The RIP Thread

[qcmalebox]

Eddie and DLR 1978. Somewhere in the damn Midwest no doubt.



2019 This guy was at a tool concert and asked a stranger to take a picture with the stage behind him.
Never realizing the stranger was Eddie VH


Eddie and Alex

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Margaret Nolan, ‘Goldfinger’ Model and Actress in ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ Dies at 76
By Ellise Shafer




Margaret Nolan, an actress and artist known as the gold-painted model in the title sequence for the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger,” died Oct. 5, her son, Oscar Deeks, confirmed to Variety. She was 76.

Director Edgar Wright first announced the news of Nolan’s death on Twitter. In a touching tribute, Wright wrote: “She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60’s; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the ‘Carry On’ cast too.”

She was the gold painted model in the iconic Goldfinger title sequence and poster (she also played Dink in the movie), she appeared in the classic A Hard Day's Night, Carry On Girls, No Sex Please We're British & many others, frequently sending up her own glamourpuss image.
— edgarwright (@edgarwright)


olan was born on Oct. 29, 1943 in Somerset, England and grew up in London. She began her career in the arts as a glamour model, going by the name Vicky Kennedy in the early ’60s, but switched back to her birth name once she began acting. She appeared in The Beatles’ film “A Hard Day’s Night” in July of 1964, and played Dink, Bond’s masseuse, in “Goldfinger” the same year.

Though her small acting role in “Goldfinger” was memorable, Nolan notably appeared in the “Goldfinger” title sequence, posters, records and books, painted gold from head to toe and sporting a gold bikini. Shirley Eaton played the gold-painted Bond girl in the Sean Connery film.

She turned down the chance to travel the world for two years as the Goldfinger model in order to pursue her acting career.

The “Goldfinger” campaign led to a photoshoot with Playboy magazine as well as roles in Gerry and the Pacemakers’ film “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and Marcel Carné’s “Three Rooms in Manhattan” in 1965.

She also appeared onstage doing fringe theater and political drama with her ex-husband, actor Tom Kempinski.

That same year, Nolan was cast as Miss Jones in “Carry On Cowboy,” her first appearance in the “Carry On” franchise. She would go on to portray a “Buxom Lass” in “Carry on Henry VIII” and Popsy in “Carry On at Your Convenience” in 1971, as well as “Carry On Matron” in 1972. She starred in 1973’s “Carry On Girls” as Dawn Brakes, and 1974’s “Carry On Dick” as Lady Daley. She also made several appearances on Spike Milligan’s “Q” series and appeared in TV shows including “Steptoe and Son.”

Nolan took a break from acting after the mid-’80s, returning only in 2011 as Dame Margaret in Yvonne Deutschman’s “The Power of Three.” She moved to Spain to focus on permaculture, and then turned her attention to creating photo montages, often using manipulated photos of her vintage photos, that were exhibited in galleries throughout London. “That’s why I made some of them quite grotesque, really…the idea that I was there as this passive woman, being looked at, but behind it all, behind my eyes, of course I knew what was going on,” she told the Den of Geek in 2007.

In 2019, Wright cast her in a small role in his upcoming film “Last Night in Soho.”

Nolan is survived by her two sons, Oscar Deeks, a cinematographer, and Luke O’Sullivan and two grandchildren.

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Also known as Vicki Kennedy

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Conchata Ferrell, 'Two and a Half Men' star, dies at 77

Ferrell was most recognized for playing Berta the housekeeper on all 12 seasons of the hit sitcom, for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.


Sonja Flemming / CBS via Getty Images

Oct. 13, 2020, 2:30 PM PDT / Source: Reuters
By Variety

Conchata Ferrell, best known for her role as Berta the housekeeper on "Two and a Half Men," died on Tuesday in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Warner Bros. Television confirmed. She was 77.

"We are saddened by the loss of Conchata Ferrell and are grateful for the years she brought us laughs as Berta which will live on forever," Warner Bros. TV, the studio behind "Two and a Half Men," tweeted.



Ferrell was hospitalized in May and spent more than four weeks in the ICU, where she went into cardiac arrest at one point. The actress was relocated to a long-term treatment center, where she was on a respirator and dialysis.

Ferrell was most recognized for playing Berta on all 12 seasons of "Two and a Half Men," for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations — in 2005 and 2007 — for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series. She appeared in a total of 212 episodes from 2003 to 2015.

She talked to AV Club in 2014 about her role as Berta, which had originally been written as an Eastern European woman. Ferrell said she changed the character's nationality to "trailer park" and though she wasn't a Grateful Dead fan, she said, "I definitely was an old hippie. I was a political hippie."

Born in Charleston, W. Va., she graduated from Marshall University, where she made her first onstage performance in a skit comedy. Out of school, Ferrell sought a career in theater and made her 1973 Off-Broadway debut as a member of the Circle in the Square theatrical company in Lanford Wilson's "Hot L Baltimore." For her next Off-Broadway role as Gertrude Blum in "The Sea Horse," she won Drama Desk, Theatre World and Obie Awards as best actress.

Moving into film, she appeared in the adaptation of "Hot L Baltimore" and then as the housekeeper in the 1979 feature film "Heartland," co-starring Julia Roberts. In 1992, Ferrell received her first Emmy Award nomination for her recurring role as attorney Susan Bloom in "L.A. Law."

She most recently appeared as Shirley in a 2017 episode of Netflix's sitcom series "The Ranch." Her other TV credits include "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Teen Angel," "Matlock" and "B. J. and the Bear," and film credits include "Edward Scissorhands," "Network," "Crime and Punishment in Suburbia" and "True Romance."

She is survived by her husband, sound mixer Arnold Anderson, a daughter and two step-daughters.

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[qcmalebox]

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Former Miss America Leanza Cornett dead at 49 after sustaining head injury
Updated Oct 29, 2020; Posted Oct 29, 2020
By Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com



Leanza Cornett, Miss America 1993, has died two weeks after sustaining a brain injury. She was 49.

Cornett, who died Wednesday, was crowned at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City in September 1992. She was an AIDS activist and the first Miss Florida to win the national title.

“It is with great sadness the Miss America Organization relays the news our beloved Miss America and friend, Leanza Cornett, has passed away,” the Sewell-based Miss America Organization said in a statement on Instagram.

Cornett suffered a brain injury after an accident at home Oct. 12, according to friends who provided updates on her medical treatment through a Facebook group called Leanza Cornett’s Circle of Love.

Susan Roberts, who said she had been living with Cornett, described the accident as a fall in the kitchen. Cornett was hospitalized after sustaining a blow to the back of the head, she said.

“Leanza had a bright, beautiful spirit and her laugh was infectious," the pageant organization said in its Instagram post. "We know she meant so much to so many, including all of you. We are devastated by this sudden loss in our Miss America family and we are deeply sorry for her family and close friends for their loss. At the moment, we do not have any further information regarding a service for Leanza and we ask that you respect her family during this difficult time. Hold on tight to those you love today. Time is certainly precious.”

Cornett, born Eva Leanza Cornett, was a Virginia native who grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. She was known for being the first Miss America to work in support of AIDS awareness. In doing so, she reportedly chose not to wear her crown during public appearances.

“How do you talk about practicing safe sex when you’ve got this thing on top of your head?” she told People magazine as part of a Miss America retrospective in 2000.

Some of the most recent Miss Americas, including the reigning titleholder, Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020, have chosen to forgo the crown for some events.

Cornett went on to become a TV host for CBS' “Entertainment Tonight" and appeared on other shows including Fox’s “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?," the American Kennel Club National Championship on Animal Planet and “On The Block” on the DIY Network. Before she won the pageant crown, she was the first actor to play Ariel in Walt Disney World’s live-action “Voyage of the Little Mermaid" show.

Cornett, who more recently hosted “The Chat” on Jacksonville’s First Coast News, was formerly married to “Entertainment Tonight" host Mark Steines. She was let go from the show shortly after they married in 1995 and replaced by her husband. The couple divorced in 2013 after 17 years of marriage.

Cornett is survived by their two sons, Kai, 18, and Avery, 16, as well as her mother, Patti, and her father, Richard.

“I find comfort knowing Kai and Avery will forever have the best guardian angel watching over them as they navigate life’s path,” said Steines, former host of the Hallmark Channel show “Home & Family," in a Facebook post Wednesday.

The Miss America pageant, which had its most recent Atlantic City crowning in 2018, will mark its 100th anniversary in 2021. Miss America 2020 (Schrier), who was crowned at Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort in Connecticut last year, will have an extended reign because the next pageant, planned for December, is being pushed to 2021 due to COVID-19.

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[MadamMeow]

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I watch a lot of those real life murder shows on Oxygen. That is highly alarmingly suspicious to read.

[Frothy Afterbirth]

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Maybe its one of her past bi lovers. I remember hearing on a radio talk show out of LA almost 20 years ago, a caller claimed to have known her and said when Leanza was still living I think in Jacksonville, FL, she and her husband or then boyfriend at the time would have threesomes with women. Not sure if this was true but hold that as a far out possibility.

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Sean Connery, the ‘original’ James Bond, dies at 90
By JILL LAWLESS and BOB THOMAS
today



LONDON (AP) — Sean Connery, the charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as the suave secret agent James Bond and then abandoned the role to carve out an Oscar-winning career in other rugged roles, has died. He was 90.

Connery’s wife and two sons said he “died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family” in the Bahamas, where he lived. Son Jason Connery said his father had been “unwell for some time.”

Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were “devastated” by the news. They said Connery’s “gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent” was largely responsible for the success of the film series.


“He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond... James Bond,’” they said in a statement.

Daniel Craig, the current Bond, said Connery “defined an era and a style” and that the “wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the country was mourning “one of her best loved sons.”

Connery, was a commanding screen presence for some 40 years. He was in his early 30s — and little known — when he starred in the first Bond thriller, 1962’s “Dr. No,” based on the Ian Fleming novel.

Condemned as immoral by the Vatican and the Kremlin, but screened at the White House for Bond fan John F. Kennedy, “Dr. No” was a box office hit and launched a franchise that long outlasted its Cold War origins.

United Artists couldn’t wait to make more films about the British secret agent, with ever more elaborate stunts and gadgets, along with more exotic locales and more prominent co-stars, among them Lotte Lenya and Jill St. John.

For decades, with actors from Connery to Craig in the leading role, filmgoers have loved the outrageous stunts, vicious villains and likable, roguish hero who enjoyed a life of carousing, fast cars, gadgety weapons, elegant clothes and vodka martinis (always shaken, not stirred).

Connery continued as Bond in “From Russia With Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” “You Only Live Twice” and “Diamonds Are Forever,” often performing his own stunts.

“Diamonds Are Forever” came out in 1971 and by then Connery had grown weary of playing 007 and feared he wasn’t being taken seriously despite his dramatic performances in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie” and Sidney Lumet’s “The Hill.”

“I’d been an actor since I was 25, but the image the press put out was that I just fell into this tuxedo and started mixing vodka martinis,” he once complained.

When he walked away at age 41, Hollywood insiders predicted Connery would soon be washed up. Who would hire a balding, middle-aged actor with a funny accent?

Connery fooled them all, playing a wide range of characters and proving equally adept at comedy, adventure or drama. And age only heightened the appeal of his dark stare and rugged brogue; he set a celebrity record of sorts when at age 59 he was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”

He won the affection of fans of the “Indiana Jones” franchise when he played Indy’s father opposite Harrison Ford in the third picture, 1989′s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” He turned in a poignant portrayal of an aging Robin Hood opposite Audrey Hepburn in “Robin and Marian” in 1976 and, 15 years later, was King Richard to Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”

He was the lovable English con man who joined Michael Caine in swindling people in a distant land in “The Man Who Would Be King” and the bold Russian submarine commander in “The Hunt for Red October.”

Connery delivered a charming performance as a reclusive writer who mentors a teenage prodigy in 2000′s “Finding Forrester.”

He won his Oscar for supporting actor in 1987 for his portrayal of a tough Chicago cop who joins Elliot Ness’ crime-fighters in “The Untouchables.”

By then he was at peace with James Bond, and when he arrived onstage at the Oscars ceremony he declared, “The name’s Connery. Sean Connery.”

He kept his promise not to play Bond again until 1983, when he was lured back by an offbeat script about a middle-aged 007. Based on the only Fleming story that hadn’t been nailed down by the film empire Broccoli and Saltzman created, Connery took the role and helped produce the film. The result was “Never Say Never Again,” a title suggested by his wife, Micheline Roquebrune.

Even as the 007 films made him a millionaire, Connery tried often to separate his own personality from that of Bond.

“I’m obviously not Bond,” he once said. “And Bond is obviously not a human being. Fleming invented him after the war, when people were hungry for luxury, gourmet touches, exotic settings. Those were the things the English loved to read about following the privations of the war.”

The “real” Sean Connery had a troubled first marriage and a history of comments justifying domestic violence. In 1962, he married Diane Cilento, an actress best known for her role as Molly in “Tom Jones.” They had a son, Jason, who also became an actor, but the union proved tempestuous and ended in 1974.

Its impact lasted long after. Cilento would allege that he had physically abused her and Connery defended his behavior in interviews. In 1965, he told Playboy magazine that he did not find “anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman — although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man. An openhanded slap is justified — if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning.”

When Barbara Walters brought up those remarks in a 1987 interview, he said his opinion hadn’t changed because “sometimes women just won’t leave things alone.”

Connery was widely criticized, but still received numerous honors, including being chosen as commander (the same rank as Bond) of France’s Order of Arts and Literature and a Kennedy Center honoree in 1999. The following year Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed him a British knight, for services to film drama.

In 2005 he was chosen for a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute. Thomas Sean Connery was born Aug. 25, 1930, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first of two sons of a long-distance truck driver and a domestic worker.

He left school at age 13 during World War II to help support his family.

“I was a milkman, laborer, steel bender, cement mixer— virtually anything,” he once said.

Weary of day labor, he joined the British navy and was medically discharged after three years. The ailment: stomach ulcers.

Back in Edinburgh, he lifted weights to build his body and compete in the Mr. Universe contest. He came in third, and briefly considered becoming a professional soccer player, but chose acting because he reasoned his career would last longer.

He got his first big break singing and dancing to “There is Nothing Like a Dame” in “South Pacific” on the London stage and in a road production before going on to act in repertory, television and B movies. He went to Hollywood for two early films, Disney’s “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” and “Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure.”

When he decided to become an actor, he was told that Thomas Sean Connery wouldn’t fit on a theater marquee so he dropped his first name.

Then came the audition that changed his life. American producers Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had bought the film rights to a string of post-World War II spy adventure novels by Fleming. Connery was not their first choice for “Dr. No.”

The producers had looked to Cary Grant, but decided they wanted an actor who would commit to a series. The producers also realized they couldn’t afford a big-name star because United Artists had limited their film budget to $1 million a picture, so they started interviewing more obscure British performers.

Among them was the 6-foot-2 Connery. Without a screen test, Broccoli and Saltzman chose the actor, citing his “dark, cruel good looks,” a perfect match for the way Fleming described Bond. When Connery started earning big money, he established his base at a villa in Marbella on the Spanish coast.

He described it as “my sanitarium, where I recover from the madness of the film world.” It also helped him avoid the overwhelming income tax he would have paid had he remained a resident of Britain.

As his acting roles diminished when he reached his 70s, Connery spent much of his time at his tax-free home at Lynford Cay in the Bahamas. He played golf almost every morning, often with his wife. He announced in 2007 that he had retired when he turned down the chance to appear in another “Indiana Jones” movie.

“I thought long and hard about it, and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an `Indiana Jones’ film,” he said.

“But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun.”

Though he lived abroad for many years, Connery was a passionate supporter of Scottish independence, a donor to the Scottish National Party and had the words “Scotland Forever” tattooed on his arm.

Sturgeon, the SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister, said “Sean was a global legend but, first and foremost, he was a patriotic and proud Scot.”

“He was a lifelong advocate of an independent Scotland and those of us who share that belief owe him a great debt of gratitude,” she said.

Craig, whose latest Bond film “No Time To Die” has been delayed into next year because of the coronavirus pandemic said Connery will continue to influence actors and film-makers alike for years to come.

“Wherever he is, I hope there is a golf course,” Craig said.

Connery is survived by his wife, brother Neil and sons Jason and Stefan. His publicist, Nancy Seltzer, said there would be a private ceremony followed by a memorial service once the coronavirus pandemic has ended.

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[drchin]

THE James Bond

[Frothy Afterbirth]

Alex Trebek, long-running 'Jeopardy!' host, dead at 80
By Brian Lowry and Dakin Andone, CNN
Updated 3:35 PM EST, Sun November 08, 2020



(CNN)Alex Trebek, the genial "Jeopardy!" host with all the answers and a reassuring presence in the TV game-show landscape for five decades, has died. He was 80 years old.

"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends," said a statement shared on the show's Twitter account Sunday. "Thank you, Alex."

The cause of death was not immediately announced. Trebek revealed in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, triggering an outpouring of support and well wishes at the time.

"Jeopardy!" contestant Ken Jennings said on Twitter Sunday he was thinking of Trebek's family and the "Jeopardy!" family, "which, in a way, included millions of us," he said.

"Alex wasn't just the best ever at what he did," Jennings wrote. "He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him."

Trebek is survived by his wife, Jean, who he married in 1990, and his three children.

Over 37 seasons, Trebek hosted more than 8,200 episodes of "Jeopardy!," the most by a presenter of any single TV game show, according to a statement from Sony Pictures.

But despite the years he spent on "Jeopardy!," the syndicated quiz show where answers are presented in the form of a question, Trebek wasn't exactly an overnight success.

Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, he studied philosophy before becoming a journalist, working as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

In 1966, while still in his mid-20s, he switched from journalism to hosting game shows, starting with a quiz show titled "Reach for the Top," and followed a few years later by another, "Jackpot."

It wasn't until 1984 that Trebek landed what turned out to be his big break, when producer-host Merv Griffin chose him to emcee a revival of "Jeopardy!," which was paired with another hit game show, "Wheel of Fortune."

The combination became a formidable block in the hour leading into prime time while earning Trebek five Daytime Emmy Awards for his role as host.

His longevity was reflected in a personal milestone, when he passed "The Price is Right's" Bob Barker in the Guinness Book of Records as the person who had hosted the most game-show episodes.

In a 2014 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Trebek downplayed that honor, saying, "I'm just enjoying what I'm doing, I'm happy to have a job. I like the show, I like the contestants and it pays well."

Trebek began hinting it might be time to retire in 2018, before agreeing to sign one last contract extension, which was to run through 2022.

Trebek's last day in the studio was October 29, according to Sony Pictures. "Jeopardy!" episodes hosted by Trebek will air through December 25.

"The show is not announcing plans for a new host at this time," the statement from Sony Pictures said.

Besides his hosting work, which included such shows as "Classic Concentration" and "High Rollers," Trebek was active as a philanthropist, taking part in USO Tours visiting US troops overseas and serving as a spokesman for various charities, including WorldVision.

One of the few public missteps in Trebek's career came when he tried his hand again at journalism, agreeing to moderate a Pennsylvania gubernatorial debate in 2018. Criticized for a performance that included talking more than either of the candidates, he subsequently apologized, saying he had been "naïve" about his role.

When Trebek announced his diagnosis in March 2019, tributes came from across the entertainment industry, including late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said, "Everybody loves Alex Trebek."

Jennings compared Trebek to CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, tweeting, "Alex Trebek is in a way the last Cronkite: authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every night, almost to the point of ritual."

Trebek earned numerous awards over the course of his career, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, which he won seven times, most recently in July. He also received a Daytime Emmy's Lifetime Achievement Award in June 2011.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of children Alex Trebek had. He had three children.

CNN's Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this report.

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