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** My 2008 Top 10 Hollywood Deaths **

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Martin Patterson "Pat" Hingle (July 19, 1924 - January 3, 2009) was an American actor.

Hingle is traditionally known for playing judges, police officers, and other authority figures. One of his notable roles is the father of the character played by Warren Beatty in Splendor in the Grass (1961). While he is probably best known in recent times for playing Commissioner Gordon in the 1989 film Batman and its three sequels, Hingle has a long list of television and movie credits to his name, going back to 1948. Among them are Hang 'Em High (1968), Sudden Impact (1983), Road To Redemption (2001), When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? (1979), Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive (1986), The Grifters (1990), Citizen Cohn (1992), Muppets from Space, and Shaft (2000). Along with Michael Gough, who played Alfred Pennyworth, he is one of only two actors to appear in all of the first four Batman films.

In the 1997 revival of the musical 1776, Hingle played Benjamin Franklin, with Brent Spiner as John Adams. In 2002, he was a regular cast member of ABC's series The Court. He also played Horace in 1995's "The Quick and the Dead".

Recently, he appeared in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, as the original owner of Dennit Racing.

Death of Pat Hingle
He died of blood cancer on January 3rd, 2009.

Actor Pat Hingle - In His Own Words

Biography of Pat Hingle continues next page

John Travolta's son Jett dies in Bahamas on January 2, 2009 from a seizure during a family holiday at the Bahamas

It was a sudden death at their vacation house in Bahamas.  Jett had a history of seizures.

Claiborne Pell (November 22, 1918 – January 1, 2009) was a former United States Senator from Rhode Island, serving six terms from 1961 to 1997, and was best known as the sponsor of the Pell Grant, which provides financial aid funding to U.S. college students. A Democrat, he was that state's longest serving senator.

Death of Claiborne Pell
Claiborne Pell suffered from Parkinson's Disease. Pell died on January 1, 2009. He was 90 years old

Pell attended St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island, then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Princeton University in 1940, and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1946. While in Princeton, he was a member of Colonial Club.

Pell was married to the former Nuala O'Donnell, a descendant of the Hartford family and, as such, one of the heirs to the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company fortune

Author Bill Landis dies at age 49 of heart attack. He is survied by his collaborator and loving wife, michelle Clifford and his adored daughter Victoria.

Bill Landis brought Times Square alive. He was a walking encyclopedia of film knowledge. He wrote with his wife of 22 years, the bible of Times Square film and it's grindhouses and denizens, SLEAZOID EXPRESS for Simon and Schuster.

Landis, (with wife Cliffford ghosting) penned the unauthorized bio of underground filmmaker Kenneth Anger for HarperCollins.

Together, the couple published the magazines Sleazoid Express and Metasex. Landis' work appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers.

Landis was the first to coin the word "Sleazoid". He was the master of the facts of exploitation film, writing up houses like Troma films for Film Comment , and writing about the adult film business in a myriad of publications from cover stories in The Village Voice to Screw. He was a huge fan of art films. He never met a film he didn't want to comment on. He was not a critic. He was a writer of the aesthetics of film. The underlying meanings, touching the soul of celluloid.

His was cremated upon his wishes, and his wife and daughter held a private service for him.

He was often imitated but never duplicated.

Link to: "Almost Unknown Deaths"

(trivial - suicide attempt) 

On December 29, 2008, Mychal Bell (one of Jena 6) shot himself in the chest with a .22-caliber pistol in an attempt to take his own life, stating to police that he was tired of all the media attention. His wound was not life-threatening 

On December 24, 2008, Mychal Bell was arrested and charged with shoplifting, resisting arrest, and simple assault, having attempted to steal clothes from a department store and reportedly fought back against a security guard and off-duty police officer. He was released on $1,300 bond.

Jena Six was the name given to a group of six black teenagers charged with the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, United States, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured, but was released from the emergency room the same day. He has since brought suit against members of the Jena Six, their parents, the school district, and others allegedly involved.

* Comment disabled

Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 60s and on. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop

Following a long setback of health problems and a serious lip injury in 1992 where he ruptured his upper lip and subsequently developed an infection, Hubbard was again playing and recording occasionally, even if not at the high level that he set for himself during his earlier career. His best records ranked with the finest in his field

Death of Frederick Hubbard
On December 29, 2008, Hubbard's hometown newspaper, The Indianapolis Star reported that Hubbard died from complications from a heart attack suffered on November 26 of the same year. Billboard magazine reported that Hubbard died in Sherman Oaks, California

Freddie Hubbard - Misty

Freddie Hubbard's discography continues next page

Robert Graham (August 19, 1938 - December 27, 2008) was a sculptor based in the state of California in the United States of America. His monumental bronzes commemorate the human figure and are featured in public places across America.

Graham's work included statues of past presidents, Los Angeles Olympic Gateway, and countless more all over The United States.

Robert Graham died 70 years old, surrounded by his family, including Oscar winning actress Angelica Huston (married since 1992)

Interesting Trivial Story - Makes us to think

Ellie Nesler (1952- December 26, 2008) shot and killed her son's accused molester in a courtroom Sonora, California, during the trial. She served 3 years of a 10-year sentence, and was released after an appeal based on jury misconduct. She later went back to prison after a conviction on drug charges, for which she served more than 3 years. While in prison, she developed breast cancer. She died on December 26, 2008 at age 56.

Nesler made headlines when she killed Daniel Driver, the man accused of molesting four boys (including her then 6 year old son, William) in 1993, in the Tuolumne County courthouse. She fired five shots into Driver's head, killing him instantly. In 2002, she was convicted of selling and possessing methamphetamine. She was released from a woman's facility near Chowchilla, California in 2006.

Her son, William, was convicted in 2005 of stomping to death a neighbor, David Davis, hired to clean the family's property in Sonora, California. William Nesler is serving a 25-year-to-life sentence.

Ann Savage (February 19, 1921 - December 25, 2008) was a motion picture actress for over sixty years. She is mainly remembered as the cigarette-puffing femme fatale in Detour (1945) and other Hollywood B-movies and film noirs of the 1940s. Savage and Detour co-star Tom Neal made four movies (Klondike Kate, Two Man Submarine, Unwritten Code, and Detour) and one television show (Gangbusters) together.

Death of Ann Savage
Ann Savage died in her sleep on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008, from complications following a series of stroke. She is buried next to D'Armand at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, in Los Angeles, California

Merry Christmas
Singer of "Santa Baby" Eartha Kitt dies on Christmas Day 2008

Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American actress, singer, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman, and for her 1953 Christmas song "Santa Baby". Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world".

Death of Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008. Ironically as she is mostly known for her Christmas hit Santa Baby.

Career
Kitt started her career as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company and made her film debut with them in Casbah (1948). A talented singer with a distinctive voice, her hits include "Let's Do It", "Champagne Tatse", "C'est si bon", "Just an Old Fashioned Girl", "Monotonous", "Je cherche un homme", "Love for Sale", "I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch", "Uska Dara", "Mink, Schmink", "Under the Bridges of Paris", and her most recognizable hit, "Santa Baby". Kitt's unique style was enhanced as she became fluent in the French language during her years performing in Europe. She had some skill in other languages too, which she demonstrates with finesse in many of the live recordings of her cabaret performances

Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby

Eartha Kitts Awards and Filmography continues next page

Lark Song Previn (1973 - December 25, 2008) Lark Previn, who had been ailing for a decade, died on Christmas 2008 in New York. So far, no cause of death has been released.

Lark Previn was born in Vietnam in 1973 and was adopted by Mia Farrow and ex-husband Andre Previn.

Also, in 2000, Her adopted daughter Tam Farrow died at the age of 21, following a long illness. 

* Mia Farrow had 3 children with Andre Previn, adopted three children with Andre Previn, 1 child with Woody Allen, adopted two children with Woody Allen, and adopted 6 children as a single mother.

Robert Mulligan (August 23, 1925 in The Bronx, New York - Died December 20, 2008 Lyme, Conn) is an American film and television director.

In 1957 Robert Mulligan directed his first motion picture (Fear Strikes Out) and five years later received wide acclaim and Academy award and Directors Guild of America nominations for To Kill a Mockingbird. In the same year, he also directed a film with stars Rock Hudson and Burl Ives, called The Spiral Road, based on the book by Jan de Hartog.

Death of Robert Mulligan
Robert Mulligan died of had heart disease.
Robert Mulligan was 83 years old at the time of his death

In 1972 he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director and another Directors Guild Award for the highly successful Summer of '42.

He is the brother of actor Richard Mulligan who is best remembered for his television roles of Burt Campbell in the sitcom Soap and of Dr. Harry Weston in Empty Nest.

Robert Mulligan's biography & filmography continues next page

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (February 23, 1932 – December 18, 2008) (born Majel Leigh Hudec in Columbus, Ohio) was an American actress, and producer. She was also the widow of television director/producer/writer and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

As a result of her marriage to Gene Roddenberry and the fact that she has been in every Star Trek series, she is sometimes referred to as "the First Lady of Star Trek". She and Gene Roddenberry were married in Japan on August 6, 1969, after the cancellation of the original Star Trek series.

Death of Majel Roddenberry
Barrett died December 18, 2008 as a result of complications from leukemia.
Majel Roddenberry was 76 years old at the time of her death

She appeared in the original Star Trek series as Nurse Christine Chapel, and also had a role in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

She was also the voice of the USS Enterprise computer in almost every spin-off of the 1960s cult series

William Mark Felt, Sr. (August 17, 1913 – December 18, 2008) was a former agent of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, who retired in 1973 as the Bureau's Associate Director. After thirty years of denying his involvement with reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Felt revealed himself on May 31, 2005 to be the Watergate scandal whistleblower called "Deep Throat."

Death OF William Mark Felt
At 12:45pm on December 18, 2008, Felt died of congestive heart failure in his sleep at a hospice care facility in Santa Rosa, California. He was 95 years old. His death was reported in the Washington Post by Bob Woodward.

On December 17, 2008, paramedics were called to McCready's home in Nashville after an apparent suicide attempt; they transported her to a hospital after finding wounds on her wrists.

Malinda Gayle "Mindy" McCready (born November 30, 1975, in Fort Myers, Florida) is an American country music singer. Active since 1996, she has recorded a total of four studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's Ten Thousand Angels, was released on BNA Records and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, while 1997's If I Don't Stay the Night was certified gold. 1999's I'm Not So Tough, her final album for BNA, was commercially unsuccessful, and she was dropped from the label. A self-titled fourth album followed in 2002 on Capitol Records.

Mindy McCready:Guys Do It All The Time

Samuel John "Sam" Bottoms (October 17, 1955 – December 16, 2008) was an American actor and producer.

He is perhaps best remembered for his role as Lance Johnson, a Navy Gunner's Mate stationed on a river boat in Francis Ford Coppola's 20th century opus, Apocalypse Now.

Bottoms earlier appeared with Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

At the age of 16 while watching the shooting of the film The Last Picture Show, which his older brother Timothy was starring in, Peter Bogdanovich decided to give him a screen test. Sam ended up getting the part of Billy in the movie.

Death of Sam Bottoms
Sam Bottoms died of glioblastoma multiforme, a brain tumor.
Sam Bottoms was 53 years old at the time of his death.

Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the third son of James "Bud" Bottoms (a sculptor and art teacher) and Betty (Chapman). He is the brother of actors Timothy Bottoms, Joseph Bottoms and Ben Bottoms.

The Last Picture Show - Sam Bottoms as Billy

Sam Bottom's Television & Filmography continues on next page

Charles "Van" Johnson (August 25, 1916 - December 12, 2008) was an American film and television actor and dancer.

He passed away on December 12, 2008 at an assisted living center in Nyack, NY. He was 92.

Van Johnson with Lucy

Van Johnson's filmography continues next page

Bettie Page (April 22, 1923 - December 11, 2008) was a former American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. She was also one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine.

Death of Bettie Page
Bettie Page died on December 11, 2008, having been on continuous life support since her heart attack in December 2008

While she faded into obscurity in the 1960s after converting to Christianity and serving as a Baptist missionary in Angola, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s and had a significant cult following. Her look, including her jet black hair and trademark bangs, has influenced many artists. Bettie is a great aunt of comedian/writer Benjy Bronk and Bettie is a cousin of actress Mena Suvari.

Related story: Pinup Legend Bettie Page in Coma

On December 9, 2008, Macaulay Culkin's older sister, Dakota Culkin (29), was struck by a car in Los Angeles after stepping out into its path. She was taken to UCLA with massive head trauma and died the following day

Robert Prosky (December 13, 1930 - December 8, 2008) was an American actor with hundreds of credits on stage and screen including "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Hill Street Blues"

Death of Robert Prosky
Robert Prosky died on December 8, 2008, five days short of his 78th birthday, of complications following a heart procedure. At the time of his death, he lived on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Biography
Robert Prosky appeared in such films as Thief, Christine, The Natural, Broadcast News, Green Card, Hoffa, Rudy, and Dead Man Walking. In addition to appearing in numerous films, Prosky appeared as a regular on the television shows Hill Street Blues and Veronica's Closet. Prior to his film and television career, Prosky appeared in numerous productions at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC, most notably as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He was considered for the role of Martin Crane in Frasier and later made a guest appearance in the show as a reclusive writer. He also played Rebecca Howe's father on Cheers.

Prosky often performed at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, with over 100 stage credits to his name at that theatre alone. He also originated the role of Shelly Levene in David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross.

Robert Prosky's biography continues next page

Actor Mark Alan Ruffalo's brother, Scott, was shot at his Beverly Hills condominium, with one report describing the shooting as "execution-style" in the back of the head. Scott died on December 8, 2008. The reason for the shooting is as yet unknown, but police have taken two people into custody: a woman who is considered a suspect and a man considered a "person of interest".

Mark Alan Ruffalo (born November 22, 1967) is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for his role as Fanning opposite Tom Cruise in the 2004 film Collateral and Inspector David Toschi in the 2007 film Zodiac.

In 2002, Ruffalo was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor, and had surgery; the tumor was benign, but resulted in a period of partial facial paralysis. He fully recovered from the paralysis and returned to good health as well as an active life and movie career.

Dennis Yost passed away of respiratory failure, on December 7, 2008, at the age of 65 

Dennis Yost was a singer & a drummer of Classics IV, a pop rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965. Their signature songs include "Spooky" and "Stormy".

Dennis Yost became seriously ill. On July 11, 2006, while recovering at home in a suburb of Cincinnati, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious brain trauma. Although Yost subsequently underwent a significant amount of rehabilitation, he was never again able to perform. Since Yost's unique voice was integral to the Classics IV sound, his injury effectively placed the group on hiatus.

To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhino's Live in Cincinnati, Ohio, the benefit was originally thought up by Yost's close friend Jon "Bowser" Bauman. Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950’s through the 70’s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Dennis Yost, backed by local favorites, BlueStone Ivory and Classics IV guitarist Brian Correll. An interesting note to the benefit concert is that it didn't benefit Dennis or his wife financially. Without question the benefit was a huge boost for Dennis allowing him to see and visit with so many old friends, but the expenses far exceeded the money raised leaving the whole event in the red.

Dennis Yost passed away of respiratory failure, on December 7, 2008, at the age of 65

Pinup Legend Bettie Page suffered a heart attack on 2 December 2008. The 85-year-old had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia and was about to be released when she had the heart attack. Page was transferred to another hospital in Los Angeles and remains in intensive care, reportedly in a coma.

Bettie Page (born Betty Mae Page April 22, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a former American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. She was also one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine.

While she faded into obscurity in the 1960s after her conversion to Christianity, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s and now has a significant cult following. Her look, including her jet black hair and trademark bangs, has influenced many artists.

Related Story: Bettie Page dies 85