Kathleen Juan Dies at 70

Kathleen Juan, CBS communications writer and editor, has died at Liberty Commons Skilled Care Center in Chatham, Mass after a brief illness. She was 70.

She was dubbed the “grammar guru” by colleagues at the CBS network where she worked for 35 years. She was exec editor of communications responsible for stories about shows such as “M*A*S*H” in the Sunday paper TV supplements. Kathleen Juan also interviews such CBS stars as Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda as well as members the cast of "MASH."

Kathleen Juan is survived by her brother, Lloyd, and a cousin, Pat Bartnett.

James Aubrey who played Ralph in "Lord of the Flies" and later, Gavin Sorenson in "A Bouquet of Barbed Wire" has died

James Aubrey, Aug. 28, 1947 – April 8, 2010, British stage and film actor who was actually born in Austria, has died. He was 62.

The actor started his career as a child appearing in the role of Philip in the 1962 stage production of “Isle of Children.”  He debuted in film the very next year when he was cast as Ralph in the film version of “Lord of the Flies.”

From there, James Aubrey appeared in numerous television and stage productions. He was given the role of Gavin Sorenson in the television adaptation of “A Bouquet of Barbed Wire” that production currently being remade for ITV. He returned in the role for the sequel “Another Bouquet.”

Over the 70s and 80s, James Aubrey appeared regularly on television in a variety of shows such as “Lytton’s Diary” and in the mini-series “Mistral’s Daughter.” In 1988 he played Detective Inspector Derek Hoskins in four episodes of “Rockliffe’s Folly.”

Aubrey’s last appearance was in 2006. He portrayed Harry in “Brief Encounters” opposite Frances Barber.

Christopher Cazenove who played Ben Carrington on nighttime soap 'Dynasty'

Christopher Cazenove, Dec. 17, 1945 – April 7, 2010, British-born actor who played Ben Carrington in the TV series "Dynasty," has died at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London. The cause of death was septicemia. He was 64.

"Christopher died peacefully on April 7 surrounded by his loved ones, having contracted septicemia at the end of February," the family said in a statement released by his agent, Lesley Duff.

His death comes just six days after the death of co-star John Forsythe on April 1.  Cazenove was Ben Carrington, the black sheep brother to Forsythe’s Blake Carrington on the 1980’s nighttime soap. Cazenove appeared in 36 episodes of "Dynasty" from 1986-87.

Former co-star Joan Collins described him as "an absolutely charming man and a very good actor…" She also stated that she had "very much enjoyed" working with him on Dynasty.

Christopher Cazenove was probably best known for his television work. He appeared as Charlie Tyrrell in the 1976 miniseries, "The Duchess of Duke Street." But he did appear in a number of films including "Three Men and a Little Lady" in 1990 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001.

He is survived by his son, Rhys, and his partner Isabel Davis.

Corin Redgrave, Brother to Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave Dies April 6, 2010

Corin Redgrave, July 16, 1939 - April 6, 2010, stage, film and television actor who was also a well-known Marxist, died at St. George’s Hospital in London after falling ill a couple of days prior. He was 70.

As probably the lesser known of the famous Redgrave acting family, Corin Redgrave was the middle brother to actresses Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave and the son of the late Sir Michael.

On stage, Redgrave appeared on Broadway in Shakespearean plays and works by Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams and others. He won an Olivier Award for his role as Boss Whalen in Tennessee Williams's "Not About Nightingales,” and later received a Tony Award nomination for the same.

On film, he played ‘Hamish’ who marries Andie MacDowell in “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” He was Sir Walter Elliot in the 1995 film version of Jane Austen’s novel "Persuasion." He had a supporting part in the 1993 film "In the Name of the Father" and, in 2005 he played the prime minister in "The Girl in the Café."

All told, Redgrave appeared in a dozen or so film, television and miniseries roles. Most of his time was devoted to far left political activism including supporting the Socialist Labor League and the Workers' Revolutionary Party.

He was the official voice of Jiminy Cricket and the world's top Jack Benny impersonator: Eddie Carroll Dies April 6, 2010

Eddie Carroll, Sept. 5, 1933 – April 6, 2010, Hollywood actor who was the official voice of Jiminy Cricket, has died. He was 76.

Carroll voiced the chirppy cricket from 1973 onward after taking over the role from Cliff Edward upon his death.

But before lending his voice to Disney, Carroll appeared in person in television parts including “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and as a regular on the 1970s “The Don Knotts Show.”

As a voice actor, Eddie Carroll was heard in over 100 TV shows, radio spots and television commercials. He voiced Jiminy Cricket in everything from the 1983 film “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” “Jiminy Cricket’s Christmas,” “DTV Valentine,” “House of Mouse,” and in all of the “Kingdom Hearts” series.

Behind the scenes, Eddie Carroll along with actor Jamie Farr founded Carroll-Farr Productions. Together, they created pilots for ABC, CBS, Screen Gems/Columbia, and Hanna-Barbera.

Carroll was also considered the world’s top Jack Benny impersonator, touring his one-man show, “Jack Benny – Laughter in Bloom” across the U.S.

He leaves behind his wife since 1963, Carolyn and two children.

Bill Mullikin played Cornelius Hackle in the long-running Broadway production 'Hello Dolly'

Bill Mullikin, Broadway’s long-running Cornelius Hackle, has died in Santa Cruz, Calif. of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 83.

As Cornelius Hackle, he appeared over 2,000 times in the original Broadway production of “Hello Dolly.” The show toured throughout the U.S. as well as Australia with Mullikin appearing opposite such stars as Ginger Rogers, Phyllis Diller and Dorothy Lamour.

Bill Mullikin also toured nationally in “South Pacific,” “The Baker’s Wife,” “New Faces of 1952” and “New Faces of 1956.” He appeared in the film version of ‘Faces 1952’ and starred alongside Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin and Bob Newhart in “Hell Is For Heroes.”

Other screen credits include “The Brady Bunch” and “Little House on the Prairie.”

Bill Mullikin is survived by a son and a daughter.

John Forsythe passes away after a year long battle with cancer

John Forsythe, Jan. 29, 1918 - April 1, 2010, silver-haired actor whose rich voice became instantly recognizable by millions, has died at his Santa Barbara County home in Santa Ynez. The cause of death was complications from pneumonia. He was 92.

According to his publicist Harlan Boll, Forsythe had previous health problems including heart by-pass surgery in 1979 and hospitalization for colon cancer in 2006.

"He died as he lived his life, with dignity and grace," daughter Brooke Forsythe said.

Forsythe’s career in acting started early, in the 1940s and mostly on stage. A 1947 role on Broadway as Chris Keller in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" led to his taking over the title role from Henry Fonda in the hit Broadway production "Mister Roberts” in 1950.

A few film roles later and John Forsythe found himself cast in the TV comedy “Bachelor Father” in which he played a rich attorney who lived in a Beverly Hills penthouse and cared for his teenage niece played by Noreen Corcoran. The series appeared on CBS, then NBC and finally ABC lasting from 1957 to 1962.

In the 1970s John Forsythe developed a relationship with producer Aaron Spelling who cast him in the role of Charles Townsend, the unseen boss in “Charlie’s Angels.” As the head of his own private eye type agency, Townsend’s identity was supposed to be a secret. His face was never seen. Instead he was a voice on a recorder or viewed only from behind as he delivered assignments to angels Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith.

In 1981 and after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery, Aaron Spelling cast Forsythe in the nighttime soap “Dynasty.”

"The producers didn't know what the hell they wanted," Forsythe recalled. "They talked to me in terms of J.R. in 'Dallas.' I said, 'Look, fellas, I don't want to play J.R. Part of my strength as an actor comes from what I've learned all these years: when you play a villain, you try to get the light touches; when you play a hero, you try to get in some of the warts."

And so it was with the character of Blake Carrington. Silver-haired and in his sixties, Forsythe lent a special dignity to the role as each episode unfolded with everything from murder to deceit to adultery to high finance and politics. As Carrington, he warred with ex-wife, Alexis Colby- played to the hilt by Joan Collins, divorces and remarries a new wife - played by Linda Evans, goes blind, recovers and so on as only a soap opera can.

The role made Forsythe a sexagenarian sex symbol and his performance as Carrington earned him three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globes.

Forsythe was married three times and had three children with his first two wives. He once said, “I always said life consists of love and work. I tried to balance it 50-50. And of course, now I’m so happy I did.”

Jaime Escalante Inspired the Movie “Stand and Deliver”

Jaime Escalante, Dec. 31, 1930 – March 30, 2010, inspirational math teacher who turned kids from a poor Hispanic neighborhood into high-scoring calculus students, has died at his son’s home in Rosedale, Calif. He was 79.

According to the family, the cause of death was pulmonary arrest brought on by pneumonia.

Jaime Escalante’s unconventional teaching techniques were brought to light in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver” starring Edward James Olmos. The true-life film told the story of disadvantaged students at James A. Garfield High School, a school known for its high dropout rate and poor testing scores. Escalante, a math teacher, set out to teach the students calculus.

In 1982, 18 of his students took the College Board’s advanced placement test, several of them making the highest possible score of a 5. The rest received 4s setting off a controversy among officials who suspected them all of cheating. When the students took the test again, they received similar scores and turned Jaime Escalante into a educational hero.

“Stand and Deliver” earned Edward James Olmos an Oscar nomination. In real life, however, school administrators and the teachers’ union basically destroyed Escalante’s calculus program, demanding that his class be reduced. When he left the school, the program died.

In addition to his son also named Jaime, Mr. Escalante is survived by his wife, Fabiola, another son, Fernando, of Elk Grove, Calif., and six grandchildren.

David Mills wrote NYPD BLUE, KINGPIN, ER among others

David Mills, television writer and producer, has died in New Orleans on the set of HBO’s new show “Treme.” He was 48.

The cause of death is being attributed to a brain aneurysm.

As a former newspaper feature writer turned TV writer, David Mills’ interest was in writing realistic portrayals of race issues. His talent was in creating both black and white characters depicting points of view from both sides. His credits include “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “NYPD Blue,” and “ER.” He won two Emmy awards for work co-writing HBO miniseries “The Corner.”

David Mills was also the creator and executive producer of the 2003 NBC miniseries “Kingpin,” a series that garnered criticism for its over-the-top violence.

As co-executive producer and a member of the small writing team for “Treme,” Mills was said to be very excited about the show and spent a tremendous amount of time in the city of New Orleans where the movie is filmed. The series is due to complete first-season production at the end of April.

In a statement released by the network, "HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills…He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon but his brilliant work will live on."

Stage and Film Star June Havoc Dies March 28, 2010

June Havoc, Nov. 18, 1913 – March 28, 2010, film and stage actress whose sister was the 1930s burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee, has died. She was 96.

Havoc first appeared on vaudeville stages when she was 2 as ‘Baby June.’ She was a child phenomenon by age 5 and was featured in the vaudeville act "Dainty June and Her Newsboys." She also appeared in the silent film, "Hey There!" in 1918.

June Havoc reportedly left her family at the young age of 13, running off with one of the boys in her act. She eventually made a successful stage and film acting career for herself.

As Gladys Bumps she played the scheming chorus girl in the original 1940 production of “Pal Joey.” It was a breakthrough role and, from there, June Havoc went on to appear in several films including in the original “My Sister Eileen” in 1942.

Other credits include “When My Baby Smiles at Me” in 1948 and a leading role in the 1947 film “Intrigue” with George Raft. Perhaps her best-received film performance was also in 1947 with “Gentleman’s Agreement.” Havoc played Gregory Peck’s self-hating Jewish secretary passing for gentile. In 1952, she starred in “Lady Possessed” a romantic thriller with James Mason.

Havoc received a Drama Desk Award nomination and a Tony Award nomination. She made her final Broadway appearance in 1982 when she took over the role of Miss Hannigan in the original Broadway production of “Annie.”