Best New Horror 29

by Stephen Jones

  Another Canadian character actor, Richard McMillan, died of thyroid cancer the same day, aged 65. He appeared in The Legend of Gator Face, Shadow Builder, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business, The Day After Tomorrow, Cube Zero and The Fountain, along with episodes of TV’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Forever Knight, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, F/X: The Series, Eerie Indiana, Goosebumps, Animorphs, Earth: Final Conflict, Lost Girl and Todd and the Book of Pure Evil. In 2006, McMillan portrayed the wizard “Saruman” in the musical stage production of The Lord of the Rings at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.

  American character actor Warren [Lindsay] Frost, who portrayed coroner “Dr. Will Hayward” in ABC-TV’s Twin Peaks (1990-91) and one episode of Showtime’s 2017 revival, died after a long illness on February 19, aged 91. He was in War of the Colossal Beast, Slaughterhouse-Five, the obscure Satan’s Touch (1984) and Psycho IV: The Beginning. His scenes as Dr. Hayward were deleted from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Frost was also in episodes of TV’s Quantum Leap, Beauty and the Beast (1989), Intruders and the 1994 mini-series The Stand, based on the novel by Stephen King. Frost’s son Mark co-created Twin Peaks with David Lynch.

  American stuntman and stunt co-ordinator Trevor Habberstad died of gastric cancer the same day, aged 27. He worked on Face/Off, Spider-Man, Peter Pan (2003), Lady in the Water, My Bloody Valentine (2009), Hot Tub Time Machine, The Last Airbender, X-Men: First Class, Captain America: The First Avenger, In Time, Battleship, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, Iron Man 3, After Earth, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Divergent, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Ant-Man, X-Men Apocalypse, Doctor Strange and Passengers, along with episodes of TV’s Revolution, Teen Wolf and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

  American bit actor Peter Iasillo, Jr., who made a career out of playing homeless people, died of cancer on February 21, aged 63. He made his screen debut as a zombie in George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead (1985) and was also in Igor and the Lunatics, Spookies, Street Trash, Killer Dead (aka Non-Vegetarian Zombies from Outer Space), Skinned Deep (with Warwick Davis and Forrest J Ackerman!), HellBilly 58 and an episode of TV’s Gotham.

  61-year-old American leading man Bill Paxton (William Archibald Paxton) died of a stroke on February 25, following heart surgery. The actor’s family subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital and surgeon who performed the “high-risk” procedure. After beginning his career working in the art department on such films as Death Game and Galaxy of Terror, he turned to acting and appeared in Night Warning (aka Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker), Deadly Lessons (aka Highschool Killer), Mortuary, Streets of Fire, Impulse, The Terminator, Weird Science, Aliens, Near Dark, Slipstream, Brain Dead, Predator 2, The Vagrant, Boxing Helena, Monolith, Future Shock, Mighty Joe Young (1998), Frailty (which he also directed), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Club Dread, Thunderbirds (as “Jeff Tracy”), The Colony, Edge of Tomorrow and The Circle. Paxton was also in episodes of TV’s The Hitchhiker and Tales from the Crypt, and he portrayed “John Garrett” in the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

  British actor and former American basketball player Neil Fingleton, who portrayed the giant “Mag the Mighty” on HBO’s Game of Thrones, died of heart failure the same day, aged 37. Britain’s tallest man at seven feet, seven-and-a-half inches, Fingleton also appeared in X-Man: First Class, 47 Ronin, Jupiter Ascending and a two-part episode of TV’s Doctor Who (as the “Fisher King”). He was also used as the motion-capture actor for the eponymous villain in The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

  American character actor Michael M. Ryan died on March 1, aged 87. He played policemen in both The Strangler (with Victor Buono) and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (aka Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous).

  80-year-old Puerto Rican-born actress Miriam Colon [Valle] died of a pulmonary infection in New York City on March 3. She appeared in The Possession of Joel Delaney, along with episodes of TV’s One Step Beyond, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Highway to Heaven.

  Robert [Jolin] Osborne, the on-air host of Turner Classic Movies since it began in 1994, died after a long illness on March 6, aged 84. As an actor, he had small roles in Psycho (1960) and an episode of TV’s One Step Beyond, and appeared in a regional stage production in Seattle of Night Must Fall with Jane Darwell. He became a journalist on the suggestion of actress Lucille Ball, which led to a column at The Hollywood Reporter from 1983 until 2009. He was also the official historian of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and produced a series of books about the history of the Academy Awards. Osborne received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

  American professional football player “Sugarfoot” Anderson (Ezzrett Anderson) died in Calgary, Canada, on March 8, aged 97. He appeared in half-a-dozen movies, mostly uncredited, including the 1952 “Bomba, the Jungle Boy” adventure, African Treasure.

  American actress Mary Menzies, who portrayed “Isabella” in Roger Corman’s The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), died the same day, aged 88. She also appeared, uncredited, in Jane Eyre (1943).

  British stage and screen actress Ann Beach, who made her film debut in The City of the Dead (aka Horror Hotel, with Christopher Lee), died on March 9, aged 78. Her other credits include episodes of TV’s The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, BBC Play of the Month (‘Rasputin’) and Tales of the Unexpected.

  British character actress Jane Freeman (Shirley Ann Pithers), who co-starred in 274 episodes of the TV series Last of the Summer Wine (1973-2010), died of lung cancer the same day, aged 81. She also appeared in the BBC’s 1982 production of Ghost in the Water, based on the book by Edward Chitham.

  British character actor Tony Haygarth (George Anthony Haygarth), who played “Milo Renfield” in the 1979 movie of Dracula, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia on March 10, aged 72. He was also in Britannia Hospital, The Bride, Dreamchild and Ghostboat. On TV, Haygarth starred in the title role of Nigel Kneale’s seven-part SF comedy Kinvig (1981), and he appeared in episodes of The Ghosts of Motley Hall, The Omega Factor, Dead Ernest, Space Precinct, Chiller (Stephen Gallagher’s adaptation of Peter James’ novel Prophecy), the 1992 series of The Borrowers and its sequel, The Return of the Borrowers.

  British character actor John Forgeham (John Henry George Forgham), who appeared with Tony Haygarth in the 1982 TV movie Ivanhoe, died the same day from internal bleeding after a fall. Aged 75, he was also in Nigel Kneale’s The Stone Tape, and Sheena. Forgeham’s TV credits include episodes of The Avengers, Tales of the Unexpected and Dennis Potter’s Cold Lazarus. The first of his three wives was actress Georgina Hale.

  Veteran American Western stuntman-actor Jimmie Booth (Walter Booth), died on March 16, aged 92. He had small roles in AIP’s Master of the World (with Vincent Price), High Plains Drifter, Treasure of Matecumbe, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and numerous episodes of TV’s The Wild Wild West.

  American actor and novelist Lawrence Montaigne who appeared as both a Vulcan and the first Romulan seen in the original Star Trek series, died on March 17, aged 86. After making his screen debut as an uncredited soldier in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), his other movies include Captain Sinbad, The Satan Bug, The Power, The Psycho Lover, Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain and Wes Craven’s Deadly Blessing. On TV he was in episodes of The Outer Limits, The Time Tunnel, Batman (as the Joker’s robot “Mr. Glee”), The Invaders, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Flying Nun and Irwin Allen’s 1969 pilot City Beneath the Sea. In a 2012 interview, the actor revealed that if Leonard Nimoy had left Star Trek to star in Mission: Impossible, Montaigne would most likely have replaced him as “Mr. Spock”.

  Legendary rock ’n’ roll guitarist, singer and songwriter Chuck Berry (Charles Edward Anderson Berry) died on March 18, aged 90. His music and songs were heard in Threads, Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, Back to the Future Part II, Men in Black, He
arts in Atlantis, The Santa Clause 2, The Shaggy Dog (2006), Arthur and the Invisibles, Blood: The Last Vampire, and TV’s The 4400, Scream: The TV Series and You Me and the Apocalypse. Stephen King’s novel Christine includes heading excerpts of Berry’s lyrics.

  American actor Tony Russel (Antonio Pietro Russo, aka “Tony Russo”/“Tony Russell”), who starred in a number of European movies in the 1960s, died the same day, aged 91. His credits include Secret of the Sphinx, The Wild Wild Planet, The War of the Planets, The Invasion of Carol Enders and The Mystic Warrior, along with an episode of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery on TV.

  American actress Sally Kemp died of cancer on March 21, aged 84. She appeared in The Invasion of Carol Enders, Planet Earth, Spellbinder and Communion.

  American leading lady and singer Lola Albright (Lois Jean Albright, aka “Lola Deem”), who was a regular on the TV series Peter Gunn (1958-61) died on March 23, aged 92. She co-starred in the SF movie The Monolith Monsters, and on TV Albright appeared in episodes of Tales of Tomorrow, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (aka The Helicopter Spies, with John Carradine), Cimarron Strip (‘The Beast That Walks Like a Man’) and The Incredible Hulk. She was married to actor Jack Carson from 1950-57.

  American actor Lee Farr (Leon Farb), who co-starred in TV’s The Detectives (1959-60), died of cancer the same day, aged 89. He also appeared in episodes of The Veil (aka Jack the Ripper, hosted by Boris Karloff) and The Invaders.

  Canadian-born actress Jill Foster [Florence Jill Hancock], who portrayed Darrin’s secretary “Betty” (with various surnames) in the 1960s ABC sitcom Bewitched, died on March 24, aged 86. She also appeared in an episode of the obscure 1950s Canadian anthology TV series The Unforeseen. Foster was married to Bewitched scriptwriter Bernard Slade from 1953 until her death.

  American actress, comedienne, singer and dancer Chelsea Brown (Lois Brown), who was a regular on TV’s Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In from 1968-69, died of pneumonia on March 27, aged 74. She was in Head (with The Monkees), AIP’s The Thing with Two Heads, and The Return of Captain Invincible (with Christopher Lee), along with an episode of The Flying Nun.

  British actor Ronald [Charles Andrew] Hines died on March 28, aged 87. His credits include House of Mystery (1961) and Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (with Christopher Lee as Holmes), along with episodes of Out of the Unknown, The Avengers, Late Night Horror (Robert Aickman’s ‘The Bells of Hell’), Shadows of Fear, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Doomwatch, Dead of Night, Star Maidens, Shadows and Jack the Ripper (1988).

  72-year-old Austrian-born actress Christine [Maria] Kaufmann, who posed nude for Playboy in 1999 at the age of 54, died of leukaemia in Germany the same day. She began her movie career in 1952, and her credits include AIP’s Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) and Die Ängste des Dr. Schenk. The first of her four husbands was Tony Curtis (1963-68), who she began dating when she was 16.

  Hong Kong martial arts actor, stuntman and film-maker Phillip Ko [Fei] died of prostate cancer on March 30, aged 67. He appeared in numerous movies, including Ghost Cat (1980), The Boxer’s Omen, Seeding of a Ghost, Sex Beyond the Grave, Ninja Terminator, Magic Crystal, Cannibal Curse, Ultracop 2000 and Shadow Mask.

  Mexican leading lady and former child actress Alma Delia [Susana] Fuentes [González] died on April 2, aged 80. She appeared in the movies Los murciélagos, El ángel y yo (with Tin-Tan), Doctor Satán, Pánico, La isla de los dinosaurios and Blue Demon: destructor de espias, along with the 1962 TV series Las momias de Guanajuato. Fuentes retired from the screen in 1970, and in her later years lived almost destitute with her pets in the garage of a delapidated mansion in Naucalpan, Mexico.

  American actor Steve Sandor, who starred in the 1983 SF Western Stryker, died on April 5, aged 79. His other credits include the movies The Ninth Configuration and Fire and Ice, along with episodes of TV’s Star Trek, Matt Helm, Tales of the Unexpected, The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island, Knight Rider and the animated Superman. He retired from the screen in the late 1990s.

  American actor and insult comedian Don Rickles (Donald Jay Rickles) died of kidney failure on April 6, aged 90. He appeared in AIP’s X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, Pajama Party (as “Big Bang, the Martian”) and Beach Blanket Bingo, along with John Landis’ vampire comedy Innocent Blood. He voiced the grouchy character of “Mr. Potato Head” in the Toy Story films and video games, and he also worked on the animated movie The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot. On TV, Rickles was in episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, The Munsters, The Wild Wild West, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart and Tales from the Crypt.

  British actor Tim Pigott-Smith OBE (Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith) died on April 7, aged 70. He appeared in the films Clash of the Titans, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982), V for Vendetta, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Jupiter Ascending, and was a voice artist on The Little Vampire 3-D. Pigott-Smith’s TV credits include episodes of Doctor Who (‘The Claws of Axos’ and ‘The Masque of Mandragora’), Ghosts and Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible (‘Voodoo Feet of Death’). He also appeared on Broadway as “Dr. Watson” in the 1974 Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Sherlock Holmes, and in 1994 he was in a stage production of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

  American actor Peter [Franklin] Hansen (aka “Peter Hanson”) died on April 9, aged 95. One of his earliest movie credits was co-starring in When Worlds Collide (1951), and he was also in Dragonfly and episodes of TV’s Space Patrol, Science Fiction Theatre (as six different doctors or professors!), Men Into Space, The Outer Limits, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Starman.

  Mexican actress Margarita Isabel [Morales y Gonzalez], who co-starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Chronos (1993), died of emphysema the same day, aged 75.

  American actor and comedian Charlie Murphy (Charles Quinton Murphy), the older brother of Eddie Murphy, died of complications from leukaemia on April 12, aged 57. He was in Night at the Museum, Unearthed and Frankenhood.

  Japanese actress and singer Peggy Hayama (Kotakari Shigeko, aka “Pegî Hayama”) died of pneumonia the same day, aged 83. She appeared in the 1973 TV series Ultraman Taro and voiced the hero’s mother.

  American character actor [George] Clifton James, who portrayed comedy Southern Sheriff “J.W. Pepper” in the James Bond movies Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun (both with Roger Moore), died of complications from diabetes on April 15, aged 96. His other credits include The Werewolf of Washington, Superman II, Whoops Apocalypse, and episodes of TV’s The Six Million Dollar Man, Highway to Heaven and Monsters (Gahan Wilson’s ‘Leavings’).

  French actress and former fashion model Yvonne [-Thérèse-Marie-Camille Bédat de] Monlaur, who memorably starred as the naïve schoolteacher who released David Peel’s vampire Baron Meinster in Hammer’s The Brides of Dracula (1960), died of cardiac arrest on April 18, aged 77. She was also in Circus of Horrors, The Terror of the Tongs (again for Hammer, with Christopher Lee), License to Kill (1964) and Skies Above. She retired from the screen “for personal reasons” in the late 1960s.

  93-year-old American supporting actor [Howard] Trustin Howard (aka “Slick Slavin”) died of complications from a fall on April 20. He appeared in The Atomic Kid, the Edward D. Wood, Jr.-scripted The Bride and the Beast and Invasion of the Star Creatures.

  British character actor Patrick [Arthur Oliver] Westwood died on April 21, aged 92. His film credits include He Who Gets Slapped (1947) and Roger Corman’s Pit and the Pendulum (with Vincent Price and Barbara Steele). Westwood was a regular on The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling (1964), and also appeared in episodes of TV’s The Quatermass Experiment, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (A.M. Burrage’s ‘The Waxwork’), One Step Beyond, The Twilight Zone, The Avengers, Department S (‘The Duplicated Man’) and Space: 1999.

  Uruguayan-born actor Gustavo Rojo (Gustavo Adolfo Krefeld Sarandí Rojo y Pinto) died in Mexico on April 22, aged 93. Best remembered for his role as “Carlos” in The Valley of Gwangi
(1969), he also appeared in Tarzan and the Mermaids (with George Zucco), The Evil Forest, The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse and A Witch Without a Broom. The second of Rojo’s three wives was actress Erika Remberg.

  American actress Erin [Marie] Moran, who starred as “Joanie Cunningham” in the TV sitcoms Happy Days and the short-lived spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi, died of complications from throat cancer the same day, aged 56. She was also in the movies Galaxy of Terror and Not Another B Movie.

  American actress and former beauty pageant contestant [Betty Jane] Kathleen Crowley, who co-starred in Target Earth (1954), died April 23, aged 87. Her other credits include the movies The Flame Barrier and Curse of the Undead, and episodes of such TV shows as Kraft Theatre (‘Jane Eyre’), Thriller and Batman. She retired from the screen in 1970.

  American tough-guy actor Don Gordon (Donald Walter Guadagno) died on April 24, aged 90. He made his movie debut in 1949, and his credits include Zero Population Growth (aka Z.P.G.), The Return of Charlie Chan, The Final Conflict, The Beast Within, The Exorcist III (aka Legion) and The Borrower. On TV he appeared in episodes of Space Patrol, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Wild Wild West, The Invaders, The Bionic Woman, Lucan, The Powers of Matthew Star, Automan and Knight Rider. Actresses Helen Westcott and Nita Talbot were two of Gordon’s four wives.

  64-year-old Canadian-born actress Glory Annen (Glory Anne Clibbery), who co-starred in Norman J. Warren’s Prey and Outer Touch (aka Spaced Out), died of complications from diabetes in London, England, the same day. She also turned up in Marquis de Sade’s Justine (aka Cruel Passion, 1977) and Supergirl (1984), and was featured in the 1999 documentary Evil Heritage: Independent Film-Making & the Films of Norman J. Warren.