The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 10 - [Anthology]

by Edited By Stephen Jones

  Author and bookseller Noel Lloyd died on August 3rd, aged 73. With his partner Geoffrey Palmer he collaborated on thirty books, including the juvenile ghost story collectionsGhosts Go Haunting, Ghost Stories Round the World and The Obstinate Ghost and Other Ghostly Tales. They also wrote the biography E.F. Benson as He Was (1988) and published a number of limited edition booklets by the author.

  American author and playwright Sigmund Miller, who scripted the radio show Inner Sanctum in the 1940s, died of complications from pneumonia on August 5th, aged 87. He was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and moved to London, where he wrote movie scripts under a pseudonym.

  Scriptwriter and producer Arthur Rowe died after a lengthy illness on August 6th, aged 74. He wrote the 1976 horror film The Devil’s Men (aka Land of the Minotaur) starring Donald Pleasence and Peter Cushing, and episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mission Impossible and Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

  Lyricist Marshall Barer died of cancer on August 25th, aged 75. Better known for his Broadway musicals, he also wrote the Mighty Mouse theme song, “Here I Come to Save the Day”, in the back of a taxicab.

  Scriptwriter and novelist Catherine Turney died on September 9th, aged 91. A contract writer for MGM and Warner Bros, she wrote several episodes of TV’s One Step Beyond and adapted her 1952 novel The Other One for the screen as Back from the Dead (1957).

  Scriptwriter Sam Locke, whose career included the radio show Inner Sanctum, died on September 18th, aged 81. He also wrote scripts for TV shows and beach movies, as well as sketches for comedians Red Buttons and Ed Wynn.

  TV scriptwriter and composer Jeffrey Moss, who created the Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and other characters for Jim Henson’s Sesame Street, died of cancer on September 24th, aged 56.

  Illustrator Julian Allen, who collaborated with Bruce Wagner on the comic-strip Wild Palms, which became a TV mini-series produced by Oliver Stone, died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on September 28th, aged 55. In 1994 he was commissioned by the American Postal Service to create a series of stamps featuring blues singers.

  A former newspaper reporter turned Edgar Award-winning TV scriptwriter, Adrian Spies died during open heart surgery on October 2nd, aged 78. He scripted the 1966 Star Trek episode “Miri”, which was banned for many years in Britain.

  Chinese painter and sculptor Chang Chong-Jen, who inspired Belgium artist Hergé(Georges Remi) to create the character of Chang in the Tintin books, died on October 8th at a retirement home outside Paris. He was 93.

  British thriller writer Eric Ambler died on October 22nd, aged 89. His books include The Mask of Dimitrios and Journey Into Fear (both filmed). In 1953 he was nominated for an Academy Award for the screenplay adaptation of Nicholas Monserrat’s novel The Cruel Sea, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 1975, and received the O.B.E. in 1981.

  Walter Kendrick, professor of English at Fordham University and an authority on Victorian literature, died of pancreatic cancer on October 25th, aged 51. His books include the 1991 study The Thrill of Fear: 250 Years of Scary Entertainment.

  Two weeks after receiving the Order of Merit from the Queen, Britain’s Poet Laureate Ted Hughes (Edward James Hughes) died from cancer on October 28th, aged 68. His books include Tales of the Early World and Ffangs the Vampire Bat and the Kiss of Truth. He had been married to two poets - Sylvia Plath and Assia Wevill - both of whom committed suicide.

  American screenwriter, novelist and playwright James Goldman died of a heart attack the same day, aged 71. His credits include The Lion in Winter, They Might Be Giants, Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and Robin and Marian.

  Comics artist Bob Kane, who created caped crimefighter Batman with Bill Finger when he was just 24 years old, died on November 3rd, aged 83. Inspired by Zorro, The Shadow and the 1930 movie The Bat Whispers, the character made his debut in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics No.27, and later became a billion-dollar industry that encompassed numerous films and television series. Although his name appeared on the strip until 1964, much of the work was done by other artists whom Kane called his “ghosts”.

  British author Rumer Godden, whose books include Black Narcissus and The River (both filmed), died in Scotland on November 8th, aged 91. She also published a number of children’s books and collections of poetry.

  Canadian novelist and teacher Wayland Drew died on December 3rd after a lengthy illness suffering from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was 66. Drew’s first novel was published in 1973, and although best known for the post-apocalyptic “Erthring Cycle”, he was also the author of such movie novelizations as Dragon-slayer, Willow and *Batteries Not Included.

  Novelist and playwright Robert Marasco, whose first book was the haunted house novel Burnt Offerings (filmed in 1976), died of lung cancer on December 5th, aged 62. His surprise Broadway hit Child’s Play (it ran for 343 performances) was filmed in 1972 by Sidney Lumet.

  American comics illustrator George Wilson, whose work appeared in Turok Son of Stone, Space Family Robinson and The Phantom, died on December 7th, aged 77.

  British book cover and comic-strip illustrator Ron Turner died on December 19th, aged 76. During the 1950s and 60s he worked on such strips as Rick Random - Space Detective, The Daleks and Star Trek, and more recently produced a series of covers for Gryphon Books.

  American comics artist Joe Orlando, whose credits include Tales from the Crypt, House of Mystery, Swamp Thing, Little Orphan Annie and Mad magazine, died on December 23rd, aged 71.

  68-year-old French writer and comic-strip artist Jean-Claude Forest, who created sexy 41st-century spacewoman Barbarella in 1962, died on December 30th from a respiratory illness. He acted as design consultant on the 1967 movie in which Jane Fonda portrayed his seductive character. In 1984 he was awarded the Grand Prize at the annual Angouleme comic strip festival.

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  ACTORS/ACTRESSES

  The voice of cartoon characters Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and Sweet Pea, Mae Questel died on January 4th, aged 89. She played opposite Bela Lugosi (dressed as Dracula) in the 1933 novelty short Hollywood on Parade No. 8, appeared in Woody Allen’s New York Stories and Zelig, and revived her Betty Boop characterisation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

  Cher’s ex-husband and business partner, a former mayor of Palm Springs and Republican Congressman, Sonny Bono (Salvatore Bono) was killed in a freak skiing accident on January 5th. He was 62. After rising to fame as half of the singing duo Sonny and Cher in 1965 with the hit “I Got You Babe”, he appeared as a cartoon character in a 1972 Scooby-Doo TV movie and turned into a tree in the 1985 horror filmTroll.

  Veteran stuntman and actor Joe Yrigoyen died on January 11th, aged 87. He appeared in numerous serials, including Fighting Devil Dogs, Daredevils of the Red Circle, Drums of Fu Manchu, The Masked Marvel, Secret Service in Darkest Africa, Captain America, The Crimson Ghost and Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders.

  83-year-old character actor Emil Sitka, who was a favourite foil of The Three Stooges, died on January 16th following a stroke. He appeared in thirty-five Stooges shorts between 1938-58, often playing dignified butlers, plus The Three Stooges in Orbit, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, Watermelon Man, Intruder and TV’s My Favorite Martian.

  British actor James Villiers died on January 18th, aged 64. For Hammer he appeared in The Damned (akaThese Are the Damned), The Nanny and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (as the scheming Corbeck). His other film credits include Repulsion, The Ruling Class, The Amazing Mr Blunden, Asylum, Spectre and the Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.

  American actor Jack Lord (John Joseph Ryan), who played Detective Steve McGarrett on TV’s longest-running cop show, Hawaii Five-O (1968-79), died of congestive heart failure on January 21st, aged 77. His film roles include Dr. No and The Name of the Game is Kill, and he guested on such series as One Step Beyond, The Invaders and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

  German-born character actor Ferdinand (Ferdy) Mayne (Ferdinand Maye
r-Boerckel) died in London of complications from Parkinson’s Disease on January 30th, aged 81. He was a spoof vampire inDance of the Vampires (aka The Fearless Vampire Killers) and Dracula in The Vampire Happening. His other films include All Hallowe’en, Hammer’s The Vampire Lovers, The Horror Star, Hawk the Slayer, Conan the Destroyer, Howling II Stirba - Werewolf Bitch, My Lovely Monster andWarlock The Armageddon. On TV he guest-starred in The Avengers, The New Avengers, Monsters and the 1986 Czechoslovakian/West German seriesFrankenstein’s Auntie.

  Character actor Philip Abbott, whose film credits include The Invisible Boy, Hangar 18 and The First Power, died of cancer on February 22nd, aged 73. He played assistant director Arthur Ward on the ABC-TV series The F.B.I. (1965-74).

  “The King of the One-Liners”, comedian Henny Youngman died of pneumonia on February 24th, aged 92. The man who coined the phrase “Take my wife . . . please!” appeared in Herschell Gordon Lewis’ The Gore Gore Girls, History of the World Part 1 andAmazon Women on the Moon.

  Hard-working supporting actor J.T. Walsh died of a heart attack while on vacation on February 27th, aged 54. He appeared in adaptations of Stephen King’s Misery and Needful Things, The Last Seduction, Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Outbreak, Breakdown and Pleasantville, and starred as Colonel Frank Back in the 1996-97 TV series Dark Skies.

  American actor Donald Woods died on March 5th, aged 88. He starred in William Castle’s 13 Ghosts and also appeared in The Lost Volcano, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms andDimension 5. On TV his credits include Lights Out, Inner Sanctum, Men Into Space, Thriller and The Wild Wild West.

  Hollywood leading man Lloyd (Vernet) Bridges, the father of actors Jeff and Beau, died of complications from a heart condition at his home in Los Angeles on May 10th, aged 85. His many credits include The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case, Here Comes Mr Jordan, Strange Confession and High Noon (both with Lon Chaney, Jr.), Rocketship X-M, The Deadly Dream, Haunts of the Very Rich, Airplane and Airplane II, Honey, I Blew up the Kid and numerous TV shows, including the series Sea Hunt (1958-61). In the early 1950s he admitted to being a former member of the Communist Party and was a key witness before the House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee.

  American leading lady Helen Westcott died of cancer on March 17th, aged 70. She starred in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (with Boris Karloff),Whirlpool, Invisible Avenger and Monster on the Campus.

  American actress Ramsay Ames, who portrayed the reincarnated love of Lon Chaney, Jr’s Kharis in The Mummy’s Ghost (1944), died of lung cancer on March 21st, aged 78. She also co-starred with Chaney in Calling Dr. Death the previous year.

  British actor Daniel Massey, the son of Raymond Massey and brother of Anna, died on March 25th of Hodgkin’s Disease after a long illness. He was 64, and his credits include Sabu and the Magic Ring, Fragment of Fear, Vault of Horror, Warlords of Atlantis, The Cat and the Canary (1977) and the TV series Sherlock Holmes andThe Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.

  American character actor Gene Evans died of complications from heart disease on April 1st, aged 75. He starred in Donovan’s Brain, Behemoth the Sea Monster (aka The Giant Behemoth), Shock Corridor, A Knife for the Ladies, Devil Times Five (aka Peopletoys) and was a regular on TV’s Matt Helm (1975-76).

  Country singer Tammy Wynette (Virginia Wynette Pugh) died from a blood clot in the lung on April 6th, aged 55. She had ten consecutive No. 1 hits in America (out of a total of twenty), the best-known being “Stand by Your Man”. A year after her death, her body was exhumed and an autopsy performed at the request of her fifth husband, George Richey, after three of the singer’s daughters filed a $50 million lawsuit for wrongful death, claiming she died because he did not seek medical attention for her.

  Punk singer with The Plasmatics, Wendy O. Williams committed suicide the same day. She was 48, and appeared in the cult 1986 movie Reform School Girls.

  Actor Liam Sullivan, who portrayed the villainous Sir Branton in the 1961 fantasy The Magic Sword, died of a heart attack on April 19th, aged 74. He also played a telepathic alien in the 1968 Star Trek episode “Plato’s Stepchildren”.

  Variety performer Peter Lind Hayes died in a Las Vegas hospice on April 21st, aged 82. With his wife Mary Healy he starred in The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T in 1953.

  American actor Frederic Downs, whose credits include Terror from the Year 5000, died on April 24th, aged 81. For ten years he appeared on the sit-com Days of Our Lives.

  Character actress Maidie Norman, who portrayed the maid in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, died of lung cancer on May 2nd, aged 85. Her other credits include Airport ‘77 and TV’s Kung Fu.

  Child stage star and leading man of the 1930s Gene Raymond (Raymond Guion) died from pneumonia in a Hollywood hospital on May 3rd, aged 89. His films include Zoo in Budapest, 7 Keys to Baldpate and Five Bloody Graves. He was married to Jeanette MacDonald.

  American leading lady and a former singer with Rudy Vallee’s band, Alice Faye (Ann Leppert) died on May 9th, aged 83. She appeared in such films as Sing Baby Sing, In Old Chicago, Hello Frisco Hello, Hollywood Cavalcade and Alexander’s Ragtime Band, before retiring from the screen in the mid-1940s. She remained active in radio with her husband, band leader Phil Harris, and returned to movies in 1976 with Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood.

  “OP Blue Eyes”, “The Chairman of the Board” and the leader of the “Rat Pack”, singer and actor Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack on May 14th, aged 82. A former band singer and teenage heart-throb, he received twenty-five gold albums and appeared in such films asThe Manchurian Candidate, Suddenly, Around the World in Eighty Days, Road to Hong Kong and The First Deadly Sin, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. His long-time friend Joey Bishop subsequently revealed that Sinatra paid for the funeral of Bela Lugosi, who died broke.

  Veteran American character actor Douglas V. Fowley died on May 21st, aged 86. His numerous film appearances includeThe Thin Man, Charlie Chan on Broadway, Docks of New Orleans, Night Life of the Gods, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, Scared to Death (with Bela Lugosi),Mighty Joe Young, Tarzan’s Peril, Singin’ in the Rain, The Naked Jungle, Cat Women of the Moon, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Homebodies and The White Buffalo. In 1960 he produced and directed Macumba Love and regularly guested on such TV shows as Topper, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Kung Fu, Quark andFantasy Island.

  49-year-old American comedy actor Phil Hartman was shot dead at his home on May 28th, apparently by his wife in a murder-suicide. Best known for his roles (1986-94) on TV’s Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons (as the voice of Troy McClure and others) and the season-ender of 3rd Rock from the Sun, he co-scripted Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and appeared in Amazon Women on the Moon, Coneheads, So I Married an Ax Murderer, The Pagemaster and Small Soldiers.

  WWF wrestler Sylvester Ritter aka “Junkyard Dog” died on June 2nd, aged 44.

  American leading lady Josephine Hutchinson died in a New York nursing home on June 4th, aged 94. She starred as Alice in a 1932 Broadway production of Alice in Wonderland, played Elsa von Frankenstein in the 1939 movie Son of Frankenstein, and appeared in an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “I Sing the Body Electric” on TV’sThe Twilight Zone.

  Character actress Jeanette Nolan died from a stroke on June 5th, aged 86. Over a seventy-year acting career she starred in such films as Orson Welles’ Macbeth (1948), My Blood Runs Cold, Chamber of Horrors, The Reluctant Astronaut, The Manitou and Cloak & Dagger (with her husband John Maclntire), and appeared on TV in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Invaders, Night Gallery, The Sixth Sense, Fantasy Island, The Incredible Hulk and Goliath Awaits.

  Character actress Theresa Merritt, who played Aunt Em in the 1978 musical The Wiz, died after a long battle with skin cancer on June 12th, aged 75. Her other films includeVoodoo Dawn and The Serpent and the Rainbow.

  Mexican actor Roberto Canedo died on June 16th. He appeared in numerous movies, including
Doctor of Doom, Santo contra el Estrangulador, Santo contra el Espectro de el Estran-gulador, La Mujer Murcielago and Santo contra la Hija de Frankestein.

  Actor and singer Felix Knight, who appeared as Tom-Tom the Piper’s Son in the 1934 Laurel and Hardy fantasyBabes in Toyland, died on June 18th, aged 89.

  Irish-born American leading ladyMaureen O’Sullivan, the mother of actress Mia Farrow, died from a heart attack on June 23rd, aged 87. Best remembered for her role as Jane opposite Johnny Weismuller’s Tarzan in six films, she also appeared in Just Imagine, A Connecticut Yankee (1931), Tod Browning’s The Devil-Doll, Too Scared to Scream, Peggy Sue Got Married and Stranded. She was married to director John Farrow.

  Cowboy star Roy Rogers (Leonard Slye) died of congestive heart failure on July 6th, aged 86. A member of the singing Sons of the Pioneers in the 1930s, he appeared in more than one hundred movies and TV’s The Roy Rogers Show (1951-56) with his horse Trigger (who died in 1966). A chain of fast-food restaurants was named after him in America.