Tribute: Irvin Kershner, Director of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’

Posted on November 29, 2010 at 7:40 pm

Irvin Kershner, director of what is generally considered to be the best “Star War” movie, “The Empire Strikes Back,” died last week at age 87. George Lucas issued this statement of appreciation:

“The world has lost a great director and one of the most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” says Lucas. “Irvin Kershner was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. When I think of Kersh, I think of his warmth, his thoughtfulness and his talent. I knew him from USC — I attended his lectures and he was actually on the festival panel that gave the prize to my THX short. I considered him a mentor. Following Star Wars, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to direct the second movie myself. I needed someone I could trust, someone I really admired and whose work had maturity and humor. That was Kersh all over. I didn’t want Empire to turn into just another sequel, another episode in a series of space adventures. I was trying to build something, and I knew Kersh was the guy to help me do it. He brought so much to the table. I am truly grateful to him. He was a friend as well as a colleague. He will be missed.”

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Directors Tribute

Tribute: Leslie Nielsen

Posted on November 28, 2010 at 10:20 pm

The most unexpected comic superstar of the 1990’s was one-time leading man Leslie Nielsen, who died today at age 84. The son of a Canadian mountie, Nielsen appeared in a number of golden age television dramas before his lead role in “Forbidden Planet,” an outer-space drama inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” He went on to play bland leads and less-bland heavies in crime stories, costume drama, and even one of the sugary Tammy movies along with television Westerns “Daniel Boone” and “Wagon Train.” In the 1960’s-70’s he appeared in many television series including the popular medical shows “Ben Casey” and “Dr. Kildare” and crime shows “Columbo,” “Cannon,” and “SWAT” and was a regular on the nighttime soap opera, “Peyton Place.” He was the ship captain in the cheesy classic, “The Poseidon Adventure.”

And then came Airplane! in 1981, where his classic, sliver-haired handsome look and deadpan delivery turned him into an immediate comic superstar. He went on to acclaim in the silly Police Squad! television series and the The Naked Gun movies. Some of Nielsen’s best lines have been collected by the Huffington Post.

May his memory be a blessing and may those who loved him find comfort in sharing their loss with his many fans.

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Actors Tribute

Tribute: Alex Anderson, Creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle

Posted on October 26, 2010 at 3:53 pm

Alex Anderson, who came up with the beloved characters Rocky the flying squirrel, Bullwinkle Moose, and Dudley Do-Right, died this week at age 90. While Jay Ward usually gets the credit, it was his childhood friend and partner Anderson who created those characters — though he had to bring a lawsuit to be given credit for it. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly has a tribute to Rocky and Bullwinkle that gets the joy of their subversive humor just right:

It’s difficult to imagine, these days, the thrill of discovering Rocky and Bullwinkle as a kid. You felt as though you’d been let into a secret back door to TV, where the characters joked about their show’s low ratings and the very nature of the narrative itself. During one edition, Rocky thinks he hears Boris, and says, “That voice — where have I heard it before?” Bullwinkle replies, “In about 365 other episodes.” Then he added, ever the dumb one, “But I don’t know who it is, either.”

And be sure to check out the Washington Post’s list of the 15 greatest Rocky and Bullwinkle quotes.

I loved Rocky and Bullwinkle because I could watch it as a kid and then again as a teenager and enjoy it even more. There were jokes I didn’t get until I was in college. They even made a joke once about my dad, who still has a Rocky and Bullwinkle drawing on his wall. I loved it that there was a character named Nell — my niece gave me a Nell Fenwick doll that I keep in my office. And every so often I tune in again to watch Bullwinkle pull another rabbit out of his hat or read fan mail from a flounder.

Tribute: Tom Bosley

Posted on October 19, 2010 at 5:41 pm

We mourn the passing of Tom Bosley, one of the all-time great TV dads in the classic series, “Happy Days.” As a young man, he won a Tony playing the much-older mayor of New York City in the musical, “Fiorello.” He was back on Broadway half a century later as Maurice in the Disney musical version of “Beauty and the Beast.” His roles on television included the priest on the “Father Dowling Mysteries” and a cop on “Murder, She Wrote.” I am fond of his performance as the sensible man Natalie Wood doesn’t marry in “Love With a Proper Stranger.” And he was very touching helping to teach children about the Holocaust in the documentary Paper Clips. But he will be best-remembered as the understanding Eisenhower era father, known affectionately by the Fonz as “Mr. C.” He always knew the right thing to say when one of his kids needed some special guidance and support.
Rest in peace, Mr. B.

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Tribute to Two Gospel Greats: Albertina Walker and ‘King’ Solomon Burke

Posted on October 13, 2010 at 11:51 am

The gospel world and everyone who loves music that lifts the spirit had a double loss this week with the passing of the magnificent Albertina Walker and “King” Solomon Burke. They will be deeply missed. But their glorious recordings will continue to bring us joy and inspiration forever.

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Music Tribute