Oscar-winning legend Paul Newman appeared in dozens of films throughout his lengthy career, but how many of those titles are classics? Let’s take a look back at 20 of Newman’s greatest movies, ranked worst to best.
For years Newman was the perpetual Oscar bridesmaid, racking up failed Best Actor nominations for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958), “The Hustler” (1961), “Hud” (1963), “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), “Absence of Malice” (1981), and “The Verdict” (1982), as well as a Best Picture bid for producing “Rachel, Rachel” (1968). The Academy handed him an Honorary Award in 1985, only to give him a competitive prize the very next year for “The Color of Money” (1986). He scored subsequent bids in lead for “Nobody’s Fool” (1994) and supporting for “Road to Perdition” (2002).
The actor enjoyed a lengthy career behind the camera as well, winning the Golden Globe and competing at the Directors Guild Awards for helming “Rachel, Rachel,” which brought his wife,...
For years Newman was the perpetual Oscar bridesmaid, racking up failed Best Actor nominations for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958), “The Hustler” (1961), “Hud” (1963), “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), “Absence of Malice” (1981), and “The Verdict” (1982), as well as a Best Picture bid for producing “Rachel, Rachel” (1968). The Academy handed him an Honorary Award in 1985, only to give him a competitive prize the very next year for “The Color of Money” (1986). He scored subsequent bids in lead for “Nobody’s Fool” (1994) and supporting for “Road to Perdition” (2002).
The actor enjoyed a lengthy career behind the camera as well, winning the Golden Globe and competing at the Directors Guild Awards for helming “Rachel, Rachel,” which brought his wife,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
As 2023 comes to a close, we here at JoBlo.com would like to take a moment to pay tribute to some of the people who sadly passed away this year. Our deepest respect goes out to everyone in the industry we have lost, and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of those who died in 2023. These talented individuals will always be remembered for their impact on the world of film and television.
In Memory Of…
Earl Boen
Earl Boen died at the age of 81 on January 5th. The actor was best known as Dr. Peter Silberman in The Terminator, a role he reprised in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, making him the only other actor aside from Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear in the first three movies.
Boen always wanted to inject a little more humour into his performance, but director James Cameron kept telling him no…...
In Memory Of…
Earl Boen
Earl Boen died at the age of 81 on January 5th. The actor was best known as Dr. Peter Silberman in The Terminator, a role he reprised in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, making him the only other actor aside from Arnold Schwarzenegger to appear in the first three movies.
Boen always wanted to inject a little more humour into his performance, but director James Cameron kept telling him no…...
- 1/1/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Photo credit: Getty Images
Fred White
White, the original drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire who played on their 1980 hit “Shining Star,” died Jan. 1 of undisclosed causes. He was 67.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Gangsta Boo
The Tennessee-based former member of the Oscar-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia, whose real name was Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, died Jan. 1 of undisclosed causes, though an autopsy is pending. She was 43.
James D. Brubaker
Brubaker, who started out as a driver on Hollywood sets before rising through the ranks to become a producer on films including “Rocky IV” and “Right Stuff,” died Jan. 3 after a series of strokes. He was 85.
Peter Rawley
Rawley, a longtime talent agent for ICM Partners and former MGM executive, died on Jan. 3. He was 85.
Photo credit: Gregory Yee/Twitter
Gregory Yee
Yee, a breaking news reporter for the LA Times, died Jan. 4 from complications from a respiratory illness. He was 33.
Earl Boen
Boen,...
Fred White
White, the original drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire who played on their 1980 hit “Shining Star,” died Jan. 1 of undisclosed causes. He was 67.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Gangsta Boo
The Tennessee-based former member of the Oscar-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia, whose real name was Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, died Jan. 1 of undisclosed causes, though an autopsy is pending. She was 43.
James D. Brubaker
Brubaker, who started out as a driver on Hollywood sets before rising through the ranks to become a producer on films including “Rocky IV” and “Right Stuff,” died Jan. 3 after a series of strokes. He was 85.
Peter Rawley
Rawley, a longtime talent agent for ICM Partners and former MGM executive, died on Jan. 3. He was 85.
Photo credit: Gregory Yee/Twitter
Gregory Yee
Yee, a breaking news reporter for the LA Times, died Jan. 4 from complications from a respiratory illness. He was 33.
Earl Boen
Boen,...
- 10/1/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Sydney Pollack was the Oscar winning filmmaker who could’ve branded himself as Hollywood’s favorite journeyman, crafting solid entertainments for over 40 years. But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at all 20 of his films as a director, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1934, Pollack got his start as an actor, studying under legendary New York teacher Sanford Meisner. He cut his teeth is television, appearing in such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Playhouse 90” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” before transitioning into directing for the small screen. Even after making a name for himself behind the camera, he kept popping up onscreen, starring in “The Player” (1992), “Husbands and Wives” (1992), “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), “Changing Lanes” (2002), “Michael Clayton” (2007) and his own “Tootsie” (1982), to name but a few.
It was this experience as a performer that made him a favorite with actors, including Robert Redford, with whom he made seven films.
Born in 1934, Pollack got his start as an actor, studying under legendary New York teacher Sanford Meisner. He cut his teeth is television, appearing in such shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Playhouse 90” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” before transitioning into directing for the small screen. Even after making a name for himself behind the camera, he kept popping up onscreen, starring in “The Player” (1992), “Husbands and Wives” (1992), “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), “Changing Lanes” (2002), “Michael Clayton” (2007) and his own “Tootsie” (1982), to name but a few.
It was this experience as a performer that made him a favorite with actors, including Robert Redford, with whom he made seven films.
- 6/24/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Chris Chesser, the producer known for his work on the sports comedy “Major League,” has died. He was 74.
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 while at his Los Angeles home, brothers Alan and Steve Chesser announced Tuesday. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
In 1974, the producer took his first steps into the entertainment industry as an executive in international sales at Columbia Pictures. Two years later, Chesser became general manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Between 1980 and 1983, Chesser helmed two production companies: he served as vice president of production at Marble Arch Productions and functioned as head of production for Filmways, until the company was acquired by Orion Pictures.
Films Chesser supervised as a production executive include “Sharkey’s Machine,” “The Great Santini,” “Caddyshack,” “Wolfen,” “Arthur,” “Excalibur” and “On Golden Pond.” He also assisted in developing the features “Spinal Tap” and “Absence of Malice.”
The late filmmaker...
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 while at his Los Angeles home, brothers Alan and Steve Chesser announced Tuesday. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
In 1974, the producer took his first steps into the entertainment industry as an executive in international sales at Columbia Pictures. Two years later, Chesser became general manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Between 1980 and 1983, Chesser helmed two production companies: he served as vice president of production at Marble Arch Productions and functioned as head of production for Filmways, until the company was acquired by Orion Pictures.
Films Chesser supervised as a production executive include “Sharkey’s Machine,” “The Great Santini,” “Caddyshack,” “Wolfen,” “Arthur,” “Excalibur” and “On Golden Pond.” He also assisted in developing the features “Spinal Tap” and “Absence of Malice.”
The late filmmaker...
- 2/21/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Chesser, the film and documentary producer best known for bringing the iconic baseball comedy Major League to the big screen, has died. He was 74.
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
Chesser died suddenly Feb. 2 at his Los Angeles home, his brothers, Alan and Steve Chesser, announced. No cause of death was revealed.
As a production executive, Chesser supervised such notable films as The Great Santini (1979), Caddyshack (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Wolfen (1981), Arthur (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Excalibur (1981).
He supervised production on the British comedy Yellowbeard (1983), starring Graham Chapman, and helped develop Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap (1984) at Embassy Pictures and Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice (1981) at Columbia Pictures.
Chesser and Irby Smith produced Paramount’s Major League (1989), which was written and directed by David S. Ward and starred Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his master’s from the American Graduate School of International Management,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Chesser, the independent film and documentary producer whose credits include the hit Charlie Sheen 1989 comedy Major League, died suddenly at his home in Los Angeles on February 2. He was 74.
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
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Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
His death was announced today by his brothers Alan and Steve Chesser. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Huey "Piano" Smith Dies: New Orleans Rocker Behind 'Rockin' Pneumonia And Boogie Woogie Flu', 'Sea Cruise' Was 89 Related Story Jansen Panettiere Dies: Actor, Brother Of Hayden Panettiere Was 28
Chesser began his film career in New York in 1974 as an executive in international sales for Columbia Pictures. He became General Manager of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles in 1976.
In 1978 he became executive assistant at the newly formed Orion Pictures to co-founder Mike Medavoy, and from 1980 to 1983 he served as Vice President of Production for Marble Arch Productions and...
- 2/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Fans of A Christmas Story and Close Encounters of the Third Kind felt devastated to hear of Melinda Dillon’s death. She got her start on Broadway and made a splash in Hollywood with two Oscar nominations and several notable roles. Now, we’re looking back on her personal life. Here’s what to know about Melinda Dillon’s husband and whether she had any kids.
Who was Melinda Dillon’s husband, Richard Libertini? Melinda Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Melinda Dillon married her husband, Richard Libertini, in 1963. She was 23 years old and known for her Broadway roles. According to Sportskeeda, Libertini also got his start on Broadway, though he also took on notable roles in TV and films. He was known for his role as Frank Walker in the 1985 film Fletch, which starred notable actors such as Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Chevy Chase, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Tim Matheson.
Who was Melinda Dillon’s husband, Richard Libertini? Melinda Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Melinda Dillon married her husband, Richard Libertini, in 1963. She was 23 years old and known for her Broadway roles. According to Sportskeeda, Libertini also got his start on Broadway, though he also took on notable roles in TV and films. He was known for his role as Frank Walker in the 1985 film Fletch, which starred notable actors such as Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Chevy Chase, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Tim Matheson.
- 2/6/2023
- by Lauren Weiler
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A Christmas Story and Close Encounters of the Third Kind wouldn’t have been the same without Melinda Dillon. Dillon leaves behind an incredible legacy after dying on Jan. 9, 2023. So, how much money did the Oscar-nominated actor accrue in her lifetime? Here’s Melinda Dillon’s net worth at the time of her death.
Melinda Dillon died at 83 years old in February 2023 Kenneth Mars and Melinda Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Melinda Dillon leaves behind a hefty net worth thanks to her incredible legacy. According to CNN, the actor died on Jan. 9, 2023, with no cause of death listed. The public learned of her death by early February 2023, and she died at 83.
Dillon was most well-known for her role as the mother in A Christmas Story, the 1983 classic that’s now a holiday favorite. She also worked with Steven Spielberg as a lead in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and...
Melinda Dillon died at 83 years old in February 2023 Kenneth Mars and Melinda Dillon | CBS via Getty Images
Melinda Dillon leaves behind a hefty net worth thanks to her incredible legacy. According to CNN, the actor died on Jan. 9, 2023, with no cause of death listed. The public learned of her death by early February 2023, and she died at 83.
Dillon was most well-known for her role as the mother in A Christmas Story, the 1983 classic that’s now a holiday favorite. She also worked with Steven Spielberg as a lead in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and...
- 2/6/2023
- by Lauren Weiler
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Director Steven Spielberg has issued a statement on the passing of Melinda Dillion, who became a two-time Oscar nominee under this guidance in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
“Melinda was generous of spirit and lent such kindness to the character she played in Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” said Spielberg. “She was a wonderful actor, and as gifted in dramas – including her unforgettable turn in Absence of Malice – as she was in beloved comedies like A Christmas Story, Harry and the Hendersons, and Slapshot. We will all miss her.”
Dillon died at 83 on January 9 in Los Angeles. No cause or other details were given.
Dillon was best-known for playing the mother whose young son is abducted by the aliens in Spielberg’s 1977 epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She and Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicably are drawn to Devils Tower in Wyoming as they struggle to...
“Melinda was generous of spirit and lent such kindness to the character she played in Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” said Spielberg. “She was a wonderful actor, and as gifted in dramas – including her unforgettable turn in Absence of Malice – as she was in beloved comedies like A Christmas Story, Harry and the Hendersons, and Slapshot. We will all miss her.”
Dillon died at 83 on January 9 in Los Angeles. No cause or other details were given.
Dillon was best-known for playing the mother whose young son is abducted by the aliens in Spielberg’s 1977 epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She and Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicably are drawn to Devils Tower in Wyoming as they struggle to...
- 2/4/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Melinda DIllon, best known from her roles in Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and the holiday classic “A Christmas Story”, died last month at age 83.
According to an obituary issued by her family, Dillon died on Jan. 9.
Dillon got her start on stage, and made an auspicious debut on Broadway in the 1963 production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, for which she won a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award.
Read More: Long-Awaited Sequel To ‘A Christmas Story’ Gets HBO Max Release Date
Onscreen, Dillon appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Bound for Glory”, Paul Newman’s cult-favourite hockey comedy “Slap Shot” and family film “Harry and the Hendersons”, in addition to memorable roles in “F.I.S.T.”, “The Prince of Tides” and “Magnolia”.
Dillon received her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in 1978 for her performance in “Close Encounters” as Jillian Guiler, a single mother whose...
According to an obituary issued by her family, Dillon died on Jan. 9.
Dillon got her start on stage, and made an auspicious debut on Broadway in the 1963 production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, for which she won a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award.
Read More: Long-Awaited Sequel To ‘A Christmas Story’ Gets HBO Max Release Date
Onscreen, Dillon appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Bound for Glory”, Paul Newman’s cult-favourite hockey comedy “Slap Shot” and family film “Harry and the Hendersons”, in addition to memorable roles in “F.I.S.T.”, “The Prince of Tides” and “Magnolia”.
Dillon received her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in 1978 for her performance in “Close Encounters” as Jillian Guiler, a single mother whose...
- 2/4/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Melinda Dillon, the actor best known for roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and A Christmas Story, has died at the age of 83.
The news was announced by her family, with no cause of death disclosed.
Born in Arkansas in 1939, and raised in Alabama, Dillon began her acting career on Broadway, with a role as Honey in the original 1963 production of Edward Albee’s playWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
In 1969, she had her first film role, in the Jack Lemmon-Catherine Deneuve romcom The April Fools.
Dillon was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1976 (in the Best Female Acting Debut category), for her role in the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory.
The year after, she played a mother whose child is abducted by aliens in Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Her performance in the film earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The news was announced by her family, with no cause of death disclosed.
Born in Arkansas in 1939, and raised in Alabama, Dillon began her acting career on Broadway, with a role as Honey in the original 1963 production of Edward Albee’s playWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
In 1969, she had her first film role, in the Jack Lemmon-Catherine Deneuve romcom The April Fools.
Dillon was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1976 (in the Best Female Acting Debut category), for her role in the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory.
The year after, she played a mother whose child is abducted by aliens in Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Her performance in the film earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
- 2/4/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Melinda Dillon of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "A Christmas Story" fame passed away early last month at the age of 83. Her family made the announcement that she passed on January 9, 2023.
Dillon had a wonderful and eclectic career on the stage and screen and worked with some of the best directors of her era, including Hal Ashby, Steven Spielberg, Bob Clark, George Roy Hill, Sydney Pollack, and more recently Paul Thomas Anderson and Mike Binder. She originated the role of Honey in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" in 1963, a performance that would earn her a Tony nomination before she took a break from performing citing mental health reasons.
In a 1976 interview with The New York Times, Dillon candidly discussed the pressure of the constant schedule of New York theater and the birth of her son after a series of miscarriages that lead to her seeking treatment at a mental health facility,...
Dillon had a wonderful and eclectic career on the stage and screen and worked with some of the best directors of her era, including Hal Ashby, Steven Spielberg, Bob Clark, George Roy Hill, Sydney Pollack, and more recently Paul Thomas Anderson and Mike Binder. She originated the role of Honey in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" in 1963, a performance that would earn her a Tony nomination before she took a break from performing citing mental health reasons.
In a 1976 interview with The New York Times, Dillon candidly discussed the pressure of the constant schedule of New York theater and the birth of her son after a series of miscarriages that lead to her seeking treatment at a mental health facility,...
- 2/4/2023
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
Oscar-nominated actress Melinda Dillon has died. The A Christmas Story actress — who played Mother Parker in the beloved holiday film — died on Jan. 9 according to an obituary shared by her family, Rolling Stone confirmed. She was 83. No details were provided about her cause of death.
Throughout her career, Dillon was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress: first in 1977 for her role as Jillian in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and in 1981 for her portrayal of Teresa in Absence of Malice.
Two years after Absence of Malice,...
Throughout her career, Dillon was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress: first in 1977 for her role as Jillian in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and in 1981 for her portrayal of Teresa in Absence of Malice.
Two years after Absence of Malice,...
- 2/4/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Sad news today as it’s been reported that Melinda Dillon, best known for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and A Christmas Story, has died at the age of 83.
Melinda Dillon played Jillian Guiler in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a mother whose child is abducted by aliens. She was cast in the role just three days before filming began on the recommendation of Hal Ashby, who had directed her in Bound for Glory. Dillon’s performance would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also played Ralphie’s mother in Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story, memorably telling him that he would shoot his eye out if he got a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. She received another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice.
Melinda Dillon played Jillian Guiler in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a mother whose child is abducted by aliens. She was cast in the role just three days before filming began on the recommendation of Hal Ashby, who had directed her in Bound for Glory. Dillon’s performance would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also played Ralphie’s mother in Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story, memorably telling him that he would shoot his eye out if he got a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. She received another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sydney Pollack’s Absence of Malice.
- 2/3/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Oscar and Tony-nominated actor Melinda Dillon, who played Mother Parker in “A Christmas Story,” and appeared in “Magnolia” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” died Jan. 9. She was 83.
Her death was reported by the Neptune Society.
Dillon is celebrated for her role as Jillian Guiler in Steven Speilberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), for which she earned an Oscar nomination for supporting actress. She received a second supporting actress nomination in 1982 for her role as Teresa in Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice” (1981). In 1977, she received a Golden Globe nomination for acting debut in a motion picture for Hal Ashby’s “Bound for Glory” (1976).
In a statement, Spielberg praised Dillon, saying, “Melinda was generous of spirit and lent such kindness to the character she played in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’… We will all miss her.”
Dillon also played the matriarch of the Parker family in...
Her death was reported by the Neptune Society.
Dillon is celebrated for her role as Jillian Guiler in Steven Speilberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), for which she earned an Oscar nomination for supporting actress. She received a second supporting actress nomination in 1982 for her role as Teresa in Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice” (1981). In 1977, she received a Golden Globe nomination for acting debut in a motion picture for Hal Ashby’s “Bound for Glory” (1976).
In a statement, Spielberg praised Dillon, saying, “Melinda was generous of spirit and lent such kindness to the character she played in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’… We will all miss her.”
Dillon also played the matriarch of the Parker family in...
- 2/3/2023
- by Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
Melinda Dillon, the two-time Oscar nominee known for her roles in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “A Christmas Story,” died January 9 in Los Angeles, according to an announcement from her family. She was 83.
Dillon was born in 1939 in Hope, Arkansas. Her stepfather was an army veteran, and she grew up on military bases around the country and in Germany before graduating from the Hyde Park High School in Chicago. She studied acting at the Goodman School of Drama and began her career performing improv at The Second City.
In 1962, Dillon played Honey in the original Broadway production of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The performance earned her a Tony nomination at 23 years old. Over the course of her career, she picked up two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her turns as a mother whose children are abducted by aliens in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind...
Dillon was born in 1939 in Hope, Arkansas. Her stepfather was an army veteran, and she grew up on military bases around the country and in Germany before graduating from the Hyde Park High School in Chicago. She studied acting at the Goodman School of Drama and began her career performing improv at The Second City.
In 1962, Dillon played Honey in the original Broadway production of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The performance earned her a Tony nomination at 23 years old. Over the course of her career, she picked up two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her turns as a mother whose children are abducted by aliens in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind...
- 2/3/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Melinda Dillon who is known for her roles in films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and A Christmas Story has died. She was 83 years old. The actress reportedly died on January 9, according to an obituary listing shared by her family. Born October 13, 1939, Dillon would have been 84 this fall. Dillon’s last onscreen appearances were in 2007 for the film Reign Over Me and the television series Heartland in which she featured for three episodes. A Christmas Story (Credit: © MGM / Courtesy: Everett Collection) The two-time Oscar-nominated actress rose to fame with her role in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind in which she played a mother whose son is abducted by aliens. The part earned her the first nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She earned a nomination again in 1982 for her part in the film Absence of Malice which also featured Sally Field and Paul Newman.
- 2/3/2023
- TV Insider
Melinda Dillon, who played Ralphie’s mom in the holiday classic A Christmas Story, died on Jan. 9 at the age of 83, the actress’ family and friends have announced. A cause of death was not released.
Dillon co-starred alongside Peter Billingsley as frazzled mom Mother Parker in A Christmas Story, which hit theaters in 1983 and went on to become a cable TV holiday staple. Dillon is also known for starring in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind as a mother whose child is abducted by aliens, a performance for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best...
Dillon co-starred alongside Peter Billingsley as frazzled mom Mother Parker in A Christmas Story, which hit theaters in 1983 and went on to become a cable TV holiday staple. Dillon is also known for starring in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind as a mother whose child is abducted by aliens, a performance for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best...
- 2/3/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Melinda Dillon, a two-time Oscar nominee for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice who also played Ralphie’s mom in A Christmas Story, has died. She was 83. Her family said she died January 9 in Los Angeles but did not give other details.
Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind,’ 1977
Dillon probably is best known for playing a mother whose young son is abducted by the aliens in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She and Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicably are drawn to Devils Tower in Wyoming as they struggle to make sense of what has happened to them. She earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nom for the role.
She also played the mother of the young lead Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story, memorably warning the boy who wants a Bb rifle that, “You’ll shoot your eye out!
Dillon and Richard Dreyfuss in ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind,’ 1977
Dillon probably is best known for playing a mother whose young son is abducted by the aliens in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She and Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicably are drawn to Devils Tower in Wyoming as they struggle to make sense of what has happened to them. She earned a Supporting Actress Oscar nom for the role.
She also played the mother of the young lead Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story, memorably warning the boy who wants a Bb rifle that, “You’ll shoot your eye out!
- 2/3/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
We’ve learned the sad news today that two-time Oscar nominee Melinda Dillon, known for playing “Mother Parker” in Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story, has passed away at the age of 83.
The actress passed away on Monday, January 9, the family announced today.
Melinda Dillon was nominated for Academy Awards in 1978 and in 1982, first for Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, playing the role of Jillian Guiler, a mother whose child is abducted by aliens. Jillian ends up joining Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) on his adventure.
Later in 1982, Dillon was nominated in the same category – Best Actress in a Supporting Role – for her performance as Teresa in Sydney Pollack’s film Absence of Malice.
Melinda Dillon is also known for her decades-spanning roles in Bound for Glory, Slap Shot, Harry and the Hendersons, Captain America (1990), Magnolia, and Reign Over Me.
Dillon’s film credits also include The April Fools,...
The actress passed away on Monday, January 9, the family announced today.
Melinda Dillon was nominated for Academy Awards in 1978 and in 1982, first for Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, playing the role of Jillian Guiler, a mother whose child is abducted by aliens. Jillian ends up joining Roy (Richard Dreyfuss) on his adventure.
Later in 1982, Dillon was nominated in the same category – Best Actress in a Supporting Role – for her performance as Teresa in Sydney Pollack’s film Absence of Malice.
Melinda Dillon is also known for her decades-spanning roles in Bound for Glory, Slap Shot, Harry and the Hendersons, Captain America (1990), Magnolia, and Reign Over Me.
Dillon’s film credits also include The April Fools,...
- 2/3/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Melinda Dillon, the Oscar-nominated actor who sought the truth in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and battled a leg lamp in A Christmas Story, is dead at 83.
Dillon passed away January 9th, her family announced in an obituary. No cause of death was revealed.
Born October 13thth, 1939, Dillon burst onto Broadway in the original 1963 production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, earning a Tony nomination for her work as the naive Honey. Her breakthrough film performance came in Hal Ashby’s Bound for Glory (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and she followed that in 1977 with memorable turns in the Paul Newman hockey cult classic Slap Shot and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters, which brought her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.
She’d pick up her second Oscar nod reuniting with Newman in Sydney Pollack’s 1981 noir Absence of Malice,...
Dillon passed away January 9th, her family announced in an obituary. No cause of death was revealed.
Born October 13thth, 1939, Dillon burst onto Broadway in the original 1963 production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, earning a Tony nomination for her work as the naive Honey. Her breakthrough film performance came in Hal Ashby’s Bound for Glory (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and she followed that in 1977 with memorable turns in the Paul Newman hockey cult classic Slap Shot and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters, which brought her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.
She’d pick up her second Oscar nod reuniting with Newman in Sydney Pollack’s 1981 noir Absence of Malice,...
- 2/3/2023
- by Wren Graves
- Consequence - Film News
Melinda Dillon, who was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice,” has died at age 83, her family said in a public obituary.
She died on Jan. 9, but the obituary gave no cause of death.
Dillon memorably played single mother Jillian Guiler, whose son Barry (Cary Guffey), is abducted by aliens in “Close Encounters.” Like Richard Dreyfuss’s lead character, she also becomes obsessed with Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and both their quests lead them there. After running the gauntlet of military obstacles, they are the only two civilians who witness the alien ship landing in the film’s emotional finale.
Also Read:
Lisa Loring, Original Wednesday on ‘The Addams Family,’ Dies at 64
She received her second nomination for playing a Catholic who commits suicide after a reporter (Sally Field) writes about...
She died on Jan. 9, but the obituary gave no cause of death.
Dillon memorably played single mother Jillian Guiler, whose son Barry (Cary Guffey), is abducted by aliens in “Close Encounters.” Like Richard Dreyfuss’s lead character, she also becomes obsessed with Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and both their quests lead them there. After running the gauntlet of military obstacles, they are the only two civilians who witness the alien ship landing in the film’s emotional finale.
Also Read:
Lisa Loring, Original Wednesday on ‘The Addams Family,’ Dies at 64
She received her second nomination for playing a Catholic who commits suicide after a reporter (Sally Field) writes about...
- 2/3/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Melinda Dillon, who received supporting Oscar nominations for her turns in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice and portrayed the doting mom in the holiday perennial A Christmas Story, died Jan. 9, her family announced. She was 83.
Right out of the gate, Dillon earned a Tony nomination and Theatre World award in 1963 for her debut performance on Broadway as the childlike wife Honey in the original production of Edward Albee‘s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Later, the Arkansas native played two characters opposite David Carradine — Woody Guthrie’s first wife, Mary, and a dark-haired folk singer named Memphis Sue — in the biopic Bound for Glory (1976), directed by Hal Ashby; was a lesbian hockey wife in George Roy Hill’s Slap Shot (1977); and portrayed John Lithgow’s wife in the family film Harry and the Hendersons (1987).
Her big-screen résumé also included Norman Jewison’s F.I.S.T. (1978), as...
Right out of the gate, Dillon earned a Tony nomination and Theatre World award in 1963 for her debut performance on Broadway as the childlike wife Honey in the original production of Edward Albee‘s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Later, the Arkansas native played two characters opposite David Carradine — Woody Guthrie’s first wife, Mary, and a dark-haired folk singer named Memphis Sue — in the biopic Bound for Glory (1976), directed by Hal Ashby; was a lesbian hockey wife in George Roy Hill’s Slap Shot (1977); and portrayed John Lithgow’s wife in the family film Harry and the Hendersons (1987).
Her big-screen résumé also included Norman Jewison’s F.I.S.T. (1978), as...
- 2/3/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sally Field will receive the 2023 SAG Life Achievement Award at the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Feb. 26.
The award is giving annually to an actor who exhibits the “finest ideals of the acting profession.” Field, a two-time Oscar winner, has also received a SAG Award, three Emmys, two BAFTA Awards, the New York Film Critics prize, the National Board of Review Award, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award and the National Society of Film Critics honor, among many more.
In 2012, the actress was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2015 received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Additionally, she received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2019.
Her career credits include Places in the Heart, Norma Rae, Lincoln, Smokey and the Bandit, Absence of Malice, Kiss Me Goodbye, Steel Magnolias, Forrest Gump, An Eye for an Eye, Mrs. Doubtfire, Hooper, Stay Hungry and Hello,...
The award is giving annually to an actor who exhibits the “finest ideals of the acting profession.” Field, a two-time Oscar winner, has also received a SAG Award, three Emmys, two BAFTA Awards, the New York Film Critics prize, the National Board of Review Award, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award and the National Society of Film Critics honor, among many more.
In 2012, the actress was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2015 received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Additionally, she received the Kennedy Center Honor in 2019.
Her career credits include Places in the Heart, Norma Rae, Lincoln, Smokey and the Bandit, Absence of Malice, Kiss Me Goodbye, Steel Magnolias, Forrest Gump, An Eye for an Eye, Mrs. Doubtfire, Hooper, Stay Hungry and Hello,...
- 1/17/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Owen Roizman, the five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer who partnered with director William Friedkin on the gripping movie classics The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died. He was 86.
Roizman, who also teamed with director Sydney Pollack on five films, including Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981) and Tootsie (1982) — when he somehow made Dustin Hoffman look good as a woman — died Friday night at his home in Encino, his wife of 58 years, Mona, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was in hospice care since August, she said.
He received an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November 2017. “Film is made up of many tiny, silver particles, and each one of those particles is represented by every person who works on a film,” Roizman said in his acceptance speech. “Had you changed any one of them on any movie, the movie would have looked different.”
Roizman had quite the career, also...
Roizman, who also teamed with director Sydney Pollack on five films, including Three Days of the Condor (1975), Absence of Malice (1981) and Tootsie (1982) — when he somehow made Dustin Hoffman look good as a woman — died Friday night at his home in Encino, his wife of 58 years, Mona, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was in hospice care since August, she said.
He received an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November 2017. “Film is made up of many tiny, silver particles, and each one of those particles is represented by every person who works on a film,” Roizman said in his acceptance speech. “Had you changed any one of them on any movie, the movie would have looked different.”
Roizman had quite the career, also...
- 1/7/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As she said when she collected her second Oscar for Best Actress, Sally Field hasn’t had an orthodox career. Plucked out of a drama class when she was barely out of high school Field was cast as the perky surfer girl Gidget for one season on TV. She then did three seasons in the preposterous series “The Flying Nun.” Not exactly the kind of work that would portend a serious new actress had arrived. In fact at the age of 24, Field found herself to be somewhat of an industry joke.
While many sitcom stars who fell into obscurity, Field managed to turn her career around. She began working with famed acting teacher Lee Strasberg and slowly things started to change for her. She found work in a series of well regarded TV movies and won an Emmy for the miniseries “Sybil” about a child abuse victim that developed 16 different...
While many sitcom stars who fell into obscurity, Field managed to turn her career around. She began working with famed acting teacher Lee Strasberg and slowly things started to change for her. She found work in a series of well regarded TV movies and won an Emmy for the miniseries “Sybil” about a child abuse victim that developed 16 different...
- 12/2/2022
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
They were a Hollywood power couple who chose to live and raise their family in Connecticut, far removed from the center of moviemaking. They were box office draws who remained true to their art, using their celebrity to finance smaller dramas and passion projects. They epitomized glamour and romance for legions of fans, but remained more devoted to social justice and philanthropy than red carpet premieres.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
- 1/11/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Oscar- and three-time Emmy winner Sally Field has signed with Anonymous Content.
Field, whose career has spanned five decades, can next be seen starring as Jessie Buss alongside John C. Reilly in Adam McKay’s Los Angeles Lakers HBO drama series, based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s and written by Max Borenstein. In November, she will reunite with Hello, My Name Is Doris director Michael Showalter in Spoiler Alert, Focus Features’ feature film adaptation of journalist Michael Ausiello’s bestselling memoir. She joins Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge in the pic.
Field won two Best Actress Oscars for Norma Rae in 1979 and Places In The Heart in 1984. She also has three Emmys among nine noms, including a 2007 Lead Actress in a Drama win starring on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters. Her recent television work includes...
Field, whose career has spanned five decades, can next be seen starring as Jessie Buss alongside John C. Reilly in Adam McKay’s Los Angeles Lakers HBO drama series, based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s and written by Max Borenstein. In November, she will reunite with Hello, My Name Is Doris director Michael Showalter in Spoiler Alert, Focus Features’ feature film adaptation of journalist Michael Ausiello’s bestselling memoir. She joins Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge in the pic.
Field won two Best Actress Oscars for Norma Rae in 1979 and Places In The Heart in 1984. She also has three Emmys among nine noms, including a 2007 Lead Actress in a Drama win starring on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters. Her recent television work includes...
- 10/6/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s blockbuster season and Amazon Prime is celebrating by bringing a major action film to its stream.
That’s right, Amazon Prime’s list of new releases for July 2021 is highlighted by none other than The Tomorrow War on July 2. The year is 2051 and mankind is locked in a vicious war against an alien species. Our only hope is to go back in time and find…Chris Pratt. Ok, perhaps that’s a little reductive of the film’s plot. Future humanity also comes back to bring Sam Richardson to the future.
In terms of originals, there isn’t much else to speak of on Amazon Prime this month. The only other major release is The Pursuit of Love on July 30. This BBC series is directed by Emily Mortimer and takes place during the WWII era and follows two cousins as they navigate their lives. Lily James and Andrew Scott star.
That’s right, Amazon Prime’s list of new releases for July 2021 is highlighted by none other than The Tomorrow War on July 2. The year is 2051 and mankind is locked in a vicious war against an alien species. Our only hope is to go back in time and find…Chris Pratt. Ok, perhaps that’s a little reductive of the film’s plot. Future humanity also comes back to bring Sam Richardson to the future.
In terms of originals, there isn’t much else to speak of on Amazon Prime this month. The only other major release is The Pursuit of Love on July 30. This BBC series is directed by Emily Mortimer and takes place during the WWII era and follows two cousins as they navigate their lives. Lily James and Andrew Scott star.
- 7/1/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Screenwriter Kurt Luedtke, known for his Oscar-winning adapted screenplay Out of Africa, died on Sunday. He was 80. The Detroit Free Press reported that the Luedtke, who worked at the newspaper during the 1960s and ’70s, passed away after a long illness in a Michigan hospital.
Luedtke, a Michigan native, first worked in journalism before turning his attention to Hollywood in the 1980s with screenwriting credits that include Absence of Malice and Random Hearts. After graduating from Brown University, the reporter-turned-screenwriter pursued a law degree at the University of Michigan and took on journalism courses at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
After Medill, Luedtke went on to report for the Miami Herald as an intern. In 1965, Luedtke moved to the Free Press as a general reporter. During his time at the paper, he reported a number of stories including the Free Press’ Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Detroit riots...
Luedtke, a Michigan native, first worked in journalism before turning his attention to Hollywood in the 1980s with screenwriting credits that include Absence of Malice and Random Hearts. After graduating from Brown University, the reporter-turned-screenwriter pursued a law degree at the University of Michigan and took on journalism courses at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
After Medill, Luedtke went on to report for the Miami Herald as an intern. In 1965, Luedtke moved to the Free Press as a general reporter. During his time at the paper, he reported a number of stories including the Free Press’ Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Detroit riots...
- 8/11/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Kurt Luedtke, who left journalism for Hollywood and won an Academy Award for his “Out of Africa” screenplay, died Sunday in Michigan after a long illness. He was 80.
The Michigan native died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, the Detroit Free Press reported. He had worked at the newspaper starting in 1965 and was part of the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the deadly 1967 riots in that city. He became its executive editor before departing at the age of 33 to pursue a career as a screenwriter.
Luedtke was able to sell Orion Picture his idea about a liquor warehouse owner whose life is almost destroyed by a reporter relying on an anonymous source. The film became Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice,” starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Melinda Dillon and Wilford Brimley, leading to Academy Award nominations to Newman for actor, Dillon for supporting actress and Leudtke for original screenplay.
The Michigan native died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, the Detroit Free Press reported. He had worked at the newspaper starting in 1965 and was part of the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the deadly 1967 riots in that city. He became its executive editor before departing at the age of 33 to pursue a career as a screenwriter.
Luedtke was able to sell Orion Picture his idea about a liquor warehouse owner whose life is almost destroyed by a reporter relying on an anonymous source. The film became Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice,” starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Melinda Dillon and Wilford Brimley, leading to Academy Award nominations to Newman for actor, Dillon for supporting actress and Leudtke for original screenplay.
- 8/10/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Wilford Brimley, who worked his way up from stunt performer to star of film such as “Cocoon” and “The Natural,” died Saturday morning, Aug. 1, 2020. He was 85.
Utah-born Brimley found his way into the film industry through stunt work around horse riding, before taking on successively larger roles in his 40s and 50s which brought him fame playing sometimes gruff but lovable moustachioed seniors.
In Ron Howard’s 1985 Sci-Fi feature “Cocoon”, Brimley played a man in his 70s who together with the other residents of a Florida retirement home, discovers an alien energy source that rejuvenates them.
Rip #WilfordBrimley We didn’t always see eye 2 eye but I owe this Cocoon scene to Wilford who asked me to throw out the script & let him improvise while fishing w/the boy. I agreed & shot a few 3-camera set-ups & he was brilliant & honest https://t.co/hjgCVyUArc via @YouTube
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward...
Utah-born Brimley found his way into the film industry through stunt work around horse riding, before taking on successively larger roles in his 40s and 50s which brought him fame playing sometimes gruff but lovable moustachioed seniors.
In Ron Howard’s 1985 Sci-Fi feature “Cocoon”, Brimley played a man in his 70s who together with the other residents of a Florida retirement home, discovers an alien energy source that rejuvenates them.
Rip #WilfordBrimley We didn’t always see eye 2 eye but I owe this Cocoon scene to Wilford who asked me to throw out the script & let him improvise while fishing w/the boy. I agreed & shot a few 3-camera set-ups & he was brilliant & honest https://t.co/hjgCVyUArc via @YouTube
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward...
- 8/2/2020
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Wilford Brimley, the unlikely character actor who brought both curmudgeonry and geniality to films like Cocoon, The China Syndrome, The Natural and Tender Mercies, has died at the age of 85.
Brimley’s agent Lynda Bensky confirmed to the New York Times that the actor had been sick for two months with kidney ailments; the actor — a longtime spokesperson for Liberty Medical — had been diabetic since the Seventies. Brimley died Saturday at a hospital near St. George, Utah, where the actor resided.
“Wilford Brimley was a man you could trust. He...
Brimley’s agent Lynda Bensky confirmed to the New York Times that the actor had been sick for two months with kidney ailments; the actor — a longtime spokesperson for Liberty Medical — had been diabetic since the Seventies. Brimley died Saturday at a hospital near St. George, Utah, where the actor resided.
“Wilford Brimley was a man you could trust. He...
- 8/2/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Wilford Brimley, best known for his roles in “The Natural,” the 1982 remake of “The Thing,” “The Firm” and “Cocoon,” died on Saturday. He was 85.
His agent, Lynda Bensky, told The New York Times that he had been sick with a kidney problem for two months.
Brimley was also famous for the series of commercials for Quaker Oats in which he appeared.
Pauline Kael ably summed up his appeal in a few words. Reviewing “Cocoon” for the New Yorker in 1985, she said, “Wilford Brimley, with his walrus mustache and friendly belly, brings an ornery impudence to his role.”
Brimley, who seemed to enter old age several decades ago, appeared perfectly at home in the Ron Howard-directed movie about senior citizens unintentionally rejuvenated by an alien life force in the pool where they do water aerobics even though he was only 51 at the time. Brimley’s Ben Luckett doing cannonballs in...
His agent, Lynda Bensky, told The New York Times that he had been sick with a kidney problem for two months.
Brimley was also famous for the series of commercials for Quaker Oats in which he appeared.
Pauline Kael ably summed up his appeal in a few words. Reviewing “Cocoon” for the New Yorker in 1985, she said, “Wilford Brimley, with his walrus mustache and friendly belly, brings an ornery impudence to his role.”
Brimley, who seemed to enter old age several decades ago, appeared perfectly at home in the Ron Howard-directed movie about senior citizens unintentionally rejuvenated by an alien life force in the pool where they do water aerobics even though he was only 51 at the time. Brimley’s Ben Luckett doing cannonballs in...
- 8/2/2020
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Wilford Brimley, the beloved character actor who starred in such film as “Cocoon” and “The Natural,” died Saturday at age 85.
He had been sick for two months with a kidney ailment, his agent told the New York Times.
The Utah native found his breakthrough role as a recurring character in the 1970s period drama “The Waltons.” Soon, he played a range of often crotchety characters on the big screen, including a nuclear power plant engineer in 1979’s “The China Syndrome,” a tenacious district attorney in 1981’s “Absence of Malice,” a country music manager in 1983’s “Tender Mercies” and the manager of a perpetually losing baseball team in 1984’s “The Natural.”
His biggest role may have come in Ron Howard’s 1985 hit “Cocoon” as the leader of a group of outcast senior citizens who discover a swimming pool that magically restores their youth — a character that was significantly older than his...
He had been sick for two months with a kidney ailment, his agent told the New York Times.
The Utah native found his breakthrough role as a recurring character in the 1970s period drama “The Waltons.” Soon, he played a range of often crotchety characters on the big screen, including a nuclear power plant engineer in 1979’s “The China Syndrome,” a tenacious district attorney in 1981’s “Absence of Malice,” a country music manager in 1983’s “Tender Mercies” and the manager of a perpetually losing baseball team in 1984’s “The Natural.”
His biggest role may have come in Ron Howard’s 1985 hit “Cocoon” as the leader of a group of outcast senior citizens who discover a swimming pool that magically restores their youth — a character that was significantly older than his...
- 8/2/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Wilford Brimley, the actor with the walrus mustache whose down-home geniality seen in such films as Cocoon, The Natural and Absence of Malice endeared him to moviegoers, has died. He was 85.
The Salt Lake City native, who also stood out as the plant foreman who becomes a confidant of Jack Lemmon's character in The China Syndrome (1979), died Saturday morning in a hospital in St. George, Utah, his manager, Lynda Bensky, told The Hollywood Reporter. She said Brimley had been on dialysis and had other medical issues.
He had lived since 2004 on a ranch in Greybull, Wyoming.
"Wilford Brimley was a ...
The Salt Lake City native, who also stood out as the plant foreman who becomes a confidant of Jack Lemmon's character in The China Syndrome (1979), died Saturday morning in a hospital in St. George, Utah, his manager, Lynda Bensky, told The Hollywood Reporter. She said Brimley had been on dialysis and had other medical issues.
He had lived since 2004 on a ranch in Greybull, Wyoming.
"Wilford Brimley was a ...
Wilford Brimley, the actor with the walrus mustache whose down-home geniality seen in such films as Cocoon, The Natural and Absence of Malice endeared him to moviegoers, has died. He was 85.
The Salt Lake City native, who also stood out as the plant foreman who becomes a confidant of Jack Lemmon's character in The China Syndrome (1979), died Saturday morning in a hospital in St. George, Utah, his manager, Lynda Bensky, told The Hollywood Reporter. She said Brimley had been on dialysis and had other medical issues.
He had lived since 2004 on a ranch in Greybull, Wyoming.
"Wilford Brimley was a ...
The Salt Lake City native, who also stood out as the plant foreman who becomes a confidant of Jack Lemmon's character in The China Syndrome (1979), died Saturday morning in a hospital in St. George, Utah, his manager, Lynda Bensky, told The Hollywood Reporter. She said Brimley had been on dialysis and had other medical issues.
He had lived since 2004 on a ranch in Greybull, Wyoming.
"Wilford Brimley was a ...
Ronald L. Schwary, who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People,” died on July 2 in West Hollywood, Calif. He was 76.
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
- 7/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Ronald L. Schwary, Oscar-winning producer of Robert Redford’s 1980 drama “Ordinary People,” died on July 2 at age 76, his family announced.
He was forced into retirement in 2015 due to a rare neurological autonomic disorder that he had been struggling with. His death was due to complications of his disorder. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his sons.
Schwary’s extensive career as a producer took off in 1978 after serving as an associate producer on the film adaptation of the Neil Simon play “California Suite,” starring Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and many others. That same year, he also served as associate producer and production manager for the Sydney Pollack-directed film “The Electric Horseman,” starring Fonda and Robert Redford.
Also Read: Bettina Gilois, 'McFarland USA' and 'Bessie' Screenwriter, Dies at 58
The following year, Redford hired Schwary as the sole producer for his directorial debut, “Ordinary People.” That film...
He was forced into retirement in 2015 due to a rare neurological autonomic disorder that he had been struggling with. His death was due to complications of his disorder. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his sons.
Schwary’s extensive career as a producer took off in 1978 after serving as an associate producer on the film adaptation of the Neil Simon play “California Suite,” starring Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and many others. That same year, he also served as associate producer and production manager for the Sydney Pollack-directed film “The Electric Horseman,” starring Fonda and Robert Redford.
Also Read: Bettina Gilois, 'McFarland USA' and 'Bessie' Screenwriter, Dies at 58
The following year, Redford hired Schwary as the sole producer for his directorial debut, “Ordinary People.” That film...
- 7/11/2020
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Ronald Schwary, who won an Oscar as the producer of Ordinary People and whose other major film successes include A Soldier’s Story, Absence of Malice, Scent of a Woman and Tootsie, has died. He was 76. He passed away Thursday in West Hollywood, according to his sons.
No cause of death was provided, but reports indicate Schwary had struggled with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
Schwary was the producer on six Sydney Pollack-directed films: The Electric Horseman (1979) and Havana (1990), with Robert Redford; Absence of Malice (1981), starring Paul Newman; Best Picture nominee Tootsie (1982), with Dustin Hoffman; Sabrina (1995), featuring Harrison Ford, and Random Hearts (1999), also starring Ford.
Even though the films were nominated for Best Picture, Schwary did not receive a nomination for either Tootsie or Scent of a Woman or because he was not credited as “Producer.”
On Tootsie, there was a dispute between Columbia and the production regarding the number of credited producers.
No cause of death was provided, but reports indicate Schwary had struggled with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
Schwary was the producer on six Sydney Pollack-directed films: The Electric Horseman (1979) and Havana (1990), with Robert Redford; Absence of Malice (1981), starring Paul Newman; Best Picture nominee Tootsie (1982), with Dustin Hoffman; Sabrina (1995), featuring Harrison Ford, and Random Hearts (1999), also starring Ford.
Even though the films were nominated for Best Picture, Schwary did not receive a nomination for either Tootsie or Scent of a Woman or because he was not credited as “Producer.”
On Tootsie, there was a dispute between Columbia and the production regarding the number of credited producers.
- 7/9/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronald Schwary, the Oscar-winning producer of Ordinary People who guided other acclaimed films including A Soldier's Story, Absence of Malice, Scent of a Woman and Tootsie, has died. He was 76.
Schwary died Thursday in West Hollywood, his sons, Neil and Brian, announced. In 2015, he was forced to retire after struggling with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
"Over the years, he fought hard to be the best version of himself that he could be, still constantly joking and laughing no matter how hard the day was," Neil said in a statement. "His zest for life still ...
Schwary died Thursday in West Hollywood, his sons, Neil and Brian, announced. In 2015, he was forced to retire after struggling with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
"Over the years, he fought hard to be the best version of himself that he could be, still constantly joking and laughing no matter how hard the day was," Neil said in a statement. "His zest for life still ...
Ronald Schwary, the Oscar-winning producer of Ordinary People who guided other acclaimed films including A Soldier's Story, Absence of Malice, Scent of a Woman and Tootsie, has died. He was 76.
Schwary died Thursday in West Hollywood, his sons, Neil and Brian, announced. In 2015, he was forced to retire after struggling with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
"Over the years, he fought hard to be the best version of himself that he could be, still constantly joking and laughing no matter how hard the day was," Neil said in a statement. "His zest for life still ...
Schwary died Thursday in West Hollywood, his sons, Neil and Brian, announced. In 2015, he was forced to retire after struggling with a rare neurological autonomic disorder.
"Over the years, he fought hard to be the best version of himself that he could be, still constantly joking and laughing no matter how hard the day was," Neil said in a statement. "His zest for life still ...
Welcome back to the Supporting Actress Smackdown, a summer festival in which we investigate Oscar vintages from years past. This time around it's 1981 in which an estranged daughter, an unhappy socialite, a guilt-ridden Catholic, a political radical, and a scandalous young beauty gather for our viewing pleasure.
1981's Supporting Actress nominations made room for a two-time winner with a very personal project, an actor's actor in a star-driven historical epic, two sturdy characters in 'issues' pictures of very different kinds and a rapidly rising starlet who had made a big film debut the year prior in 1980's Best Picture winner Ordinary People.
This Month's Panelists
Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies and Oscars of 1981 are, in alphabetical order: writer/director Eric Blume, actor Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), actor Sean Maguire, festival programmer Amir Soltani, and critic Boyd Van Hoeij (The Hollywood Reporter). And,...
1981's Supporting Actress nominations made room for a two-time winner with a very personal project, an actor's actor in a star-driven historical epic, two sturdy characters in 'issues' pictures of very different kinds and a rapidly rising starlet who had made a big film debut the year prior in 1980's Best Picture winner Ordinary People.
This Month's Panelists
Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies and Oscars of 1981 are, in alphabetical order: writer/director Eric Blume, actor Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), actor Sean Maguire, festival programmer Amir Soltani, and critic Boyd Van Hoeij (The Hollywood Reporter). And,...
- 5/9/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Else Blangsted, a Holocaust survivor and film music editor who worked on classic films such as “The Goonies” and “The Color Purple,” died May 1. She was 99.
Blangsted died from natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, according to her cousin Deborah Oppenheimer, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and producer. Blangsted was three weeks short of her 100th birthday.
Born May 22, 1920, Blangsted’s career as a film music editor spanned four decades, leading her to work with some of the most well known filmmakers and composers in the industry, including Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Tony Richardson, Sydney Pollack, Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Stanley Kramer, Richard Donner and many more.
Oppenheimer told Variety, “You know the music, you know the movies and you know the stars who were in the movies. You know the directors who made the movies. But her music is what provoked the emotions and made audiences laugh and cry.
Blangsted died from natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, according to her cousin Deborah Oppenheimer, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and producer. Blangsted was three weeks short of her 100th birthday.
Born May 22, 1920, Blangsted’s career as a film music editor spanned four decades, leading her to work with some of the most well known filmmakers and composers in the industry, including Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Tony Richardson, Sydney Pollack, Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Stanley Kramer, Richard Donner and many more.
Oppenheimer told Variety, “You know the music, you know the movies and you know the stars who were in the movies. You know the directors who made the movies. But her music is what provoked the emotions and made audiences laugh and cry.
- 5/5/2020
- by Klaritza Rico
- Variety Film + TV
Else Blangsted, a Holocaust survivor who went on to a 35-year career as a film music editor who worked with some of the industry’s most successful directors, producers and composers – Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Dave Grusin, Sydney Pollack, among others – died Friday, May 1, from natural causes at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99.
Blangsted’s death, which occurred just three weeks short of her 100th birthday, was confirmed by her cousin, the Oscar–winning filmmaker and producer Deborah Oppenheimer.
Though she occasionally worked in TV throughout the years – Hazel, Dennis the Menace, Apple’s Way and the 1976 miniseries Helter Skelter, among others – it was in film that Blangsted left her most indelible professional mark. A partial roster of her film credits, spanning 1955’s Picnic to 1990’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, includes On Golden Pond, The Great Santini, Ordinary People, The Color Purple, The Goonies, In Cold Blood,...
Blangsted’s death, which occurred just three weeks short of her 100th birthday, was confirmed by her cousin, the Oscar–winning filmmaker and producer Deborah Oppenheimer.
Though she occasionally worked in TV throughout the years – Hazel, Dennis the Menace, Apple’s Way and the 1976 miniseries Helter Skelter, among others – it was in film that Blangsted left her most indelible professional mark. A partial roster of her film credits, spanning 1955’s Picnic to 1990’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, includes On Golden Pond, The Great Santini, Ordinary People, The Color Purple, The Goonies, In Cold Blood,...
- 5/5/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The first "Supporting Actress Smackdown" of the season is just 6 days away. So jam these movies into your eyeballs which will make the event more participatory and fun!
Date: Friday May 8th, 2020
Location: The Film Experience
Topic: Oscar's Best Supporting Actresses of 1981
Melinda Dillon in Absence of Malice -free to stream on Crackle Jane Fonda in On Golden Pond - free to stream with Hulu/Cinemax Maureen Stapleton in Reds - free to stream on Prime Joan Hackett in Only When I Laugh - available to rent online Elizabeth McGovern in Ragtime - good luck finding this one!
<-- Icymi Meet The Panelists
But you, the collective you, are the final panelist. To vote on the smackdown rank each performance that you've seen on a scale of 1 (weak) to 5 (perfection) and send those votes to us here by May 7th at Noon Est with "1981" in the subject line. If you'd...
Date: Friday May 8th, 2020
Location: The Film Experience
Topic: Oscar's Best Supporting Actresses of 1981
Melinda Dillon in Absence of Malice -free to stream on Crackle Jane Fonda in On Golden Pond - free to stream with Hulu/Cinemax Maureen Stapleton in Reds - free to stream on Prime Joan Hackett in Only When I Laugh - available to rent online Elizabeth McGovern in Ragtime - good luck finding this one!
<-- Icymi Meet The Panelists
But you, the collective you, are the final panelist. To vote on the smackdown rank each performance that you've seen on a scale of 1 (weak) to 5 (perfection) and send those votes to us here by May 7th at Noon Est with "1981" in the subject line. If you'd...
- 5/2/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
We're so excited to bring you a new super-sized season of the Supporting Actress Smackdown. First up in early May is the year 1981. We'll be talking about Reds, On Golden Pond, Only When I Laugh, Ragtime, and Absence of Malice... so start watching those flicks, won'cha? We've gathered a panel of actors, critics and industry cinephiles for you.
Ready to dive into 1981? Let's meet the people who will be talking about the Oscars of 1981 with us.
Please Welcome ...
Ready to dive into 1981? Let's meet the people who will be talking about the Oscars of 1981 with us.
Please Welcome ...
- 4/25/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is asking Warner Bros. and the makers of “Richard Jewell” to release a statement acknowledging it took dramatic license when it portrayed journalist Kathy Scruggs as trading sex for tips.
The Clint Eastwood film looks at the media circus that broke out around Jewell, a security guard who came under suspicion for orchestrating the Centennial Olympic Park bombing before being exonerated. Scruggs, an employee at the paper, broke the story that Jewell was under investigation by the FBI. The film shows Scruggs, portrayed by Olivia Wilde, sleeping with an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) to get the story. Scruggs died in 2001 at the age of 42. The paper has maintained that there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone involved in the Jewell investigation.
“We hereby demand that you immediately issue a statement publicly acknowledging that some events were imagined for dramatic purposes and artistic license and dramatization...
The Clint Eastwood film looks at the media circus that broke out around Jewell, a security guard who came under suspicion for orchestrating the Centennial Olympic Park bombing before being exonerated. Scruggs, an employee at the paper, broke the story that Jewell was under investigation by the FBI. The film shows Scruggs, portrayed by Olivia Wilde, sleeping with an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) to get the story. Scruggs died in 2001 at the age of 42. The paper has maintained that there is no evidence that Scruggs slept with anyone involved in the Jewell investigation.
“We hereby demand that you immediately issue a statement publicly acknowledging that some events were imagined for dramatic purposes and artistic license and dramatization...
- 12/9/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Philip Gips, a graphic designer, advertising executive and creator of posters for hit films including Alien, Rosemary’s Baby and more, died Thursday in White Plains, NY. He was 88 and his death was announced by the Endeavor agency.
Gips was born in the Bronx on March 28, 1931. After graduating from the Cooper Union and the Yale School of Art and Architecture, he worked with some of the most influential artists of the era, including Saul Bass. In the early 1960s, he opened a Manhattan-based advertising firm with Lou Klein, then later partnered with Steve Frankfurt and created Frankfurt Gips Balkind, a highly successful venture that lasted until the early 1990s.
During his career, Gips was the principal art director and creative visionary on some of the most recognizable movie posters and corporate logos of the era, many of which remain cultural touchstones today. Among his best-known posters is the ad for...
Gips was born in the Bronx on March 28, 1931. After graduating from the Cooper Union and the Yale School of Art and Architecture, he worked with some of the most influential artists of the era, including Saul Bass. In the early 1960s, he opened a Manhattan-based advertising firm with Lou Klein, then later partnered with Steve Frankfurt and created Frankfurt Gips Balkind, a highly successful venture that lasted until the early 1990s.
During his career, Gips was the principal art director and creative visionary on some of the most recognizable movie posters and corporate logos of the era, many of which remain cultural touchstones today. Among his best-known posters is the ad for...
- 10/4/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
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