los Angeles radio, where he coined the phrase "beautiful downtown Burbank," later used on 'Laugh-In' and by Johnny Carson on 'The Tonight Show;' inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995 and the National Television Hall of Fame in 2001

May 10, 1934 – February 12, 2015

Lead singer of British pop group Visage

May 28, 1959 – February 12, 2015

Pioneering TV news reporter who worked for station KTLA from shortly after its inception as the first commercially licensed TV station in the western United States in 1947 until his retirement on his 87th birthday in 2010; reported live on the attempted rescue of three-year-old Kathy Fiscus in 1949, which has been recognized as the first live TV coverage of a breaking news story; was also involved in the first live telecast of an atomic bomb test at the Nevada Test Site in 1952 and covered many other landmark events, including the 1961 Bel-Air fire, the 1965 Watts riots, Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968 and the 1971 Sylmar earthquake; later broke the story on the beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers and covered the the 1992 Los Angeles riots which resulted from the acquittal of those officers; recipient of several local Emmys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among many other honors and accolades for his six decades of journalistic service

August 11, 1923 – February 13, 2015

Prolific, internationally renowned composer and pianist; had composed 13 symphonies by the age of 11 but was first recognized as a pianist, with his mid-1970s recordings of Joseph Haydn's piano sonatas being considered definitive; achieved international recognition as a composer for his 'Concerto for Orchestra' (1982) and later for his massive piano work 'Tenebrae' (1992-93), his Fourth Symphony, 'Of Time and the River' (1993-94), and his award-winning ballet 'Edward II' (1995); worked in almost every genre, flirted with serialism and later minimalism, and even drew inspiration from rock and jazz; wrote the score for the cult Hammer horror film 'Fear in the Night' (1972), which was the last film produced and directed by screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and also scored the popular ITV drama series 'Sam,' which ran from 1973 to 1975; also noted for being the director of the London College of Music from 1983 to 1990; appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in for his services to music in 1985 and won the Classical Music Award at the 59th Ivor Novello Awards in 2014

April 21, 1939 – February 13, 2015