R.I.P. William Hinzman

Me, with Bill Hinzman at the Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend


It's with deep sadness that we bring to you the news of the passing of Bill Hinzman this evening. We've lost another icon of the industry and more importantly one of the nicest and most genuine people we've ever had the chance of knowing.

Best known to fans everywhere as Zombie #1 or the Graveyard Zombie from the George A. Romero classic Night of the Living Dead, Hinzman has died after losing a bout with cancer. He was 75.

Bill Hinzman worked on numerous projects over the years, several of which were with Romero, such as There's Always Vanilla, Hungry Wives aka Season of the Witch, and of course The Crazies. On his own he tried his hand at directing with one of our favorite flicks, Flesh Eater.

A fixture on the convention circuit, Bill was always there with a smile for fans, often appearing in costume as the famed ghoul we all grew up with.

We here at Dread Central would like to take this time to offer our sincerest condolences to Bill's friends, family, and constituents. Rest in peace, sir. You will be incredibly missed.

R.I.P. ANNE FRANCIS

pictured here with Robby the Robot in press shots for "The Forbidden Planet"



Anne Francis, who was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV, has died at age 80. Francis died Sunday at a Santa Barbara nursing home, said Bill Guntle, a funeral director McDermott-Crockett & Associates Mortuary in Santa Barbara. Francis, who had surgery and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007, died of complications of pancreatic cancer, her daughter, Jane Uemura, told the Los Angeles Times.

Francis, a stunningly beautiful blonde with a prominent beauty mark, appeared opposite such stars as Spencer Tracy, Paul Newman, Robert Taylor and Glenn Ford in some of the most popular films of the 1950s. But "Forbidden Planet" and "Honey West" made her reputation.

"Forbidden Planet" was hailed in Leonard Maltin's "2006 Movie Guide" as "one of the most ambitious and intelligent films of its genre." A science-fiction retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," the 1956 film had Leslie Nielsen and other space travelers visiting a planet where expatriate scientist Walter Pidgeon, his daughter (Francis) and their helper, Robby the Robot, built a settlement.

In "Honey West," which aired from 1965 to 1966, Francis' private detective character — who kept a pet ocelot, a wildcat — was a female James Bond: sexy, stylish and as good with martial arts as she was with a gun. She was nominated for an Emmy for the role, which lasted 30 episodes.

Among her other films: "Bad Day at Black Rock" with Tracy and Robert Ryan, "Rogue Cop" with Taylor, "The Rack" with Newman, "A Lion Is in the Streets" with James Cagney, and "Hook, Line and Sinker" opposite Jerry Lewis.

When her movie career declined, Francis became active in television, appearing in dozens of series, including "Mission Impossible," "The Virginian," "My Three Sons," "Ironside," "Gunsmoke," "The Twilight Zone," "Charlie's Angels," "The Golden Girls," "Home Improvement" and "Nash Bridges."

Rest In Peace Anne Francis.

R.I.P. INGRID PITT

Hammer horror actress Ingrid Pitt, best known for starring in cult classics such as Countess Dracula, has died at the age of 73.The Polish-born star died at a hospital in south London after collapsing a few days ago. She was regarded by many fans as the queen of Hammer horror films.

The star's death comes weeks after film-maker Roy Ward Baker, who directed Pitt in The Vampire Lovers, died at the age of 93. Pitt's daughter Stephanie Blake told the BBC News website that her mother's death had come as a "huge surprise". After the actress collapsed recently, doctors had told her was she suffering from heart failure.
"She could be incredibly generous, loving, and she'll be sorely missed," Mrs Blake said. She added that she wanted her mother to be remembered as the Countess Dracula with the "wonderful teeth and the wonderful bosom".
The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy said he had "very good memories" of the actress. "She was a very attractive person in every sense. She was a perfectly good actress but a very decent person as well, not that those two things don't often go together. I'm very sorry to hear she's gone," he added.
Official Hammer historian Marcus Hearn paid tribute to the star, calling her a "talented actress and fine writer. All fans of Hammer and of British horror are going to miss her terribly." He added: "She was partly responsible for ushering in a bold and brazen era of sexually explicit horror films in the 1970s, but that should not denigrate her abilities as an actress." A good friend of the actress, Mr Hearn said she was "gloriously uninhibited" and "great fun to be with".
Although she was not the first female star of a Hammer film, Mr Hearn said she had always been "very proud" of becoming the first prominent female protagonist in a Hammer after her role in The Vampire Lovers. "All fans of Hammer and of British horror are going to miss her terribly," he said.
She began her career with fairly minor roles in several Spanish films in the mid-1960s. But in 1968 she landed a supporting role in war movie Where Eagles Dare, appearing alongside Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.
The actress got her breakthrough role two years later in the horror thriller The Vampire Lovers, which was a box office success. Several Hammer movies followed, firmly establishing her as one of the key women of British horror of the 1970s. Her other film credits included The Wicker Man (1973), Who Dares Wins (1982), Smiley's People (1982) and Wild Geese II (1985). Pitt made regular appearances at horror conventions and penned several books about her career in the genre. Her talent will be sorely missed. Rest in peace Ingrid.

R.I.P. GLORIA STUART

pictured here with Claude Rains in "The Invisible Man"

pictured here with Boris Karloff in "The Old Dark House"

Gloria Stuart (born Gloria Frances Stewart on July 4, 1910) passed away Sunday in her Los Angeles home at the age of 100. Although mainstream film-goers remember Gloria as "old" Rose in James Cameron's blockbuster hit Titanic, we fans of the horror films will never forget her as the love interest in James Whale's classic The Invisible Man, or as Margaret Waverton in another James Whale classic The Old Dark House. Gloria had a very long and productive career, on film and television, mostly working in mainstream films, but we will never forget her in the roles we classic horror film fans cherish. Rest In Peace Gloria.

R.I.P. Kevin McCarthy

Thanks to Prof. Grewbeard over at Magic Carpet Burn for posting about this. I had no idea...
The world of horror and science fiction movies lost one of its totemic actors on Saturday when, according to the Los Angeles Times, Kevin McCarthy died at the age of 96. McCarthy was never really a household name, but he starred in a raft of genre classics including 1978′s Piranha, 1981′s The Howling, and most famously, the seminal 1956 sci-fi movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, in which aliens attempt to turn the human race into emotionless “pod people.” He was a hugely talented character actor who made whatever he appeared in watchable and could help elevate good material into the realm of the truly great. You will be sorely missed Kevin, rest in peace.

R.I.P. Glenn Shadix

Glenn Shadix as "Otho" in Beetlejuice


publicity shot of Glenn Shadix


me with Glenn Shadix at Screamfest horror convention, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Glenn Shadix, very funny and talented character actor, best known for his collaborations with Tim Burton and widely known as the bumbling "Otho" in Beetlejuice, passed away today, he was 58. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking at great lengths with Glenn Shadix several years ago. He truly was a great person, very friendly, incredibly humorous and a wonderful character actor. You will be missed. Rest In Peace.

33rd Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Death

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. I am old enough to recall when he died and all the insanity that ensued afterward. Here are a couple of little mentions in honor of the anniversary of his death. Comedian Johnny Carson once quipped, "If life was fair, Elvis would still be alive and all the impersonators dead." Also, Larry Geller, who was Elvis's former hairstylist, was responsible for styling Elvis's hair for the sad occasion of his funeral. When setting about his task, he was startled to find that Elvis had half an inch of white-colored regrowth under his dyed black hair. Geller quickly improvised a touch-up job using a black mascara wand. Long Live The King!

R.I.P. LUX INTERIOR

Sad but true folks, our beloved Lux Interior has passed away. For those of you who don't know who Lux was, well, he was the one and only, amazing frontman for The Cramps, a band who is considered by many to be the godfathers of psychobilly (I know I definitely do!). I have had the pleasure of seeing The Cramps perform live many times, and Lux was always the highlight of the show. Check out this live clip of The Cramps from the film "Urgh! A Music War" and you will see what a fantastic entertainer Lux was. I know I will personally miss him and his stage antics. Rest in peace, you demented genius, it's now time for you to teach the Lord some songs!