Alan Livingston died he was 91

Alan Wendell Livingston died he was 91. Livingston was an American businessman. He was also a writer/producer best-known for creating Bozo the Clown for a series of record-album and illustrative read-along children's book sets. (October 15, 1917-March 13, 2009)

Livingston was born in McDonald, Pennsylvania on October 15, 1917. He was the youngest of three children, whose mother encouraged reading books and playing musical instruments. He had an older sister, Vera, and an older brother, Jay, who died in 2001. He began his career in the entertainment business leading his own college orchestra as a student at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce with a B.S. in Economics, he moved to New York where he worked in advertising for three years. At the start of World War II, he enlisted in the army as a private and served as a second lieutenant in the infantry. After his discharge, he borrowed some money, hitched a ride on an Army plane and headed for Los Angeles, California where he obtained his first position with Capitol Records, Inc. in Hollywood as a writer/producer.


His initial assignment was to create a children's record library for the four-year old company, for which he created the "Bozo the Clown" character. He wrote and produced a popular series of storytelling record-album and illustrative read-along book sets beginning with the September 1946 release of "Bozo at the Circus." His record-reader concept, which enabled children to read and follow a story in pictures while listening to it, was the first of its kind. The Bozo image was a composite design of Livingston's, derived from a variety of clown pictures and given to an artist to turn into comic-book-like illustrations. Livingston then hired Pinto Colvig to portray Bozo on the recordings. Colvig, a former circus clown, was also the original voice of Walt Disney's Pluto, Goofy, Grumpy, Sleepy and many other characters. Billy May produced the music. The series turned out to be a smash hit for Capitol, selling over eight million albums in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Successful record sales led to a variety of Bozo-related merchandise and the first television series, "Bozo's Circus," starring Pinto Colvig on KTTV-Channel 11 (CBS) in Los Angeles in 1949. The character also became a mascot for the record company and was later nicknamed "Bozo the Capitol Clown."
Livingston wrote and produced many other children's recordings including products for Walt Disney; Walter Lantz's Woody Woodpecker; Bugs Bunny and all of the Warner Bros. characters. In the case of the latter, he wrote the 1951 pop hit "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" for Mel Blanc's Tweety Pie. There were also several record-readers featuring the popular cowboy character, Hopalong Cassidy. One of these was "Hopalong Cassidy and The Singing Bandit" in 1950, which was the first children's record set to make the Top Ten charts.
Within a few years, Livingston moved on to the adult music arena and became Vice President in charge of all creative operations of the company. He signed Frank Sinatra when Sinatra was at a low point in his career. Livingston wanted Sinatra to work with arranger Nelson Riddle, however Sinatra was reluctant to do so out of his loyalty to Axel Stordahl with whom he had worked for most of his career. The first Sinatra/Stordahl recordings for Capitol failed to produce the magic Livingston and producer Voyle Gilmore were looking for, and Sinatra agreed to try a session with Riddle on April 30, 1953. The impact was immediate, producing the classic "I've Got the World on a String." However, it was "Young-at-Heart" that became the defining moment in Sinatra's comeback, peaking at #2 during its 22-week run on the charts in the spring of 1954.
Livingston was credited as the creative force responsible for Capitol Records' growth from net sales of $6 million per year to sales in excess of $100 million per year.
He was also officially credited as the inspiration for the distinctive Capitol Records Tower, completed in April 1956, noted for being the first circular office building in the world.[1]

After 10 years with Capitol, Livingston and the company sold the "Bozo the Clown" licensing rights (excluding the recordings) to Larry Harmon, one of several people hired to portray the character at promotional appearances; Livingston left the company to accept a position as President of California National Productions, Inc., the wholly owned film production subsidiary of the National Broadcasting Company. Shortly thereafter, Livingston was also named Vice President of NBC, in charge of Television Network Programming, dealing principally with all films made for the network. In this capacity, he hired David Dortort to write and produce the pilot for the series "Bonanza" for which Livingston's older brother, songwriter Jay Livingston, wrote the memorable theme. During this time, Alan also served on the Boards of Bob Hope Enterprises, Inc. and Joseph Mankiewicz's motion picture production company, Figaro, Inc.


Five years later, Capitol Records induced him to return as President and, eventually, Chairman of the Board. He was also named to the Board of Electric and Musical Industries (EMI), a British corporation that was the largest stockholder in Capitol. Subsequently, he merged Capitol Records into Audio Devices, Inc., a magnetic tape manufacturer listed on the American Stock Exchange, and changed the name of the surviving company to Capitol Industries, Inc., of which Livingston was named President. It was during this period that he turned Capitol Records into a more rock-oriented company with such artists as The Beach Boys, Steve Miller, The Band, and others. His most noteworthy accomplishment at that time was signing The Beatles and agreeing to release 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' for Capitol in 1963 and bringing them to the United States in 1964, after having rejected all their previous singles as unsuitable for the U.S. market despite Capitol being owned by The Beatles' U.K. record company, EMI.[2]


Livingston later sold his stock in Capitol Industries to form his own company, Mediarts, Inc., for the production of motion pictures, records and music publishing. He eventually sold his interest in that company to United Artists as a result, particularly, of its success in the record business including Don McLean, who reached the #1 position in the country with his "American Pie" single and album in 1972. Two feature motion pictures were completed during the company's operation: "Downhill Racer" (1969) starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman, and "Unman, Wittering & Zigo" (1971) starring David Hemmings; both released by Paramount Pictures.
In August 1976, Livingston joined Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation as Senior Vice President and President, Entertainment Group. He left in 1980 to accept the presidency of Atalanta Investment Company, Inc., and resigned in 1987 to produce a one-hour film for television and to form Pacific Rim Productions, Inc.
Livingston also wrote a novel titled "Ronnie Finkelhof, Superstar" about a shy Harvard pre-law student who becomes an overnight success as a rock musician. It was published by Ballantine Books in the spring of 1988.

On August 1, 1998, Livingston received his first honor for his creation of "Bozo the Clown" as the International Clown Hall of Fame in Milwaukee, Wisconsin presented him their Lifetime of Laughter Achievement Award.
Briefly married to the actress Betty Hutton, Livingston was married to actress Nancy Olson, whose film credits include "Sunset Blvd." (1950) and "The Absent Minded Professor" (1961). They resided in Beverly Hills, California. Their son, Christopher Livingston, is a movie producer, director, writer and songwriter. Alan Livingston died in March 13, 2009.

more

Paul Harvey has died he was 90

Paul Harvey Aurandt better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated at 22 million people a week. Harvey liked to say he was raised in radio newsrooms.[2]
The most noticeable features of Harvey's idiosyncratic delivery was his dramatic pauses, quirky intonations and his folksiness. A large part of his success stemmed from the seamlessness with which he segued from his monologue into reading commercial messages. He explained his enthusiastic support of his sponsors as such: "I am fiercely loyal to those willing to put their money where my mouth is."

(September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009[1]),
Paul Harvey, born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, made radio receivers as a boy. In 1933, at a high school teacher’s suggestion, he started working at KVOO in Tulsa, where he helped clean up and eventually was allowed to fill in on the air, reading commercials and news.
Later, while attending the University of Tulsa, he continued working at KVOO as an announcer, and later as a program director. Harvey spent three years as a station manager for a local station in Salina, Kansas. From there, he moved to a newscasting job at KOMA in Oklahoma City, then moved on to KXOK, in St. Louis, where he was Director of Special Events and also worked as a roving reporter.
In 1940, Harvey moved to Hawaii to cover the United States Navy as it concentrated its fleet in the Pacific. He was returning to the mainland from assignment in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Harvey served briefly as an enlisted man in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II from December 1943 until March 1944.
After leaving military service, Harvey moved to Chicago, where in June 1944, he began broadcasting from the ABC affiliate WENR. He quickly became the most popular newscaster in Chicago. In 1945, he began hosting the postwar employment program Jobs for G.I. Joe on WENR. Harvey added The Rest of the Story as a tagline to in-depth feature stories in 1946. The spots became their own series in 1976. On April 1, 1951 the ABC Radio Network debuted Paul Harvey News and Comment "Commentary and analysis of Paul Harvey each weekday at 12 Noon". Paul Harvey was also heard originally on Sundays; the first Sunday program was Harvey's introduction. Later, the Sunday program would move to Saturdays. The program has continued ever since.
From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, there was a televised, five-minute editorial by Paul Harvey that local stations could insert into their local news programs, or show separately. On May 10, 1976, ABC Radio Networks premiered The Rest of the Story as a separate series which provided endless surprises as Harvey dug into stories behind the stories of famous events and people. Harvey's son, a concert pianist, created and produced the series. He remains the show's only writer.
In late 2000, Harvey signed a 10-year, $100 million contract with ABC Radio Networks. A few months later, he was off the air after damaging his vocal cords. He returned in late August 2001.
Harvey's News and Comment is streamed on the World Wide Web twice a day. Paul Harvey News has been called the "largest one-man network in the world," as it is carried on 1,200 radio stations, 400 Armed Forces Network stations around the world and 300 newspapers. His broadcasts and newspaper columns have been reprinted in the Congressional Record more than those of any other commentator.
Former Senator Fred Thompson, known for his work on NBC's Law and Order, substituted for Harvey regularly from 2006 to 2007, prior to his unsuccessful run for President. Thompson left the network to run and did not return, instead joining Westwood One in January 2009. Other substitutes for Harvey have included his son Paul Harvey Jr.,[3] Doug Limerick,[4] Paul W. Smith,[5] Gil Gross,[6] Ron Chapman,[7] Mitt Romney,[8] Mike Huckabee[9] Scott Shannon, and Tony Snow. After Huckabee's sub-hosting, ABC offered him a spin-off program, The Huckabee Report, which launched in early 2009.
Harvey did not host the show full-time after April 2008; when he came down with pneumonia. Shortly after his recovery his wife died on May 3rd, causing him to prolong his time away from broadcasting. Prior to his death, he voiced commercials, new episodes of The Rest of the Story and "News & Comments" during middays a few times a week, with his son Paul Jr. handling mornings.
Harvey's on-air persona mirrored that of sportscaster Bill Stern. During the 1940s, the famed Stern's The Colgate Sports Reel and newsreel programs used many of the techniques later used by Harvey, including the style of delivery and the use of phrases such as Reel Two and Reel Three to denote segments of the broadcast — much like Harvey's Page Two and Page Three. The discovery of many of Stern's old programs on transcription discs have led many to believe that much of Harvey's broadcasting style is based on Stern's work, including most notably the Rest of the Story feature, which is a direct parallel to a technique used weekly by Stern. Stern introduced his version of the feature with a caveat that the stories might not be true; Harvey, however, has asserted that his tales have been authenticated. However, a major urban legend debunking site blames Harvey for the creation of various rumors and urban legends.[10]
Harvey was also known for catch phrases that he uses at the beginning of his programs, like "Hello Americans, I'm Paul Harvey. You know what the news is, in a minute, you're going to hear ... the rest of the story," and, "Paul Harvey News and Comment, and this is ... (day of the week)," and at the end: "Paul Harvey ... Good day." At the end of a report about someone who had done something ridiculous or offensive, Harvey would say "He would want us to mention his name" (silence) then would start the next item.

Awards
He was named Salesman of the Year, Commentator of the Year, Person of the Year, Father of the Year, and American of the Year. He was elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Hall of Fame and appeared on the Gallup poll list of America's most admired men. In addition he received 11 Freedom Foundation Awards as well as the Horatio Alger Award. Paul Harvey was named to the DeMolay Hall of Fame, a Masonic institution, on June 25, 1993.
In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' most prestigious civilian award, by President George W. Bush.[11]
On May 18, 2007 he received an honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Family
In 1921, when Harvey was three years old, his father, Harry Harrison Aurandt,[12] was murdered. Aurandt, born in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania in 1873,[13] was 47 years old at the time[14] and a civilian employee of the Tulsa Police Department. He and a friend — a Tulsa police detective — were rabbit hunting while off-duty when approached by four armed men who attempted to rob them. Aurandt was shot and died two days later of his wounds, leaving behind his wife, née Anna Dagmar Christensen,[12] a daughter aged 12, and his son.
The four robbers were identified by the surviving detective, and arrested the day after Aurandt died. A lynch mob of 1,500 people formed at the jail, but all four were smuggled out, tried, convicted, and received life terms.[13]
In 1940,[15] Harvey married Lynne Harvey (née Cooper) of St. Louis. Lynne Harvey was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at Washington University in St. Louis[16] and was a former schoolteacher.[citation needed] Harvey himself was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha at Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. They met when Harvey was working at KXOK and Cooper came to the station for a school news program. Harvey invited her to dinner, proposed to her after a few minutes of conversation and from then on called her "Angel," even on his radio show. A year later she said yes. The couple moved to Chicago in 1945.[16]
On May 17, 2007, Harvey told his radio audience that Angel had contracted leukemia. Her death, at the age of 92, was announced by ABC radio on May 3, 2008.[17] When she died at their River Forest home, the Chicago Sun-Times described her as, "More than his astute business partner and producer, she also was a pioneer for women in radio and an influential figure in her own right for decades."[18] According to the founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Bruce DuMont, "She was to Paul Harvey what Colonel Parker was to Elvis Presley. She really put him on track to have the phenomenal career that his career has been."[16]
Lynne Harvey was the first producer ever inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, and had developed some of her husband's best-known features, such as "The Rest of the Story."[15] While working on her husband's radio show, she established 10 p.m. as the hour in which news is broadcast. She was the first woman to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago chapter of American Women in Radio and Television.[16] She worked in television also, and created a television show called Dilemma which is acknowledged as the prototype of the modern talk show genre. While working at CBS, she was among the first women to produce an entire newscast.[16] In later years, she was best known as a philanthropist.
They had one son, Paul Aurandt, Jr., who goes by the name Paul Harvey, Jr. He assisted his father at News and Comment and The Rest of the Story. Paul, Jr., whose voice announces the bumpers into and out of each News and Comment episode, filled in for his father during broadcasts and duplicated his father's speaking style to some extent. Paul, Jr. has ended his News and Comment broadcasts with the words, "Now THAT'S NEWS," and he has been broadcasting the morning editions ever since the passing of his mother. These broadcasts no longer include the day's headlines, but offer developments in different areas of science, a change of which listeners have approved.

Harvey died on February 28, 2009, at the age of 90 after being taken to a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. He died while surrounded by family and friends. His son, Paul Harvey Jr., said "millions have lost a friend" in response to his father's passing. [19] The cause was not immediately known.

Larry King Remembers Paul Harvey

Jeremy Lusk X game star dies at 24

Professional freestyle motocross rider Jeremy Lusk died Monday night after receiving a brain injury in a Feb. 7 crash at the X Knights event in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Video of the crash shows Lusk completing the initial trick of his run in San Jose's Saprissa Stadium, but after his launch from a second, smaller ramp, his bike pitched forward while he attempted a landing after a back flip.
His full-face helmet sheared apart on impact with the landing surface and stopped the forward movement of his head as his body flipped over. He had a similar crash in the 2007 X Games but escaped serious injury.
Lusk, 24, was coming off his best season ever: He won a 2008 X Games gold medal in Freestyle and was third in the Freestyle World Championships.
The X Knights event was not associated with the X Games..

Lusk was rushed to the Calderon Hospital intensive care unit in San Jose, where he was treated for major brain trauma. Doctors there induced a coma to allow swelling of his brain to subside.
His family and friends immediately rushed to Costa Rica on Saturday in hopes of returning Lusk to the U.S. for treatment, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. PT Monday.
Freestyle motocross is a spinoff from traditional motocross racing in which riders race around an undulating dirt track.
Freestyle is a judged event in which riders perform tricks on a dirt course with several large launch ramps.
Although injuries are frequent in freestyle, there has never been a fatality in either the X Games or Dew Tour. more

Comedian Rodney Winfield died he was 76

It has been confirmed to us today that veteran comedian and actor Rodney Winfield has passed away today due to complications with his kidneys. No word yet on exactly what sort of ailment he had, but it has been confirmed that he passed away today. Winfiled was probably best known for his perfomance in Talking Dirty After Dark and Dead Presidents. Winfield was 76 years old.

James Allen Whitmore, Jr died he was 87

James Allen Whitmore, Jr. died he was 87, whitmore was an American two-time Academy Award-nominated, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning film actor.
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was born on October 1, 1921 in White Plains, New York, the son of Florence Belle (née Crane) and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., who was a park commission official.[1] He attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, and spent his senior year at the Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Connecticut. He then entered Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones, and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.

(October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009)

Following World War II, Whitmore appeared on Broadway in the role of the Sergeant in Command Decision. MGM hired Whitmore on contract, but his role in the film adaptation was played by Van Johnson. Whitmore's first major picture was Battleground, in a role that was turned down by Spencer Tracy, and for which Whitmore was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other major films included The Asphalt Jungle, The Next Voice You Hear,[2][3] Above and Beyond, Kiss Me, Kate, Them!, Oklahoma!, Black Like Me, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Give 'em Hell, Harry!, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former U.S. President Harry S Truman. In the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! he played the part of Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey.
In the 1960-1961 television season, Whitmore starred in his own crime drama on ABC entitled The Law and Mr. Jones, in the title role, with Conlan Carter as legal assistant C.E. Carruthers and Janet De Gore as his secretary. The program ran at the 10:30 Eastern half-hour slot on Friday. It was cancelled after one year but returned in April 1962 for thirteen additional episodes on Thursday to fill the half-hour vacated by the cancellation of the ABC sitcom Margie.
In 1963, Whitmore played Captain William Benteen in The Twilight Zone episode "On Thursday We Leave for Home". In 1967 he guest starred as a security guard in The Invaders episode, Quantity: Unknown. That same year, he appeared on an episode of ABC's Custer starring Wayne Maunder in the title role. In 1969, Whitmore played the leading character of Professor Woodruff in the TV series My Friend Tony, produced by NBC. Whitmore also made several memorable appearances on the classic ABC western "The Big Valley" starring Barbara Stanwyck during the second half of the 1960s. Generally portraying a villain (corrupt sheriff or politician), his role was often that of a layered, complicated, and tormented character noted for intensity. Whitmore's natural ability to utilize the period slang terms and late 19th century language of the Old West gave a credibility to the performance seldom matched by other actors. His characters dominated the scenes and episodes in which he appeared.

Whitmore also appeared as General Oliver O. Howard in the 1975 TV movie I Will Fight No More Forever, based on the 1877 conflict between the United States Army and the Nez Percé tribe, led by Chief Joseph. In 1986, Whitmore voiced Mark Twain in the first claymation film "The Adventures of Mark Twain". Whitmore's last major role was that of librarian Brooks Hatlen in the critically-acclaimed and Academy award-nominated 1994 Tim Robbins film The Shawshank Redemption.In 2002 Whitmore played a supporting role in "The Majestic", a film that starred Jim Carey. To a younger generation, he was probably best known, in addition to his role in Shawshank, as the commercial spokesman for Miracle-Gro plant food for many years.
In addition to his film career, Whitmore did extensive theatre work. He won a Tony Award for "Best Performance by a Newcomer" in the Broadway production of Command Decision (1948). He later won the title "King of the One Man Show" after appearing in the solo vehicles Will Rogers' USA (1970), Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975) (repeating the role in the film version, for which he was nominated for an Oscar) and as Theodore Roosevelt in Bully (1977) although the latter production did not repeat the success of the first two.
In 1999, he played Raymond Oz in two episodes of The Practice, earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. In 2002, Whitmore got the role of the Grandfather in the Disney Channel original movie A Ring of Endless Light. Whitmore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6611 Hollywood Blvd. In April 2007, he also appeared in C.S.I. in an episode titled "Ending Happy" as Milton, an elderly man who provides a clue of dubious utility.


Whitmore was twice married to Nancy Mygatt. They first married in 1947 and the couple had three sons before their divorce in 1971. One of those sons, James III, has gone on to find success as a television actor and director, under the name James Whitmore, Jr.
Following the divorce from Mygatt, Whitmore was married to actress Audra Lindley from 1972 until 1979. He later remarried Mygatt, but they divorced again after two years.

In 2001, he married actress and author Noreen Nash, who is the grandmother of film actor Sebastian Siegel. Whitmore is also the grandfather of Survivor: Gabon contestant Matty Whitmore.
In his later years, Whitmore spent most of his summers in Peterborough, New Hampshire, performing with the Peterborough Players.

Although not always politically active, in 2007, Whitmore generated some publicity with his endorsement of Barack Obama for U.S. President. In January 2008, Whitmore appeared in television commercials for the First Freedom First campaign, which advocates preserving "the separation of church and state" and protecting religious liberty.[4]
Whitmore resided in Malibu, California where he was known through-out the community for being neighborly and warm hearted.[5]
He smoked a pipe.


Whitmore was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2008, from which he died at his Malibu, California home on February 6, 2009. He was 87.[6]

Bob May was a cherished actor, stuntman, and an unforgettable part of television history, died he was 69

 Bob May, a cherished actor, stuntman, and an unforgettable part of t

elevision history, left a lasting mark on the entertainment industry. Born in New York City on September 4, 1939, he was the grandson of vaudeville comedian Chic Johnson and inherited a love for show business at a young age, appearing in the Hellzapoppin comedy review at just two years old.Best remembered for his role as The Robot in the iconic TV series Lost in Space, May appeared in all 83 episodes donning a prop costume created by Bob Stewart. The robot's voice was dubbed by Dick Tufeld, who also served as the series' narrator. May enjoyed the role, calling the suit his "home away from home," and amusing his co-stars with his cigarette smoke emanating from the costume during breaks.

Apart from Lost in Space, May appeared in several films alongside Jerry Lewis, such as The Nutty Professor. His talents extended beyond acting; he performed in various TV series like The Time Tunnel, McHale's Navy, and The Red Skelton Show. Moreover, he worked as a stuntman in numerous TV shows and movies in the 1950s and 1960s, like Cheyenne, Hawaiian Eye, Palm Springs Weekend, and The Roaring Twenties.

As a beloved figure in the world of science fiction, May was a familiar face at autograph conventions throughout the Los Angeles area and across the United States, eagerly sought out by devoted fans of the Lost in Space series.

Sadly, May's home in the San Fernando Valley was destroyed in the devastating California wildfires of November 2008, although he and his wife were fortunate to escape unharmed. On January 18, 2009, Bob May passed away at age 69 due to congestive heart failure. He left behind a legacy as a talented actor, stuntman, and an unforgettable part of popular culture.Born in New York City,.
For years, May was a regular at autograph conventions in the Los Angeles area and around the country, sought after by fans of the show.
May's home in an upscale mobile home park in the San Fernando Valley was destroyed in the November 2008 California wildfires that hit the Los Angeles area, though he and his wife were able to escape without injury.
May died at age 69 on January 18, 2009 at a hospital in Lancaster, California of congestive heart failure. He was survived by his wife, Judith, two children and four grandchildren.

To see more Did you know facts about Bob May Click Here.

you enjoy the content, please subscribe.

See more of who died in 2024 

Ricardo Montalban dies at age 88

Actor Ricardo Montalban, best known as the mysterious Mr. Roarke on the popular television series ''Fantasy Island,'' died on Wednesday at the age of 88, a Los Angeles city official said. Mexican-born Montalban had a long...";
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán Merino KCSG was a Mexican television, theatre, and film actor. He had a career spanning decades and multiple notable roles. During the late 1970s, he was the spokesperson in automobile advertisements for the Chrysler Cordoba (in which he famously extols the "Corinthian leather" used for its interior). From 1977 to 1984 he starred as Mr. Roarke in the television series Fantasy Island. He also played the villainous Khan Noonien Singh in both the 1967 "Space Seed" episode of the first season of the original Star Trek series, and the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. He won an Emmy Award in 1978, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 1993. Up until his 80s, he continued to perform, often providing voices for animated films and commercials.

(November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009)

Montalbán was born in Mexico City, the son of Ricarda Merino and Jenaro Montalbán, a store manager.[1] He had a brother, actor Carlos Montalbán, and a sister, Carmen.[2] He was a practicing Roman Catholic and once had said that his religion was the "most important thing" in his life.[3] He remained a Mexican citizen by choice, having never applied for American citizenship.
He married Georgiana Young, an actress, in 1944; they had four children. She was half-sister of the actresses Sally Blane, Polly Ann Young, and Loretta Young, who nicknamed her "Georgie". After 63 years of marriage, Georgiana Young de Montalbán died on November 13, 2007, at the age of 84.
Montalbán died on January 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 88.


Montalbán stated that when he first arrived in Hollywood, studios wanted to change his name to Ricky Martin.[5] He has frequently portrayed Asian characters - mostly of Japanese background (as in Sayonara and the Hawaii Five-O episode "Samurai"). His first leading role was the 1949 film Border Incident, with actor George Murphy. During the 1950s and 1960s he was one of only a few actively working Hispanic actors.
Many of his early roles were in Westerns in which he played character parts, usually as an "Indian" or as a "Latin Lover". In 1950, he was cast against type, playing a Cape Cod police officer in the film Mystery Street. In 1957, he played Nakamura in the Oscar-winning film Sayonara.
From 1957 to 1959 he starred in the Broadway musical Jamaica, singing several light-hearted calypso numbers opposite Lena Horne.
In 1975, he was chosen as the television spokesman for the new Chrysler Cordoba. The car became a successful model, and over the following several years, was heavily advertised; his mellifluous delivery of a line praising its "soft Corinthian leather" upholstery, often misquoted as "rich Corinthian leather", became famous and was much parodied, and Montalbán subsequently became a favorite subject of impersonators. Eugene Levy, for example, frequently impersonated him on SCTV. In 1986, he was featured in a magazine advertisement for the new Chrysler New Yorker.
Montalbán's best-known television role was that of Mr. Roarke in the television series Fantasy Island, which he played from 1978 until 1984. For a while, the series was one of the most popular on television, and his character as well as that of his sidekick, Tattoo (played by Hervé Villechaize), became pop icons. Another well known role was that of Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which was a reprisal of his role in the 1967 episode of Star Trek entitled "Space Seed". There were some questions initially as to whether Montalbán had prosthetic muscles applied to his chest during filming of Star Trek II to make him appear more muscular, on account of his being over 60 years old at the time. Montalbán and others associated with the production of Star Trek II have disputed this, most notably Leonard Nimoy in his book I Am Spock, citing the fact that he was always physically active and worked out regularly, and those really were his muscles. The theory that those chest muscles were Montalban's own is furthered by an episode of the Biography series about him, in which both William Shatner and Montalban's son say Ricardo worked out strenuously to achieve that look. Film clips and shots throughout the episode bolster these claims, as they evidence a man in fine physical shape even into the 1970s.
Montalbán appeared in many diverse films including The Naked Gun as well as two films from both the Planet of the Apes and Spy Kids series. In addition, he appeared in various musicals, such as 1966's The Singing Nun, also starring Debbie Reynolds. Over the course of his long career, he played lead roles or guest starred in dozens of television series. Since 1993, Montalbán had to use a wheelchair after a long-unresolved spinal injury from the 1951 film Across the Wide Missouri recurred. In filming though, Montalban was reportedly thrown off a horse, knocked out, and walked on by another horse, leaving him with a spinal injury that troubled him for the rest of his life and grew more painful as he aged. In 1993, he underwent surgery, but it only made the pain worse. Montalban continued to work, usually delivering his lines from a wheelchair.





Fantasy Island