General "RIP" announcements that might be of interest

[Jay J. Foraker]

R.I.P. Michael Crichton. He could really whip up a good tale with plausible scientific background.

[Hondo Duke Lane]

I really like Paul Newman's movies myself. A little late but I wanted to add my condolences as well. Some of my favorite movies:

Torn Curtain
The Long Hot Summer
Absence of Malice
Nobody's Fool
Fort Apache
The Left-Handed Gun
Somebody Up There Likes Me
The Road to Perdition
Fat Man & Little Boy

One's Already Mentioned
Cool Hand Luke
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Hud
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Sting
Exodus
The Hustler

I haven't seen Cars, but I plan to see it soon.

Cheers

[DukePilgrim]

Mr Sci Fi aka Forrest J. Ackerman has passsed away at 92.

Sci-fi's grand old man, Forrest J Ackerman, dies

By JOHN ROGERS – 17 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forrest J Ackerman, the sometime actor, literary agent, magazine editor and full-time bon vivant who discovered author Ray Bradbury and was widely credited with coining the term "sci-fi," has died. He was 92.
Ackerman died Thursday of heart failure at his Los Angeles home, said Kevin Burns, head of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of Ackerman's estate.
Although only marginally known to readers of mainstream literature, Ackerman was legendary in science-fiction circles as the founding editor of the pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. He was also the owner of a huge private collection of science-fiction movie and literary memorabilia that for years filled every nook and cranny of a hillside mansion overlooking Los Angeles.
"He became the Pied Piper, the spiritual leader, of everything science fiction, fantasy and horror," Burns said Friday.
Every Saturday morning that he was home, Ackerman would open up the house to anyone who wanted to view his treasures. He sold some pieces and gave others away when he moved to a smaller house in 2002, but he continued to let people visit him every Saturday for as long as his health permitted.
"My wife used to say, 'How can you let strangers into our home?' But what's the point of having a collection like this if you can't let people enjoy it?" an exuberant Ackerman told The Associated Press as he conducted a spirited tour of the mansion on his 85th birthday.
His collection once included more than 50,000 books, thousands of science-fiction magazines and such items as Bela Lugosi's cape from the 1931 film "Dracula."
His greatest achievement, however, was likely discovering Bradbury, author of the literary classics "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles." Ackerman had placed a flyer in a Los Angeles bookstore for a science-fiction club he was founding and a teenage Bradbury showed up.
Later, Ackerman gave Bradbury the money to start his own science-fiction magazine, Futuria Fantasia, and paid the author's way to New York for an authors meeting that Bradbury said helped launch his career.
"I hadn't published yet, and I met a lot of these people who encouraged me and helped me get my career started, and that was all because of Forry Ackerman," the author told the AP in 2005.
Later, as a literary agent, Ackerman represented Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and numerous other science-fiction writers.
He said the term "sci-fi" came to him in 1954 when he was listening to a car radio and heard an announcer mention the word "hi-fi."
"My dear wife said, 'Forget it, Forry, it will never catch on,'" he recalled.
Soon he was using it in Famous Monsters of Filmland, the magazine he helped found in 1958 and edited for 25 years.
Ackerman himself appeared in numerous films over the years, usually in bit parts. His credits include "Queen of Blood," "Dracula vs. Frankenstein," "Amazon Women on the Moon," "Vampirella," "Transylvania Twist," "The Howling" and the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video. More recently, he appeared in 2007's "The Dead Undead" and 2006's "The Boneyard Collection."
Ackerman returned briefly to Famous Monsters of Filmland in the 1990s, but he quickly fell out with the publisher over creative differences. He sued and was awarded a judgment of more than $375,000.
Forrest James Ackerman was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 1916. He fell in love with science-fiction, he once said, when he was 9 years old and saw a magazine called Amazing Stories. He would hold onto that publication for the rest of his life.
Ackerman, who had no children, was preceded in death by his wife, Wendayne.
(This version Links photo)

[may2]

Beverly Garland died. I always liked her.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...,5645483.story

[avenger]

Forry Ackerman loved sci-fi and horror movies and was at one time owner of the
largest science fiction and horror collection in the world.
Even up to this past summer he was signing autographs.He sent me a signed
inscribed card and signed a video cover of one of the many movies in which he had a cameo.He was a truly giving person,who made time for everyone.
He will be sadly missed.

[Jay J. Foraker]

R.I.P. Forrest J. Ackerman (affectionately known as Forry J). Not well known outside of Sci-Fi circles, he had a cult following there. I did not realize that he was 92!!!

[Jay J. Foraker]

Beverly Garland died. I always liked her.

I did too! She was a good actress.

[may2]

Another member of the Golden Age of Hollywood bites the dust, Van Johnson has died at 92.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081212/...it_van_johnson

[chester7777]

Another member of the Golden Age of Hollywood bites the dust, Van Johnson has died at 92.

That's too bad! Well, maybe not . . . he was 92, and had lived a good long life.

may2, I couldn't get your link to work, so in case others are having the same problem, here's (hopefully) a link that will work.

My biggest memory of him is mostly from Yours, Mine, and Ours, as the match-making friend that got Lucille Ball's and Henry Fonda's characters together!

Mrs. C

[Hondo Duke Lane]

I also recall him in Yours, Mine and Ours too. I do remember him dancing with Lucy in I Love Lucy, and the Minstrel in Batman TV series in the 60's. He is well liked actor, and a full life. I see that he hasn't been in anything since 1992 (over 16 years). Rest in peace, Van.

Cheers Hondo

[arthurarnell]

Hi

As you say he lived to a good age. He never appeared with John Wayne but made a number of good films. RIP


Regards

Arthur

[H.sanada]

I remember him as a jet pilot in "Men of the Fighting Lady".
Good jet fighter movie.
R.I.P. Van Johnson.

regards,
taka

[SXViper]

Don't forget "Battleground", "The Caine Mutiny", and "Command Decision". RIP Van........

[Jay J. Foraker]

He was also very good in "23 Paces to Baker Street." R.I.P. Van

[Hondo Duke Lane]

Just to let you know that Turner Classic Movie channel (TCM) has their annual in memory of . . . . . to list those who are no longer with us. It is amazing how many they list that I know this year.



Cheers Hondo