2013 – Paul Walker, star of Universal’s “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. He also appeared in “Joy Ride”, “The Skulls” and “Monster in the Closet.” He died tragically in an automobile accident at the age of 40.
2009 – The king of Spanish horror cinema, Jacinto Molina Alvarez, a.k.a. the great Paul Naschy, passed away at the age of 75. Not since Lon Chaney Jr.’s “The Wolf Man,” has an actor been so closely identified with a cinematic werewolf, as Naschy was with his “Waldemar Danisky” character, appearing first in “Nights of the werewolf” and continuing on through several other films including “Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror,” “The Werewolf vs the Vampire Women,” “Doctor Jekyll & The Werewolf” and “Tomb of the Werewolf..” Having been influenced by the Universal films, in particular “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,” many of his films had the same elements and sense of style. He also took a turn as “Dracula” and “The Mummy.”
2008 – Koichi Takano, who directed “The Ultraman Story” and did special effects for the same film as well as the TV series’ “Ultra Seven,” “Ultraman: Towards the Future” and “Ultraman: Tiga,” passed away at the age of 73.
2008 – Screenwriter Phillip Broadley, who wrote for British TV series’ like “Zodiac,” “Tales of Mystery” and “The Champions,” passed away at the age of 86.
2006 – Jackie Blaisdell, wife of master monster maker Paul Blaisdell, passed away at the age of 76. She worked with her husband on the films “Earth vs the Spider” and Attack of the Puppet People.”
2005 – Herbert L. Strock, who directed the films “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein,” “Blood of Dracula” and “How To Make a Monster” to name a few, passed away at the age of 87.
2005 – Jean Parker, who appeared in the films “Dead Man’s Eyes,” “One Body Too Many” and “The Ghost Goes West,” passed away at the age of 90.
2003 – Earl Bellamy, who directed episodes of “The Munsters,” “Isis,” “The Six Million Dollar Man” and the film “Munsters, Go Home!,” passed away at the age of 86.
2003 – Sidney Morse, who has written episodes for the TV shows “Isis,” “Shazam” and “Jason of Star Command,” passed away at the age of 83.
I am a Horror journalist, producer, ravenous Horror fiend, aficionado of the classic Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, Werewolves, and all things Horror.
