Beatrice Arthur died she was 86

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur died she was 86. Arthur was an American comedian, actress, and singer. In a career spanning seven decades, Arthur achieved success as the title character, Maude Findlay, on the 1970s sitcom Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls; she won Emmys for both roles.

(May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009)

Arthur was born Bernice Frankel to Philip and Rebecca Frankel in New York City on May 13, 1922.[2] Her family soon moved to Maryland where her parents operated a women's clothing shop. She attended the now-defunct Blackstone College in Blackstone, Virginia where she was active in drama productions.

Arthur began her acting career as a member of an off Broadway theater group at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in the late 1940s. On stage, her roles included "Lucy Brown" in the 1954 Off-Broadway premiere of Marc Blitzstein's English-language adaptation of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, "Yente the Matchmaker" in the 1964 premiere of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and a 1966 Tony Award-winning portrayal of "Vera Charles" to Angela Lansbury's Mame. She reprised the role in the 1974 film version opposite Lucille Ball. In 1981, she appeared in Woody Allen's The Floating Lightbulb.[3]



In 1972, Arthur was cast as the title character in the television series Maude. She played Maude Findlay, an outspoken liberal living in the affluent community of Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York, with her husband, Walter (Bill Macy) and divorced daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau). The show was a spin-off from All in the Family, on which Arthur had appeared a couple of times in the same role, playing Edith Bunker's cousin, a feminist, and antithesis to the bigoted, conservative Archie Bunker, who described Maude as a "New Deal fanatic". Her role garnered several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, including her Emmy win in 1977 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

In 1978, she costarred in the poorly-received The Star Wars Holiday Special, in which she had a song and dance routine in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

After appearing in the short-lived 1983 sitcom Amanda's (an unsuccessful U.S. version of the British hit series Fawlty Towers), Arthur was cast in the hit sitcom The Golden Girls in 1985, in which she played Dorothy Zbornak, a divorced substitute teacher living in a Miami house owned by Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan). Her other roommates included widow Rose Nylund (Betty White) and Dorothy's Sicilian mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty). Getty was actually a year younger than Arthur in real life, and was heavily made up to look significantly older. Arthur's character, Dorothy, had a caustic sense of humor and was prone to making witty and sarcastic wisecracks. The series was a huge hit, remaining a top ten ratings fixture for six seasons. Her performance led to several Emmy nominations over the course of the series and an Emmy win in 1988. Arthur decided to leave the show after seven years and in 1992, the show was moved from NBC to CBS and retooled as The Golden Palace in which the other three actresses reprised their roles. Arthur made a guest appearance in a two-part episode, but the show only lasted for one season before it was cancelled.


After Arthur left The Golden Girls, she made several guest appearances on television shows and even organized and toured with her one-woman show. She made a guest appearance on the American cartoon Futurama, in the Emmy-nominated episode, "Amazon Women in the Mood", as the voice of the Femputer who ruled the giant Amazonian women. She also appeared in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle as Dewey's babysitter. She was nominated for a guest-star Emmy for her performance. She also showed up as Larry David's mother on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2002, she returned to Broadway starring in Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, a collection of stories and songs (with musician Billy Goldenberg) based on her life and career. The show was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, but lost to Elaine Stritch: At Liberty.

In 2005, she participated in the Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson, delivering a deadpan reading of excerpts from Pamela's book Star: The Novel, most notably the part that describes receiving sodomy-related advice.


Arthur was inducted into Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2008.[4] On June 8, 2008, The Golden Girls was awarded the Pop Culture award at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards. Arthur accepted the award with co-stars Rue McClanahan and Betty White.[5]


Influences
In 1999, Arthur told an interviewer of the three influences in her career: "Sid Caesar taught me the outrageous; [method acting guru] Lee Strasberg taught me what I call reality; and [the original Threepenny Opera star], Lotte Lenya, whom I adored, taught me economy."[6]


Arthur was married twice, first to Robert Alan Aurthur, a screenwriter, television, and film producer and director, whose surname she took and kept though with a modified spelling, and second to director Gene Saks from 1950 to 1978 with whom she adopted two sons, Matthew (born July 14, 1961), an actor, and Daniel (born May 8, 1964), a set designer.

She primarily lived in the Greater Los Angeles Area and had sublet her apartment on Central Park West in New York City and her country home in Bedford, New York.


According to her spokesman, Dan Watt, Beatrice Arthur died peacefully at her home in the Greater Los Angeles Area in the early morning hours of April 25, 2009, aged 86. She had been suffering from cancer, but Watt declined to go into specific details.[7][6][8]

In addition to her sons, she is survived by a sister who lives in Montreal, Quebec, and two granddaughters.

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Nick Adenhart Angels pitcher died in crash he was 22

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed early Thursday by a suspected drunk driver just hours after the rookie made his first start of the season.
The Angels postponed Thursday night's game with Oakland, and players planned to gather to remember their teammate, manager Mike Scioscia said.
About Adenhart
Nick Adenhart was selected by the Angels in the 14th round of the 2004 draft. At the time of his death, he was the youngest pitcher on a big league roster.• Age: 22 (born Aug. 24, 1986)• MLB debut: May 1, 2008• Career MLB record: 1-0 (4 starts)• Career minor league record: 37-28
"It is a tragedy that will never be forgotten," he said at an Angel Stadium news conference.
Adenhart, 22, from Silver Spring, Md., was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broadsided in an intersection in neighboring Fullerton at about 12:30 a.m. local time by a minivan that apparently ran a red light, police said.
The impact spun around both vehicles, and one then struck a third car, but that driver was not hurt, police said.
The minivan driver fled the crash scene on foot and was captured a half-hour later. Police identified him as Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, and said he had a suspended license because of a previous drunken driving conviction.
Preliminary results indicated Gallo's blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said, adding that Gallo could face charges including vehicular manslaughter or possibly murder.
Adenhart died in surgery at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. A 27-year-old man in the car and the driver, 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
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The Angels said no other members of their organization were involved in the accident. A 24-year-old man who was in the same car as the three killed remained hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Stewart's mother said her daughter and Adenhart had known each other since last season but were not dating as far as she knew, Hamilton said.
The mother said Adenhart and the others had gone dancing at a club about a block away from the crash site, although the crash scene appeared to indicate the car was heading in the direction of the club, Hamilton said.
Stewart died in the crash, along with another occupant of Adenhart's car, Henry Pearson. According to friends of Adenhart at Cal State Fullerton, Pearson was a law student who wanted to be a sports agent. The fourth occupant, Jon Wilhite, survived the wreck. Wilhite is a former catcher for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
The Los Angeles Times identified the third person killed as Henry Pearson, and the car's lone survivor as Jon Wilhite, a former catcher for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
A 21-year-old passenger in the van driven by Gallo was treated for minor injuries, police said.
Fans, some wearing Angels shirts or carrying flowers, gathered at the intersection Thursday, and a shrine of flowers and stuffed animals had started growing outside the entrance to Angel Stadium.
Adenhart's death came just hours after he made his fourth major league start, throwing six scoreless innings in Wednesday night's loss to Oakland.
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AP Photo/Nick UtNick Adenhart was a passenger in the Mitsubishi that was broadsided; two others were killed, and a fourth is in critical condition.
Adenhart's father, Jim, had flown out from Baltimore to watch the game.
"He summoned his father the day before and he said, 'You better come here because something special's gonna happen,' " said Adenhart's agent, Scott Boras.
After the game, "he was so elated ... he felt like a major leaguer," Boras said, weeping.
Adenhart also is survived by his mother, Janet.
"He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people," the family said in a statement issued through the team.
"The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."
The Major League Baseball Players Association said its members were shaken and saddened about the accident.
"Just hours before the accident, Nick demonstrated his passion for baseball and his prospects for a very bright future when he pitched six scoreless innings for the Angels," the association said in a statement.
“
He had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him. ” -- Angels outfielder Torii Hunter
Adenhart was the Angels' No. 3 starter. Adenhart struggled with a 9.00 ERA in three starts with the Angels last season, but Scioscia said last month the pitcher had worked hard during the winter and arrived at spring training with a purpose.
Angels outfielder Torii Hunter was sleeping when his wife called him, asking whether the news was true. Hunter immediately called the Angels' team trainer, who confirmed that Adenhart had been killed.
"I'm in shock right now," Hunter said. "He just pitched last night. It doesn't seem like this is happening.
"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."
Adenhart, a 6-foot-3, 185-pounder from Silver Springs, Md., was a 14th-round pick in the 2004 draft, and made his major league debut on May 1, 2008, also against the Athletics.
He made two other major league starts, getting his only decision in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on May 12. He was 37-28 in the minor leagues from 2005 to 2008, including 9-13 last year at Triple-A Salt Lake.
The Salt Lake Bees game Thursday night also was postponed.
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Courtesy Fullerton Police DepartmentPolice apprehended Andrew Gallo half an hour after he fled the scene of the crash.
He got his break this year with a good spring training and the fact the team needed help in the starting rotation, with John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar all starting on the disabled list.
Adenhart also was a member of the 2006 national team that qualified the United States for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He started one game for Team USA during qualifiers, held in Cuba, earning a no-decision and striking out six batters in an 8-7 win over Brazil.
"One of the highlights of managing for USA Baseball is the opportunity to work with bright, young players who are eager to learn the game. Nick embodied all of those attributes," Davey Johnson, manager of the 2006 team, said. "He was a joy to manage in Cuba and was a key contributor to our success there. This is such a tragedy -- his career was just getting started."
Information from ESPN.com's

Steven Bach died he was 70

Steven Bach [1][2] was senior vice-president and head of worldwide productions for United Artists studios. In Final Cut (1985), Bach chronicles his involvement in the troubled production of Heaven's Gate (1980), a film widely considered to have been the decisive reason for the financial bankruptcy of United Artists.
Bach is the author of The Life and Legend of Marlene Dietrich and Dazzler: The Life and Times of Moss Hart. He taught film studies at Columbia University and Bennington College.

(April 29, 1938 – March 25, 2009)
His biography of the Nazi-associated filmmaker Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl (2007) overturns many of the claims Riefenstahl put forward in her self-defence regarding her contact with Hitler's regime, and was named by the New York Times as one of the most notable books of 2007.
Bach died after a brief illness in March of 2009. He was survived by his companion, Werner Röhr.[1]