Thompson on Hollywood

Obit: Karl Malden Dead at 97

Karl Malden is dead.The theater actor will probably best be remembered for reprising his stage role as Mitch in Elia Kazan's Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the supporting actor Oscar. He also made his mark in Kazan's On the Waterfront. While Malden played his share of villains, he was known for his decency, finally. He represented something good in all of us. In 1962, John Frankenheimer starred him in both The Birdman of Alcatraz and All Fall Down. Walden stood up to Rosalind Russell in Gypsy and played Bradley to George C. Scott's Patton.

By Anne Thompson
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July 1, 2009 1:45 AM
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Jackson Update on Will, Drugs, Paternity

KTLA reports on TMZ news that Jackson is not the biological parent of his children, nor is ex-wife Debbie Rowe. And Us Weekly suggests that LA dermatologist Arnold Klein, who employed Rowe as a nurse, donated the sperm for Prince Michael 1 and Paris Michael? Is this credible? UPDATE: Rowe's attorney insists she is their biological mother.

By Anne Thompson
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June 30, 2009 5:27 AM
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Farrah Fawcett Has Died

Farrah Fawcett has lost her battle with anal cancer, reports People and LAT. She was 62. While she had given some strange interviews in recent years, the Charlie's Angels star will be remembered best for this indelible bestselling poster image.

By Anne Thompson
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June 25, 2009 6:14 AM
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Michael Jackson Pronounced Dead

Pop star Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was pronounced dead after arriving at UCLA Medical Center in a coma. He was 50. I saw him perform at his peak at Anaheim stadium in the mid-80s. He will not be going on his planned comeback tour. Thriller is still one of my fave dance albums of all time. Here's the John Landis video, which was top-of-the-line at the time, along with the music videos for Billie Jean and Beat It. No, he was not like other guys.

By Anne Thompson
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June 25, 2009 6:11 AM
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Carradine Was to Star in Indie Pic Portland

David Carradine, who apparently accidentally hung himself in his Bangkok hotel room closet with a curtain rope, will not be finishing Stretch, the movie he was shooting. (Here's the NYT obit, and Film in Focus.) Carradine was fabulous in the title role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill and as Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory, which was shown recently at the American Cinematheque. Carradine made a memorable appearance, performed on guitar, and seemed a tad out of it, according to reports. A podcast is here.

By Anne Thompson
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June 4, 2009 8:26 AM
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Bound for Glory's Carradine Sings, Attacks Wexler, Talks Cocaine

My old EW colleague Chris Willman posted a long detailed account on Facebook of a night at the Aero in Santa Monica with Bound for Glory cinematographer Haskell Wexler and stars David Carradine and Ronny Cox. The Depression era movie marks one of Carradine's best performances, as Woody Guthrie; he appears to have been quite feisty at the Q & A session, to say the least.

By Anne Thompson
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March 21, 2009 8:55 AM
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Natasha Richardson is Dead

From the LAT:

By Anne Thompson
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March 18, 2009 9:31 AM
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Obit: Paul Newman Dies

I met Paul Newman once, At Cannes. He was there for Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. He was my height, and looked straight at me with his brilliant blue eyes. They were piercing, intensely blue. Almost azure.

By Anne Thompson
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September 27, 2008 8:21 AM
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Obit: Sydney Pollack Dies; One of Hollywood Greats

Director Sydney Pollack died in Los Angeles Monday after a long bout with cancer. He was 73.

By Anne Thompson
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May 27, 2008 5:11 AM
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Minghella and Clarke Are Gone

Anthony Minghella died of an unexpected cerebral hemorrhage on Tuesday after the removal of a growth in his neck last week. He was 54. Minghella had been finishing up the BBC/HBO series "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency," which he co-wrote and co-produced with Richard Curtis, before its debut March 23. Minghella was always putting in long days on numerous projects. Here's the Variety obit. UPDATE: And the NYT.