James Stewart,
89, Actor
James Stewart, a beloved movie actor who spent his decades-long career portraying American icons, idealists, and everymen, died Wed., July 2, at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 89.
Stewart's hesitant, drawling, self-deprecating manner was familiar to millions of moviegoers the world over through such movies as "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Harvey," "Anatomy of a Murder," "Rear Window," and "It's a Wonderful Life," the 1946 Christmas fable of redemption, which, though a flop when released, became Stewart's most cherished film, as well as a holiday perennial.
Stewart was born in the western Pennsylvania town of Indiana. He went to college at Princeton University, where he joined the Triangle Club, taking leading roles in musicals. After failing to make a go of a career in architecture, Stewart accepted the invitation of college friend Joshua Logan to join the University Players at Falmouth, Mass., on Cape Cod. His fellow company members included Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan, lifelong friends of Stewart.
Stewart appeared on Broadway in "Yellow Jack" and "Divided by Three." In 1935, he won a contract with MGM, and was quickly put to work in the studio system, playing supporting roles in two dozen films over the next five years. He then soared to stardom in 1939 with his portrayal of an idealistic junior senator in Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." He won an Academy Award the next year for his performance as a reporter in the film adaptation of Philip Barry's "The Philadelphia Story."
Stewart entered the Air Force in World War II, the first top Hollywood star to do so. He led 20 bombing missions as a pilot and won many commendations, eventually rising to the rank of colonel. (He became a brigadier general in 1959.)
His star continued to rise in Hollywood after the war. He also began to vary his roles, starring in westerns such as "Winchester 73" and "The Naked Spur," and murky Hitchcock thrillers like "Rear Window," "Vertigo," "Rope," and "The Man Who Knew Too Much." A multimillionaire, he was a pioneer of the percentage deal, often accepting a part of the profits of a movie in lieu of salary.
Stewart was married in 1949, at the age of 41, to Gloria Hatrick McLean. Mrs. Stewart died three years ago, reportedly leaving the actor dejected.
Stewart is survived by his stepson and two daughters.
Robert Mitchum,
79, Actor
Robert Mitchum, the sleepy-eyed movie actor who projected a devil-may-care, almost nihilistic, charm in more than 100 films, died Tues., July 1, at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. He had been suffering from emphysema for more than a year and was told in the spring that he had lung cancer. He was 79.
Mitchum was born in Bridgeport, Conn., and left school at the age of 14. During his itinerant youth, he worked as a laborer, coal miner, boxer, aircraft assembler, and had frequent run-ins with the law. Finally resolving on an acting career, he performed in a community theatre group in Long Beach, Calif. He entered the movies as an extra and became a skilled horseman in a string of westerns.
He first attracted attention in 1945 for his performance in "The Story of G.I. Joe," for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He went on to appear in many film noirs, such as "Out of the Past," "Pursued," and "Crossfire." His best-known roles include the sociopathic evangelist in the Charles Laughton-directed noir "Night of the Hunter," and the dogged criminal nemesis of Gregory Peck in "Cape Fear." (He appeared in a supporting role in the Martin Scorsese remake of the latter.) His other films include "Angel Face," "River of No Return," "El Dorado," "Ryan's Daughter," "Mr. North," "The Lusty Men," and the television mini-series "The Winds of War," and "War and Remembrance."
Mitchum often expressed a disinterest in his profession, greeting reporters' questions with shrugs or silence. The attitude was compounded by his heavy-lidded gaze, a visage he attributed to chronic insomnia and a boxing injury that resulted in astigmatism.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.
Frances Foster,
73, Actress
Frances Foster, an actress, director, and founding member of the Negro Ensemble Company, died of a cerebral hemorrhage on Tues., June 17, at a hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. She was 73.
Born in Yonkers, Foster was with the Negro Ensemble Company from 1967 to 1986, and appeared in more than 25 productions there. She was educated at City College and the American Theatre Wing in Manhattan.
Foster made her stage debut in "The Wisteria Trees" at City Center Theater in 1955, later appearing in "Do Lord Remember Me," "Ground People," and "You Have Come Back." Her credits as a director included "Hospice." She won an Obie Award for sustained excellence in 1985, and also received two Audelco Awards. Her films include "Malcolm X" and "Crooklyn."
She is survived by her husband, a son, and three stepchildren.
Brian Keith,
75, Actor
The television and film actor Brian Keith died on Tues., June 24, at his Malibu home. His death was classified as a suicide. Keith was suffering from lung cancer and emphysema. He was 75.
Born in Bayonne, N.J., he began to work in theatre and radio after service in World War II, and made his film debut in "Arrowhead" (1953). But Keith was best known for his many roles in television series, most significantly as the bachelor father in the '60s sitcom "A Family Affair." His other TV credits included "The Brian Keith Show," "The Westerner," and "Hardcastle and McCormick."
Keith's most popular movie was Disney's "The Parent Trap," in which he played the father of identical twins (Hayley Mills).
He is survived by his wife.
Jess Meeker,
85, Music Director
Jess Meeker, a composer, accompanist, and musical director at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, died on Wed., July 2, in Toledo, Ohio, of cardiac arrest. He was 85.
Meeker accompanied silent films in his hometown of Arkansas City, Kan., before choreographer Ted Shawn discovered him in 1933 and hired him as an accompanist for his Men Dancers company. Meeker continued his association with Jacob's Pillow, the Men Dancers' home, after the company disbanded in 1940.
After serving with the Army in World War II, he found jobs as a rehearsal pianist for Ballet Theater and several Broadway shows, including "High Button Shoes." From 1950 into the 1980s, he served as musical director for Steffi Nossen's Dance in Education Fund in Scarsdale, N.Y. He retired as musical director of Jacob's Pillow in the late 1980s.
He is survived by a sister.
Leslie Gaines,
85, Tap Dancer
Leslie (Bubba) Gaines, a tap dancer and leading member of the Copasetics tap group, died on Mon., June 30, at the Veterans Hospital in Manhattan after a short illness. He was 85.
Born in Waycross, Ga., Gaines became a member of the Three Dukes, a leading tap group of the 1930's. The Three Dukes specialized in synchronized jump-rope tapping and "class act" dancing, a genre known for its elegance. He served in the Army during World War II. As opportunities for tap dancers declined, he started working as a solo act, tapping, telling stories, and playing the trumpet. From 1979 through 1994, Gaines performed with the Copasetics, a group of veteran tap stars, including Honi Coles and Charles (Cookie) Cook.
He is survived by two sons.
Rosina Lawrence,
84, Actress
Rosina Lawrence, an actress who appeared in "Our Gang" comedies and opposite Laurel and Hardy, died on Mon., June 23, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 84.
Born in Westboro, Ontario, her family moved to Hollywood when she was a child. Her father was a set builder for the studios. Dancing and acting lessons led to a film career in the 1920s and '30s. Producer Hal Roach cast her as schoolteacher Miss Lawrence in his "Our Gang" comedy shorts, as well as in the Laurel and Hardy films "Way Out West" and "Pick a Star." Her other films include "A Connecticut Yankee," "Charlie Chan's Secret," "Reckless," and "The Great Ziegfeld." After marrying Brooklyn lawyer, Juvenal P. Marchisio in 1939, she retired from acting.
She is survived by her husband, two daughters, and a son.
Rita Dimitri
67, Cabaret Singer
Rita Dimitri, one of New York City's most enduring chanteuses, died of cancer in June. She was 67.
The French-born Dimitri began singing at age 11 and in her early teens caught the attention of Greek composer Attik, who wrote the scores of several musicals for the mezzo-soprano. She gained popularity singing the songs of Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, and other French artists in supper clubs throughout Europe. In the early '50s, she took the lead role in Cole Porter's "Can Can" at Broadway's Shubert Theatre. She later toured with the show. In 1962, she opened the La Chansonnette supper club on Second Avenue, which she and her husband, Stanley Brilliant, co-owned for 22 years. In 1973, she brought her cabaret act to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, where she appeared annually for five years.
Hal DeWindt,
72, Director
Hal DeWindt, a director, producer, writer, and teacher, died on Mon., June 16, at the UCLA Medical Center following a long bout with cancer. He was 72.
Born in Harlem, DeWindt was production manager of the New York Philharmonic and the New York Shakespeare Festival, director of development for Universal Studios, and vice president for Paramount Pictures. He was the artistic director of the Hal DeWindt Actors Workshop and Multicultural Theatre Project at Loyola Marymount Uni