ARTHUR LAKE - January 9

Actor who played goofy hubby Dagwood
in the 1940s Blondie film series.
(Age: 84.)
________________________________________

RAY BOLGER - January 15

Actor who played the scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz.
(Age: 83.)
________________________________________

WLADZIU LIBERACE - February 4

Gay piano player who constantly denied he was gay,
despite thinking sequined capes were common attire.
(Age: 66. C.O.D.: AIDS.)
________________________________________

DAVID SUSSKIND - February 22

Veteran public TV talk show host and producer.
(Age: 66. C.O.D.: Suicide.)
________________________________________

ANDY WARHOL - February 22

(Same day as David Susskind.)
Popular pop artist painter who did most
of his popping during the 1960s and '70s.
(Age: 58. C.O.D.: Gall bladder surgery complications.)
________________________________________

JAMES COCO - February 25

Gay comedy actor, mostly known
for never trimming his eyebrows.
(Age: 57. C.O.D.: Fat Jack heart attack.)
________________________________________

DANNY KAYE - February 25

(Same day as James Coco.)
Comedy superstar of many 1940s and 1950s
films, including The Court Jester,
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,
and Hans Christian Anderson.
(Age: 74. C.O.D.: Leukemia.)
________________________________________

RANDOLPH SCOTT - March 2

Acted in many westerns and other
films during the 1940s and '50s.
(Age: 89.)
________________________________________

ROBERT PRESTON - March 21

Comedy actor known mainly for The Music Man.
(Age: 68. C.O.D.: Lung cancer.)
________________________________________

BUDDY RICH - April 2

Kid vaudeville performer who went on to become
the greatest drummer of the 20th century.
(Age: 69. C.O.D.: Brain tumor.)
________________________________________

DICK SHAWN - April 17

(Famous last words: "And I would be your leader!")
Mr. Shawn, we'd follow you anywhere.
Probably best-known for It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World,
the original movie version of The Producers,
Maid To Order, Rented Lips, and Angel.    
(Age: 57. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

HUGH BRANNUM - April 19

Actor who played Mr. Green Jeans on the
popular TV kiddie show Captain Kangaroo.    
(Age: 77. C.O.D.: Suicide.)
________________________________________

CATHRYN DAMON - May 4

Very funny as the deadpan Mary Campbell
in the classic TV comedy series Soap.    
(Age: 56. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

RITA HAYWORTH - May 14

Sexy romantic star from the 1940s.  
(Age: 67. C.O.D.: Complications from Alzheimer's disease.)
________________________________________

ALEJANDRO REY - May 21

Actor who played the millionaire Carlos
on the TV series The Flying Nun.  
(Age: 57. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

HERMIONE GINGOLD - May 24

British actress who appeared in Around The World In 80 Days,
Gigi, Bell Book And Candle, The Music Man, and A Little Night Music.
(Age: 89. Heart attack.)
________________________________________

WILL SAMPSON - June 3

Played enigmatic, tall Indians in movies
including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,
and Poltergeist II.  
(Age: 53.)
________________________________________

ELIZABETH HARTMAN - June 10

Actress in films including A Patch Of Blue,
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and The Secret Of NIHM. 
(Age: 45. C.O.D.: Suicide by jumping out a window.)
________________________________________

GERALDINE PAGE - June 13

Actress in many films, she won
an Oscar for A Trip To Bountiful. 
(Age: 62. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

FRED ASTAIRE - June 22

Actor/dancer/singer who appeared
in several classic movies with
Ginger Rogers, including Top Hat,
and Flying Down To Rio. The greatest
film dancer of all time.
(Age: 88.)
________________________________________

JACKIE GLEASON - June 24

(The Great One with his two "better thirds" -
pal Ed Norton and long-suffering wife Alice.)
"And awaaaaay we go!" Yep, awaaaaay he went.
Amazingly charismatic star of
The Honeymooners TV series and
many films during the 1950s and '60s.
(Age: 71. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

RICHARD EGAN - July 20

Character actor working mostly in films
from the 1940s to the '60s, which included:
Love Me Tender, A Summer Place, Pollyanna,
and the original of The 300 Spartans.
(Age: 65.)
________________________________________

HAYDEN RORKE - August 19

Gay character actor who did fine
work in both film and television.
But he was known most widely as
Dr. Bellows on the hit 1960s TV
comedy series I Dream Of Genie.
(Age: 76. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

HUSTON JOHN - August 28

Dynamic director of many films,
including The Maltese Falcon,
The Big Sleep, and The African Queen,
which all starred Humphrey Bogart.
(Age: 81. C.O.D.: Emphysema.)
________________________________________

LEE MARVIN - August 29

(Day after John Huston)
"Hi, this is Lee Marvin speaking
for Kick Your Ass Incorporated."
He was the original Starvin' Marvin, baby.
Tough guy actor in films like The Wild One,
Donovan's Reef, and The Thin Red Line.
(Age: 63. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

QUINN MARTIN - September 5

"This is a Quinn Martin pallbearing."
Produced major shows of the 1960s and '70s
(The Fugitive and The Streets of San Francisco),
married for a few years to Madelyn Pugh Davis,
co-writer of the TV series I Love Lucy.
(Age: 65. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

LORNE GREENE - September 11

Was a news anchor for CBC network of Canada,
but was later mainly known for his TV work
including Bonanza, and then Battlestar Galactica.
(Age: 72. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________ 

DAN ROWAN - September 22

Long time comedy act partner of Dick Martin,
co-hosting with him on the 1960s TV series Laugh-In.
(Age: 65. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

BOB FOSSE - September 23

Today up in heaven, it's showtime!
(Day after Dan Rowan.)
Fantastic "dancetastic" dance choreographer
of many stage musicals and films, notably
Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, Caberet, Pippin,
and All That Jazz, which he also directed.
He was the husband of Gwen Verdon,
red hot star of Damn Yankees.
(Age: 60. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

MARY ASTOR - September 25

Writer and actress mostly known for her
her scandelous affair with married writer
George S. Kaufman, and her performance
in the classic detective noir film
The Maltese Falcon. It was directed
by John Huston, who just died less
than a month ago (on August 28).
(Age: 81. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

JACKIE VERNON - November 10

Hilarious understated comedian,
who although portly, didn't use
that as his main comedy device.
All future comics should take
a lesson from this brilliant
and very inventive guy.
(Age: 63. C.O.D.: Heart attack.)
________________________________________

JAMES BALDWIN - November 30

Intellectual and author of many fine books,
notably Go Tell It On The Mountain.
(Age: 63. C.O.D.: Cancer.)
________________________________________

= WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR THIS YEAR, FOLKS! BUT STAY TUNED - YOU KNOW THE GRIM REAPER AIN'T DONE WITH THOSE CELEBS YET! MEANWHILE, ON THE UPPER RIGHT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT THE LIST OF LATE LAMENTED LAYABOUTS FROM OTHER YEARS! ENJOY! =