THE HAT SQUAD 2012 - "THE HYPHENATES" & OTHERS

As is customary in a lot of entertainment sites (at least, I hope you find Inner Toob entertaining!), the end of the year leads us to look back at those whom we lost. I try to keep up to date with all of the departed who were involved in the expansion of the Toobworld Dynamic throughout the world, but I always somebody who deserved a tip of the hat from ye olde Caretaker. I'm sure this year will be no different.

But the blame can't be laid on those whose sites I depend on for this information. (Believe me, I've tried.) Besides major obituary sources like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Guardian, I've come to depend on "A Shroud Of Thoughts", "Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine", "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear", and especially "Boot Hill". Thanks to everyone concerned at those blogs and web sites.

Sadly there were far too many we lost in many fields, so I've divided up the list for several posts.......

"THE HYPHENATES"

• Tony Blankley (child actor - 'Lassie', politician, political commentator)
• Mae LaBorde (actress - 'Talkshow with Spike Ferestein', book-keeper - 'The Lawrence Welk Show'. Started her acting career at 93, lived to be 102)
• Zalman King (actor - 'The Young Lawyers', producer/writer/director - 'The Red Shoe Diaries')
• Andrew Wight (Australian writer-producer of documentaries)
• Sue Dwiggins (writer - 'The Gene Autry Show', production manager - "Shogun")
• Jerome Courtland (actor - Lucas' brother-in-law on 'The Rifleman', director - many shows for A. Spelling)
• Hazel Medina (actress - 'I Spy', 'One Live To Live', 'Baretta', writer - 'Baretta')
• Earl Scruggs - banjo player, performer as himself, composer (all 'Beverly Hillbillies')
• Tony Giorgio (tech consultant on magic and gambling for 'Mission Impossible', also actor)
• Levon Helm of the Band (actor - 'Midnight Caller', 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers', performer - 'Saturday Night Live')
• Ronan O'Casey (writer-actor, 'The Larkins')
• Donna Summer ("Donna Summer - One Hot Summer Night", "The Donna Summer Special", actress - 'Family Matters')
• Stephen Lord (writer -'Death Valley Days', 'CHiPs' and associate producer/director - 'Zane Grey Theater')
• Robert Finkel (director/producer - 'Barney Miller', 'The Bob Newhart Show', TV specials)
• Richard Dawson (actor - 'Hogan's Heroes', 'The New Dick Van Dyke Show' & game show host - 'Family Feud')
• Ray Bradbury (writer - 'The Martian Chronicles', host, 'Ray Bradbury theatre')
• Edward Adler (writer - East Side/West Side', 'Hawk', producer - 'The Equalizer' & 'Night Heat')
• Julian Goodman (producer - Kennedy/Nixon debate #2, head of NBC)
• William Asher (producer-writer - "Bewitched")
• Tom Davis (writer-performer - "Saturday Night Live")
• Paul Price
• Gore Vidal (writer, actor)
• Marvin Hamlisch (composer, performer)
• Phyllis Diller (comedienne, actress - "The Pruitts Of Southhampton')
• Gary Collins (actor - 'The Wackiest Ship In The Army', 'The Sixth Sense', 'Born Free', host - 'Hour Magazine', Miss America Pageant)
• Bob Brunner ('Happy Days' writer-producer)
• Henry Colman ('Love Boat' producer, TV archives interviewer)
• Emily Squires (director for 'Sesame Street', writer for 'Guiding Light', 'Search For Tomorrow', 'As The World Turns', 'Sesame Street')

OTHER

• Mike DeGruy (undersea documentary cinematographer)
• Ric Waite (Cinematographer - Emmy for 'Captains And The Kings')
• Buck Compton (portrayed by Neal McDonough in "Band Of Brothers")
• Ralph McQuarrie (concept artist, "Star Wars", 'Battlestar Galactica')
• Robert Ayres (illustrator of the Bonanza burning map)
• Don Markstein (site creator of Toonopedia)
• Neil Travis (editor, Emmy for 'Roots')
• Vidal Sassoon (hair care products maker who had his own talk show)
• Eugene Polley (invented the wireless TV remote)
• Jim Paratore (created Bonnie Hunt and Ellen DeGeneres' talk shows, TMZ executive)
• Nolan Miller (costume designer for 'Dynasty')
• Bryce Parker (was killed two hours after he and his New Orleans house appeared on 'Undercover Stings')
• Barry Becher (created Ginsu knife infomercial craze)
• Dennis Dalzell (cinematographer, "V", "The Rookies", "Murder, She Wrote")
• Judith Christ (movie reviewer in TV Guide and on 'Today')
• Irving Fein, 101 (manager for jack Benny and George Burns)
• Ted Holtzclaw (operations manager, WABC Channel 7)
• Jerry Nelson (Muppet performer - Count Von Count, Thog, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry)
• Robert Kotlowitz (shaped Channel 13, died during 50th anniversary year)
• Stanford Ovshinsky (established ovonics which led to flat screen tvs)
• Dann Cahn ('I Love Lucy' editor)
• John D. Silva (created the concept of the "tele-copter")
• Joe Allbritton (founded Allbritton Communicatons)
• Donnie Andrews (inspiration for Omar on 'The Wire')

Good night and may God bless......