Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries Read online

  CAUSE: Agar died aged 81 of emphysema in Los Angeles, California.

  Robert Agnew

  Born June 4, 1899

  Died November 8, 1983

  Silent star. Born in Dayton, Kentucky, Agnew was one of the leading juvenile stars of the early cinema. His career began on the stage and quickly moved to the silver screen. He retired a few years after the advent of sound and worked as an assistant director at Warner Bros. His films included: The Sporting Duchess (1920) as Dick Hammond, The Valley Of Doubt (1920) as Tommy, The Frisky Mrs Johnson as Lal Birkenread, The Sin That Was His (1920), The Sign On The Door as Alan Churchill, The Highest Law (1921) as Bobby Goodwin, Passion Flower (1921) as Faustino Eusebio, The Wonderful Thing (1921) as Laurence Mannerby, Who Are My Parents? (1922) as Bob Hale, Pawn Ticket 210 (1922) as Chick Saxe, Kick In (1922) as Jerry Brandon, A Dangerous Adventure (1922) as Jimmy Morrison, Without Fear (1922) as Walter Hamilton, Clarence (1922) as Bobby Wheeler, A Dangerous Game as John Kelley, Three Who Paid as Hal Sinclair, Trimmed In Scarlet (1923) as David Peirce, Prodigal Daughters (1923) as Lester Hodge, Only 38 (1923) as Bob Stanley, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1923) as Albert de Marceau, The Marriage Maker (1923) as Cyril Overton, The Spanish Dancer (1923) as Juan, Woman-Proof (1923) as Dick Rockwood, Love’s Whirlpool (1924) as Larry, Those Who Dance (1924) as Matt Carney, Wine Of Youth (1924) as Bobby, Broken Barriers (1924) as Bobbie Durland, Wine (1924) as Harry van Alstyne, Troubles Of A Bride (1924) as Robert Wallace, Gold Heels (1924) as Boots, a young officer in The Denial (1925), Private Affairs (1925) as Fred Henley, The Man Without A Conscience (1925) as James Warren, Lost: A Wife as Dick, Tessie (1925) as Roddy Wells, Steppin’ Out (1925) as Henry Brodman, Jr, The Great Love (1925) as Dr Lawrence Tibbits, Racing Blood as James Fleming, Wild Oats Lane (1926) as the boy, Fourth Commandment (1926) as Sonny, The Taxi Mystery (1926) as Harry Canby, Unknown Treasures (1926) as Bob Ramsey, Dancing Days (1926) as Gerald Hedman, Wandering Girls as Jerry Arnold, Quarantined Rivals (1927) as Bruce Farney, Snowbound (1927) as Peter Foley, Heart Of Salome (1927) as Redfern, She’s My Baby (1927) as Bobby Horton, Down The Stretch (1927) as Marty Kruger, The Prince Of Headwaiters (1927) as Elliott Cable, Slightly Used (1927) as Donald Woodward, The College Hero (1927) as Bob Cantfield, The Heart Of Broadway (1928) as Billy Winters, The Midnight Taxi (1928) as Jack Madison, Hold The Baby (1930), Woman Racket (1930) as Rags, French Kisses (1930), Mind Your Business (1930) as Tommy Seymour, Extravagance (1930) as Billy, The Naughty Flirt (1931) as Wilbur Fairchild, The Love Bargain (1931), Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933), Business Is A Pleasure (1934) and Little Man, What Now? (1934). Agnew married three times: to Susanne Sheldon, Elaine Titus Fearon and Bettina von Hutton by whom he had his only child.

  CAUSE: He died of kidney failure in Palm Springs, California.

  Brian Aherne

  Born May 2, 1902

  Died February 10, 1986

  Mr Dapper. Born in King’s Norton, Worcestershire, William Brian de Lacy Aherne didn’t make his stage début as a babe in arms, unlike so many other thespians. He was a more mature three-year-old when he began to tread the boards. Aherne studied at the Italia Conti stage school and then Malvern College. He began to study architecture but having failed to land a job designing buildings, he decided to give acting a try “until something better comes along”. He wowed audiences on the London stage (he made his first appearance in Where The Rainbow Ends at the Garrick Theatre on December 26, 1913) before travelling to Broadway where he received accolades as Robert Browning in The Barretts Of Wimpole Street (the show opened on February 9, 1931, at the Empire) opposite Katharine Cornell. Aherne made his film début in The Eleventh Commandment (1924), a silent film. His first major Hollywood role was playing a sculptor opposite Marlene Dietrich in Song Of Songs (1933). It was a flop. Dietrich asked him at the start of the shoot: “Why do you, an important actor from Broadway, come here to make this silly picture? I have to do it … But you! Are you crazy?” Aherne was too shy to tell Dietrich the real reason: he fancied her. Aherne was never to really make his presence felt on the big screen although he gave creditable performances in movies such as The Fountain (1934), Captain Fury (1939), Juarez (1939) (which won him an Oscar nomination as Emperor Maximilian), My Son, My Son (1940) and A Night To Remember (1943). The pipe-smoking Aherne, who was exceptionally careful when it came to money, was very aware of his looks – he was tall (over 6́), handsome and blond. His Juarez co-star Bette Davis once complained that during one scene he was ignoring her and looking in the mirror over her shoulder. He once remarked, “I have never taken acting very seriously” adding (in 1969), “I have never advertised in trade papers, as many actors do. But if I did, I suppose my ad would read: ‘(William) Brian de Lacy Aherne, professionally known as Brian Aherne, having signally failed to find a proper job in life, is still available in show business. Not arrogant or difficult any more. Has wardrobe. Will travel.’” Hmmm. Aloof and cool, he was married twice. His first wife was actress Joan Fontaine (he had previously dated her sister, Olivia de Havilland). They married on August 19, 1939, in Del Monte, California, and were divorced on June 5, 1944, three years after their estrangement due to his “extreme cruelty”. He later commented: “My marriage to Joan Fontaine roughly coincided with World War II. It even began the same year. Enough said?” Problems were undoubtedly exacerbated by the fact that Fontaine suffered from a cystic condition that made intercourse painful. On January 27, 1946, in Steven’s Landing, New York, he married Eleanor de Liagre Labrot. They were together 42 years. Aherne wrote a memoir of his close friend George Sanders. Aherne’s brother, Patrick (b. King’s Norton, Worcestershire, January 6, 1901, d. Woodland Hills, California, September 30, 1970, of cancer) was also an actor with over 30 films under his belt. He was married to the actress Renee Houston.

  CAUSE: He died in Venice, Florida aged 83, from natural causes.

  Philip Ahn

  (PIL LIP AHN)

  Born March 29, 1905

  Died February 28, 1978

  Inscrutable Oriental. Born in Los Angeles of Korean parentage, his father was a diplomat. Ahn was educated at the University of Southern California and made his first performance in a film in 1935. He became extremely busy playing all sorts of Orientals – Chinese, Japanese and Korean, in over 100 films. To television audiences he is best known for his continuing role as Master Kan in the series Kung Fu (1972–1975). Among his films were A Scream In The Night (1935) as Wu Ting, Klondike Annie (1936) as Wing, Tex Rides With The Boy Scouts (1937) as Sing Fung, Thank You, Mr Moto (1937) as Prince Chung, Daughter Of Shanghai (1937) as Kim Lee, Charlie Chan In Honolulu (1939) as Wing Foo, Drums Of Fu Manchu (1940) as Dowlah-Rao, China’s Little Devils (1945), Boston Blackie’s Chinese Venture (1949) as Wong Chung Shee, Halls Of Montezuma (1950) as Nomura, Around The World In 80 Days (1956) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) as Tee. His brother Philson Ahn was also an actor.

  CAUSE: He died of lung cancer in Los Angeles aged 72.

  Henry Ainley

  Born August 21, 1879

  Died October 31, 1945

  The Master’s granddad. Born in Morley, Leeds, Yorkshire, the son of Richard Ainley, Henry Hinchcliffe Ainley began his professional career as an accountant. He began acting on the stage making his first London appearance at the Lyceum in 1900 before becoming an early movie star. His films included: Henry VIII (1911) as Buckingham, She Stoops To Conquer (1914) as Marlow, Called Back (1914) as Gilbert Vaughan, A Bachelor’s Love Story (1914) as Henry Norman, Sweet Lavender (1915) as Dick Phenyl, The Prisoner Of Zenda (1915) as Rudolph Rasendyl, the French officer in The Outrage (1915), A Man Of His Word (1915), The Great Adventure (1915) as Liam Carve, Brother Officers (1915) as John Hinds, Sowing The Wind (1916), The Marriage Of William Ashe (1916), The Manxman (1916), Iris (1916) as Maldonado and Rupert Of Hentzau (1916) as Rudolph Rassendyl. The First World War interrupted his career and from 1916 until 1919 he served as a lieutenant with the Royal Garrison Artillery. After being demobbed, he appeared in Quinneys (1919), Build Thy House (19
20) as Arthur Burnaby, The Prince And The Beggarmaid (1921) as Prince Olaf, Money (1921) as Alfred, Evelyn The Royal Oak (1923) as Oliver Cromwell, Sally Bishop (1924) as John Traill, The First Mrs Fraser (1932) as James Fraser, the narrator of the prologue in The Good Companions (1933) and As You Like It (1936) as the exiled duke. He married twice. His first wife was Suzanne Sheldon, an American whom he married in 1903. She died in 1924. His second trip to the altar was with Elaine Fearon. He had one son and one daughter. His son was the actor Richard Ainley (b. Stanmore, Middlesex, December 22, 1910, d. London, May 18, 1967) who appeared with his father in As You Like It and married three times. His son was the actor Anthony Ainley (b. London, August 20, 1932, d. Harrow, Middlesex, May 3, 2004) who played the Master on the television series Doctor Who for nine years.

  CAUSE: He died in London aged 65.

  Spottiswoode Aitken

  Born April 16, 1868

  Died February 26, 1933

  Prodigious thespian. Frank Spottiswoode Aitken was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and after a long stage career travelled to America where he found employment – and lots of it – in the fledgling film industry. He often worked with D.W. Griffith, and appeared in more than 100 films including: Her Humble Ministry (1911), The Battle (1911), The Sands Of Dee (1912), Once Was Enough (1912), A Guilty Conscience (1913), What’s In A Name? (1913), She Must Elope (1913), Auntie’s Affinity (1913) as the cook, Pete Joins The Force (1913), The Old Maid (1914), Liberty Belles (1914), The Availing Prayer (1914), The Angel Of Contention (1914), Home, Sweet Home as Mary’s father, the uncle in The Avenging Conscience: Thou Shalt Not Kill (1914), The Birth Of A Nation as Dr Cameron, A Temperance Lesson (1915) as John Hammond, a lawyer in The Outcast (1915), a soothsayer in The Outlaw’s Revenge (1915), Captain Macklin (1915) as General Laquerre, Her Shattered Idol as Colonel Nutt, Acquitted as Charles Ryder, The Price Of Power (1916), The Flying Torpedo (1916) as Bartholomew Thompson, Macbeth (1916) as Duncan, An Innocent Magdalene (1916) as Colonel Raleigh, the father of Brown Eyes in Intolerance (1916), a judge in The Old Folks At Home (1916), grandfather in The Wharf Rat (1916), The Americano (1916) as Presidente de Castalar, a judge in Stage Struck (1917), A Woman’s Awakening (1917) as Judge Cotter, Cheerful Givers (1917) as Reverend John Deady, Souls Triumphant (1917) as Josiah Vale, Her Country’s Call (1917) as Dr Downie, Melissa Of The Hills (1917) as Jethro Stark, Charity Castle (1917) as Lucius Garrett, Southern Pride (1917) as Father Mort, A Game Of Wits (1917) as Silas Stone, Beauty And The Rogue (1918) as Benjamin Wilson, The Mating Of Marcella (1918) as Jose Duranzo, How Could You, Jean? as Rufus Bonner, In Judgment Of… (1918) as Mr Manners, The Cruise Of The Make-Believes (1918) as Simon Quarle, The Thunderbolt (1919) as Allan Pomeroy, Jane Goes A’Wooing as David Lyman, The Secret Garden (1919) as Archibald Craven, Who Cares? (1919) as Mr Ludlow, Fighting Through (1919) as Colonel DuBrey Carter, The Wicked Darling (1919) as Fadem, Captain Kidd, Jr (1919) as Angus MacTavish, The White Heather (1919) as James Hume, Caleb Piper’s Girl (1919) as Caleb Piper, An Innocent Adventuress (1919) as Meekton, Hay Foot, Straw Foot (1919) as Thaddeus Briggs, Evangeline (1919) as Benedict Bellefontaine, the king in Rough-Riding Romance (1919), The Broken Commandments (1919) as Mr Banard, Her Kingdom Of Dreams (1919) as David Rutledge, Bonnie Bonnie Lassie (1919) as Jeremiah Wishart, A Woman Of Pleasure (1919) as Wilberforce Pace, the father in Dangerous Love (1920), Witch’s Gold (1920), The White Circle (1920) as Bernard Huddlestone, Nomads Of The North (1920) as Old Roland, Reputation (1921) as Karl, The Unknown Wife (1921) as Henry Wilburton, At The End Of The World (1921), Beyond (1921) as Rufus Southerne, One Wonderful Night (1922) as a minister, Merry-Go-Round (1922) as Minister of War/Gisella’s father, The Price Of Youth (1922) as Gregory Monmouth, The White Messenger (1922), Man Of Courage (1922) as Stephen Gregory, The Trap (1922) as The Factor, Monte Cristo (1922) as Abbé Faria, The Snowshoe Trail (1922) as Herbert Lounsbury, Manslaughter (1922), The Young Rajah (1922) as Caleb, A Dangerous Game (1922) as Edward Peebles, The Love Pirate (1923) as Cyrus Revere, Around The World In Eighteen Days (1923), Six Days (1923) as Père Jerome, Pioneer’s Gold (1924), Triumph (1924) as Torrini, Lure Of The Yukon (1924) as Sourdough McCraig, The Fire Patrol (1924) as Captain John Ferguson, Gerald Cranston’s Lady (1924) as Ephraim Brewster, Those Who Dare (1924) as Thorne Wetherell, The Coast Patrol (1925) as Capt. Slocum, The Eagle (1925) as Dubrovsky’s father, Accused (1925) as Eagle Eye, the father in The Power Of The Weak (1926), The Two-Gun Man (1926) as Dad Randall and Roaring Fires (1927) as Calvert Carter. Following his retirement from acting, he took to writing and created God’s Great Wilderness (1927).

  CAUSE: He died in Los Angeles, California, aged 64.

  Muriel Aked

  Born November 9, 1887

  Died March 21, 1955

  Cinematic spinster. Born in Bingley, Yorkshire, she took great pleasure in her portrayals of misery guts and shockable spinsters. Her films included A Sister To Assist ’Er (1922, 1931, 1939, 1948), Rome Express (1932), Yes, Madam (1933) as Mrs Peabody, Friday The Thirteenth (1933) as Miss Twigg, Autumn Crocus (1934) as Miss Mayne, Can You Hear Me, Mother? (1935) as Mother, Mother, Don’t Rush Me (1936) as Amy Andrews, Mr Stringfellow Says No (1937) as Mrs Piper, The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943) as Aunt Margaret Hamilton, The Blue Lamp (1950) as Mrs Waterboume and The Story Of Gilbert And Sullivan (1953) as Queen Victoria.

  CAUSE: She died in Settle, Yorkshire, aged 67.

  Luis Alberni

  Born October 4, 1886

  Died December 23, 1962

  Talented polyglot. Born in Barcelona, Spain, Alberni was educated at the University of Madrid where he studied drama. His interest in acting started at university and he began to appear in numerous plays including Shakespeare. In 1914 he moved to America to appear in Spanish versions of American films. However, he was so popular that he was persuaded to stay. Twice married, he had two sons, Luis and Carlos, by his first wife. His second marriage was to Wanda Kay Wilson. Fluent in seven languages, 5́ 7˝ Alberni was also a talented artist and a gourmet chef. His films included: Children Of The Ghetto (1915) as Pincus, The Madonna Of The Slums (1919), 39 East as Count Gionelli, Little Italy as Ricci, The Man From Beyond as Captain of the Barkentine 68, The Bright Shawl (1923) as Vincente Escobar, The Valley Of Lost Souls (1923) as Jacques, Second Youth (1924), The Cheerful Fraud (1927), The Battle Of Paris (1929), The Santa Fe Trail (1930) as Juan Castinado, Strange Birds (1930), One Heavenly Night (1931), Svengali (1931) as Gecko, Sweepstakes (1931), Movie Town (1931), Children Of Dreams (1931), The Last Flight (1931), I Like Your Nerve (1931) as Sao Pedro waiter, Side Show as The Great Santini, The Tip-Off (1931) as Scarno, The Mad Genius (1931) as Sergei Bankieff, Men In Her Life (1931) as Anton, Manhattan Parade (1932) as Vassiloff, Cock Of The Air (1932) as Captain Tonnino, High Pressure (1932) as Colombo, Stop That Run (1932), Hombres De Mi Vida (1932) as Gaston, The Cohens And Kellys In Hollywood as Bladimir Petrosky, an anarchist in Rule ’Em And Weep (1932), The Woman In Room 13 (1932) as Tonelli, First In War (1932), Weekend Marriage (1932) as Louis, Crooner (1932) as Tamborini, Two Against The World (1932), A Parisian Romance (1932) as Pascal, Guilty Or Not Guilty (1932) as Pete, The Big Stampede (1932) as Sonora Joe, Trouble In Paradis e (1932), The Conquerors (1932), The Bride’s Bereavement (1932), a photographer’s assistant in Rasputin And The Empress (1932), a consul in Hypnotized (1932), Girl In The Tonneau (1932), Artist’s Muddles (1933) as Pietro Cellini, Topaze (1933) as Dr Bomb, Child Of Manhattan (1933) as Bustamente, Men Must Fight (1933) as Soto, The California Trail (1933) as Commandant Emilio Quierra, Trick For Trick (1933) as Metzger, The Sphinx (1933) as Luigi Baccigalupi, When Ladies Meet (1933) as Pierre, I Love That Man (1933) as Angelo, The Man From Monterey (1933) as Felipe Guadalupe Constacio Delgado Santa Cruz de la Verranca, The Last Trail (1933), Sherman Said It (1933), Stage Mother (1933) as Hors d’Oeuvres waiter, Menu (1933) as the Master Chef, The Chief (1933), Goodbye Love as Tony, the second taxi driver in Havana Widows (1933), If I Were Free (1933 – although his scenes were deleted before
the film went on general release), Above The Clouds (1933) as the owner of the speakeasy, California Weather (1933), By Candlelight (1933), Flying Down To Rio (1933) as the Rio casino manager, Lady Killer (1933), La Ciudad De Cartón (1934), When Do We Eat? (1934) as Rigo, Glamour (1934) as Monsieur Paul, I Believed In You as Giacomo, The Black Cat (1934) as a train steward (although again his scenes were deleted before release), Strictly Dynamite (1934) as a barber, Stingaree (1934), La Buenaventura (1934) as Fresco, I Surrender Dear (1934) as Marquis, The Count Of Monte Cristo (1934) as Jacopo, One Night Of Love (1934) as Giovanni, When Strangers Meet (1934) as Nick, The Captain Hates The Sea (1934) as Juan Gilboa, Caravane (1934) as the gypsy chieftain, The Gilded Lily (1935) as Nate, The Good Fairy (1935) as the barber, The Winning Ticket (1935) as Tony, Roberta (1935) as Alexander Petrovitch Moskovich Voyda, Asegure A Su Mujer (1935), Public Opinion (1935) as Caparini, Let’s Live Tonight (1935) as Mario Weems, Goin’ To Town (1935) as Señor Vitola, In Caliente (1935) as the magistrate, Ticket Or Leave It (1935), Love Me Forever (1935) as Luigi, Manhattan Moon (1935) as Luigi, The Gay Deception (1935) as Ernest, Thunder In The Night (1935) as a taxi driver (although once again his scenes were deleted and he was replaced by Herman Bing), Metropolitan (1935) as Ugo Pizzi, Bad Boy (1935) as Tony, Music Is Magic as Señor Castellano, Colleen as Carlo, Dancing Pirate (1936) as Pamfilo, Ticket To Paradise (1936) as Dr Munson, Anthony Adverse (1936) as Tony Guiseppe, Follow Your Heart as Tony, Hats Off (1936) as Rosero, When You’re In Love (1937) as Luis Perugini, Two Wise Maids (1937) as Guili, The King And The Chorus Girl as Gaston, Sing And Be Happy (1937) as Posini, Easy Living (1937) as Mr Louis Louis, Madame X (1937) as Scipio, The Great Garrick (1937) as Luis Basset, Under Suspicion (1937) as Luigi, Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937) as Martinetti, Love On Toast (1937) as Joe Piso, Hitting A New High (1937) as Luis Marlo, a reporter in I’ll Give A Million (1938), The Great Man Votes (1939) as Manos, Let Freedom Ring (1939) (uncredited) as Tony, Naughty But Nice (1939) as Stanislaus Pysinski, The Housekeeper’s Daughter (1939) as Veroni, The Amazing Mr Williams (1939) as Rinaldo, High School (1940) as Signor Cicero, Twincuplets (1940), Enemy Agent (1940) as A. Calteroni, The Lone Wolf Meets A Lady (1940) as N. Pappakontous, Scatterbrain (1940) as Professor DeLemma, Public Deb No. 1 as Frontenac, The Lady Eve as Emile, That Hamilton Woman (1941) as the king of Naples, Road To Zanzibar (1941) as the native booth proprietor, They Met In Argentina (1941) as Don Luis Jose Alfonso Frutos y Murphy, an inventor in She Knew All The Answers (1941), San Antonio Rose (1941) as Nick Ferris, They Met In Bombay (1941) as Maître d’hôtel, World Premiere (1941) as Signor Scaletti, Babes On Broadway as Nick, Obliging Young Lady as Riccardi, I Married An Angel as Jean Frederique, Mexican Spitfire’s Elephant (1942) as Luigi, Two Weeks To Live (1943) as Van Dyke, My Son, The Hero (1943) as Tony, Submarine Base (1943) as Mr Styx, The Man From Down Under as Dino, Here Comes Kelly as Nick, You’re A Lucky Fellow, Mr Smith (1943) as Goreni, Nearly Eighteen (1943) as Gus, Here Comes Elmer (1943) as Dr Zichy, a café manager in Harvest Melody (1943), Men On Her Mind (1944) as Alberti Verdi, A Voice In The Wind as a barman, Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (1944) as Tony, a restaurant owner in It Happened Tomorrow (1944), Machine Gun Mama (1944) as Ignacio, Abbott & Costello In Society (1944) as Luigi, Rainbow Island as Jerry, a prison guard in The Conspirators (1944), When The Lights Go On Again (1944), another prison guard in I Was A Criminal (1945), Wonder Man (1945), A Bell For Adano as Cacopardo, Hit The Hay (1945) as the French professor, In Fast Company (1946) as Tony, Double Rhythm (1946), The Road To Hollywood (1946) as the Marquis, the barman in When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950), Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950) as Sandro, What Price Glory (1952) as the great uncle and The Ten Commandments (1956) as Old Hebrew.