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Prior to "Gilligan's Island" in 1964, Tina Louise was already a long-working actress. Indeed, Louise worked her first modeling gig at the age of two, appearing in an ad campaign for her father's candy store. In high school, she started studying acting, and landed her first professional gig in 1956, appearing in an episode of the TV series "Studio One." She made her feature film debut in Anthony Mann's celebrated drama "God's Little Acre," in which Louise played Griselda, the wife of a character played by Jack Lord. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. 

Louise went on to star in other high-profile film projects, including Michael Curtiz's "The Hangman," and the 1960 Italian historical epic "The Siege of Syracuse," in which she played three different roles. Louise also played the poet Sappho in a film called "The Warrior Empress." In 1964, she appeared in a film called "For Those Who Think Young,...

A new iteration of one of the most beloved detectives in fiction is coming to PBS.

The public broadcaster has ordered Maigret, a series based on Georges Simenon’s novels about Jules Maigret, a chief inspector for the Paris police. Production on the series, which stars Benjamin Wainwright as the title character, has begun in Budapest; it will air under PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery! banner.

Simenon published more than 100 novels and short stories about Maigret, selling more books than any other detective series aside from Sherlock Holmes. The new Maigret series, produced by Playground (Wolf Hall, All Creatures Great and Small), is set in the present and will position the character as an unconventional young detective with something to prove, a rising star in the Police Judiciaire who is relentless in his investigations and has both an uncanny ability to get under the skin of the criminals he is chasing and...

Actress Gena Rowlands, winner of three Emmy Awards and an Honorary Academy Award in addition to two nominations, died on Wednesday as confirmed by the office of her son, filmmaker Nick Cassavetes. She had been living with Alzheimer’s Disease for five years and was 94 years old.

Rowlands began her career on Broadway in the 1950s, appearing in productions of “The Seven Year Itch” and “Middle of the Night.” She worked in early television, including revered anthology programs like “Studio One” and “The United States Steel Hour.” She also appeared on the jazzy detective program “Johnny Staccato” opposite her husband John Cassavetes.

It was with Cassavetes and his troupe, including Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, and Seymour Cassel, that pretty much invented the prestige American independent film, with groundbreaking collaborations like “Faces,” “Minnie and Moskowitz,” and “Opening Night.” This led to Oscar nominations for her leading roles in “A Woman Under The Influence...

Last week, the Netflix streaming service released Ripley, a limited series adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley that sees Andrew Scott taking on the title role. (You can read our review Here). Tom Ripley is a character who has been fascinating readers and viewers for decades, as he was at the center of multiple novels written by Highsmith. Ripley was originally set up Showtime, where Schindler’s List Oscar winner Steven Zaillian – who wrote and directed all eight episodes of Ripley – was planning to use all of the Ripley novels as “a road map to showcase Ripley’s transformation from con artist to serial killer” over the course of an on-going series. Now that Ripley has made its way out into the world on Netflix, Scott and Zaillian have both said that it’s possible the show could return for more seasons that could adapt more of the books…...

Tom Ripley is a character who has been fascinating readers and viewers for decades. Not only was he at the center of multiple novels written by Patricia Highsmith, but those novels have also received multiple adaptations: the 1960 film Purple Noon (where Ripley was played by Alain Delon), the 1977 film The American Friend (with Dennis Hopper as Ripley), the 2002 film Ripley’s Game (John Malkovich was Ripley in that one), the 2005 film Ripley Under Ground (with Barry Pepper as Ripley), a 1956 episode of the TV series Studio One, and perhaps most famously, the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley, where Ripley was played by Matt Damon. Now Andrew Scott is taking on the role for Ripley, a limited series adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley that will be released through the Netflix streaming service on April 4th – and during an interview with Empire, Scott said he didn’t judge or try to diagnose his questionable character.

Twenty-five years after serving as the basis for a film that starred Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley is now getting a limited series adaptation from the Netflix streaming service. The show, titled Ripley, is set to premiere on April 4th – and with that date just one month away, a trailer for the show has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Schindler’s List Oscar winner Steven Zaillian has written and directed all eight episodes of Ripley. In the series, Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son Dickie Greenleaf to return home. Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.

Dickie Greenleaf...

Andrew Scott is receiving accolades for his work in All of Us Strangers. Despite being the dark horse at the awards shows under the shadow of larger profile nominations, Scott’s recognition is adding to the fuel of his career fire. Scott is now taking up the identity of Thomas Ripley in the new Netflix limited series, Ripley. Netflix has just released the teaser which is showcasing the beautiful and moody black and white aesthetic of the show. The project comes from Steven Zaillian, who had also created, directed and executive produced the hit HBO show, The Night Of, as well as penning films like The Irishman, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gangs of New York.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,

“Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to...

Herman Raucher, a best-selling author and the Academy Award nominated screenwriter of “Summer of ’42,” died Dec. 28 of natural causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Conn. He was 95.

Raucher got his start in the industry working in live television. He wrote one hour dramas for anthology series including “Studio One,” “Good Year Playhouse” and “The Alcoa Hour.” In his screenwriting career, he wrote the scripts for two films starring Anthony Newley, “Sweet November” (1968) and “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” (1969), which Newley also directed.

Raucher was inspired by Bobbie Gentry’s popular song “Ode to Billie Joe” to write the screenplay for Max Baer Jr.’s 1976 romance film of the same name starring Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor. Raucher also co-wrote the script for the 1977 film “The Other Side of Midnight.”

Raucher is remembered for penning the script for the popular coming-of-age film “Summer of ’42,...

Twenty-five years after serving as the basis for a film that starred Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley is now getting a limited series adaptation from the Netflix streaming service. The show, titled Ripley, is set to premiere sometime in 2024, and today a batch of images have arrived online to give us an early look at Spectre‘s Andrew Scott as the title character. You can check them out at the bottom of this article.

Schindler’s List Oscar winner Steven Zaillian has written and directed all eight episodes of Ripley. In the series, Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son Dickie Greenleaf to return home. Tom’s acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit,...

Piper Laurie, who blossomed as an actress only after extricating herself from the studio system and went on to rack up three Oscar nominations, has died. She was 91.

Laurie’s manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news to Variety, writing, “A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”

Laurie scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Paul Newman in 1961’s classic poolhall drama “The Hustler,” in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman’s character, “Look, I’ve got troubles and I think maybe you’ve got troubles. Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”

Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, she returned to film and television in the mid-’70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in “Carrie” and in “Children of a Lesser God,...

So, what do the 4th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place Feb. 18, 1952, have in common with the 2022 edition?

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

The stars of the No. 1 TV series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy,” were the hosts of the Emmy ceremony, which was telecast in Los Angeles on Kcea, now known as Kabc. And it was the first time that the Emmys embraced national television networks. Previously, nominations and awards were bestowed on projects that were produced or aired in Los Angeles.

This year, Amy Poehler’s valentine of a film, “Lucy and Desi,” not only received strong reviews but six Emmy nominations including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special and directing for Poehler. The Amazon Prime doc won two: writer Mark Monroe and composer David Schwartz.

Traveling back to the 1952, the ceremony took places at venerable nightclub, the Cocoanut Grove. It must have been a short show because only seven awards were handed out.

Ed Asner, who cornered the market on gruff guys with hearts of gold on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Lou Grant,” and the Disney/Pixar animated feature “Up,” has died at the age of 91. He passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, as a representative confirmed to IndieWire.

“He was a brilliant actor. Amazing activist, a true friend, and great man,” said Asner’s manager Perry Zimel.

Asner had a long and prolific career in film and television, boasting the distinction of being the most honored male performer in Primetime Emmys history. He was nominated 17 times throughout his career, winning seven trophies in total. He was also nominated 11 times for Golden Globes, winning five.

Edward Asner was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 15, 1929. He attended the University of Chicago after high school and worked the assembly line at General Motors for a time before serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Joanne Linville, a prolific character actress best known for playing a Romulan commander in an episode of the original “Star Trek,” died Monday, CAA confirmed to TheWrap.

The character actress worked alongside Barbra Streisand in the 1976 “A Star is Born”

Born in Bakersfield and raised in Venice, CA, Linville established herself an actress in the mid-‘50s and ‘60s, gaining guest roles on “Studio One,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and “Kraft Theatre.”

While Linville never became a series regular, she continued to work steadily with guest appearances on “Charlie’s Angels,” “Dynasty,” and “L.A. Law.”

Linville is best remembered for her role as the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise in 1968.

The character actress expanded into film, with supporting roles in “A Star Is Born” (1976), “Scorpio” (1973), and “The Seduction” (1982).

Shifting into a teaching role by the 1980s, Linville opened an acting conservancy with her teacher Stella Adler.

Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in “Star Trek,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the ’80s, appearing in over 100 film and TV shows, including anthology series such as “Studio One,” “Kraft Theatre” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

While she never held a regular recurring role on TV, Linville guest-starred on numerous shows, including Westerns, dramas and detective series. Linville starred in six episodes of “Studio One” and three episodes of “Gunsmoke.” Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, she also appeared in “Hawaii Five-o,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Naked City,” “Adventures in Paradise” and “One Step Beyond.”

In 1961, Linville guest starred in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,...

In 1958, CBS’ “Playhouse 90” won the first-ever Primetime Emmy award for dramatic anthology series, beating out nominees including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Hallmark Hall of Fame” and “Studio One.”

The anthology Emmy category only lasted a year, but a variation of “outstanding dramatic program,” which mostly recognized individual episodes of anthologies such as “Hallmark Hall of Fame,” continued until the 1970s.

Now, we’re in a new age of anthologies, spurred by filmmakers eager to tell their stories in episodic fashion. This year, that includes Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe,” which film critics attempted to claim as their own when crafting their end-of-year lists but is now an Emmy contender.

But as programming trends come and go, it’s not easy for a bureaucratic body such as the Television Academy to keep up. Hence the recent confusion over what to do with entries including Netflix anthology “Black Mirror.” The streamer found...

TV producer and writer Cy Chermak, who produced notable series including “CHiPs,” “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” and “Ironside,” died Friday of natural causes in Oahu, Hawaii. He was 91.

Chermak was born in 1929 in Bayonne, New Jersey as Seymour Albert Chermak. He began his career in Hollywood at the age of 17, going on to become a successful television producer on series like “Conway,” “The Virginian” and “The Bold Ones: The New Doctors.”

Chermak served as an executive producer on the drama series “Ironside” from 1967-1974, where he received three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. Some of his other producing credits include “Amy Prentiss,” “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” “Barbary Coast” and “Murder at the World Series.” Most notably, he produced 125 episodes of the buddy crime action series “CHiPs,” which starred Robert Pine and Erik Estrada as two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (Chp).

In the early 1950s, Chermak...

The verdict is in. If you want to have success in awards’ season go to court. Over the decades, a caseload of legal movies have been judged to be Oscar worthy. And for good reason. The genre is rich with emotions, betrayals, manipulations, love, hate, violence and redemption. Who doesn’t remember Humphrey Bogart’s brilliant Oscar-nominated turn as Captain Queeg slowly losing his mind on the stand as he recounts his obsession with missing strawberries in 1954’s “The Caine Mutiny”?

“A Free Soul” (1931)

Lionel Barrymore won his only Academy Award for for his delicious over-the-top turn as a wily alcoholic attorney who gets a ruthless gangster (Clark Gable) off for murder in this juicy pre-code melodrama. Though his free-spirited daughter (Norma Shearer), who wears the slinkiest of gowns, has a boyfriend (a staid Leslie Howard), she soon realizes she loves bad boys and leaves Howard for Gable. It’s a big mistake.

Emmy recognition for female directors was a long, long time coming. The playing field is a bit more level but has a long way to go. Eght of the 20 nominees for directing in the comedy series, drama series, and movie/limited series categories are women.

The first Emmy for outstanding directing was handed out in 1955 to Franklin Schaffner for the “Studio One” live drama “Twelve Angry Men” (he won an Oscar 15 years later for helming Best Picture champ “Patton”). It wasn’t until 30 years later that a woman director was even nominated in that category. Karen Arthur made history again when she won an Emmy for the “Heat” episode of CBS’ “Cagney & Lacey.” It was the only nomination and win for this prolific TV helmer.

The flood gates didn’t exactly open after Arthur’s win. More women were nominated in this category, but it took another decade for...

Loring Mandel, a playwright and screenwriter who won two primetime Emmys for his work, died on March 24. He was 91.

Mandel died of cancer at his home in Lenox, Mass., his son Alan Mandel told Variety.

The Chicago native, who was born May 5, 1928, went on to earn a total of five Emmy nominations throughout his career, winning two. He won his first primetime Emmy in 1968 for his work on “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night“ on “CBS Playhouse” and in 2001 for the telefilm “Conspiracy,” starring Kenneth Branagh, Clare Bullus and Stanley Tucci. He also received a Peabody and BAFTA award for the TV film.

In his early years, Mandel wrote for local and national radio in Chicago on shows such as the “Jack Benny” show and the “Today Show” with Dave Garraway. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and serving in the Korean War, Mandel moved...

Orson Bean, the prolific character actor known for his work in “Being John Malkovich,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and a host of TV shows, died Friday after being hit by twice by cars while walking in Los Angeles. He was 91.

The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office told the Associated Press that Bean’s death was under investigation as a traffic-related fatality. The industry veteran was walking in the Venice area on Friday night when he was hit by a car and fell, after which he was hit by a second car, according to the AP. Bean’s survivors include his wife, actor Alley Mills, who he married in 1993.

Bean was a co-founder of the non-profit actors collective Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, where he also lived. Bean’s official bio on the theater’s website concludes with the observation: “He is one lucky son of a bitch.”

Bean was...

Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, E. G. Marshall, Martin Balsam, Ed Begley, Jack Warden | Written by Reginald Rose | Directed by Sidney Lumet

It’s the hottest day of the year and a dozen men – not universally perturbed at this point – are put in a room and asked to consider the guilt of a young man accused of killing his father. It’s premeditated murder in the first degree and the sentence is death. The jury takes their first vote and it’s unanimous. Almost.

Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) is the sole dissenting voice. It’s not that he believes the kid did not do it; he’s just not sure. Over the next 90 real-time minutes, #8 will test his doubts against the others, to understand whether or not those doubts are reasonable.

12 Angry Men began life as a teleplay. Written by Reginald Rose (inspired by his own experiences as a juror...

For Freedom. For Family. For the Planet.

20th Century Fox has debuted a brand New trailer and poster for War For The Planet Of The Apes. In the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise starring Andy Serkis and Woody Harrelson, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel.

Stay tuned after the trailer for a Facebook Live chat with Andy Serkis and Woody Harrelson, hosted by IGN!

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar...

All hail the mighty Caesar!!

Twentieth Century Fox’s presentation isn’t until this Thursday at CinemaCon 2017, the studio wanted to create a special hype for the attendees at the conference.

In anticipation of the new trailer, Caesars Palace’s projections were displaying a special image created by Shepard Fairey in collaboration with Studio One.

The image was projected by twelve 35,000 lumen projectors with true 4K images all digitally mapped together to create one large image on the hotel.

The final image was over 495’ wide and 261’ tall and required over a football field of cabling running from roof to roof at Caesers Palace in Las Vegas. All the lights on the Caesars Palace Augustus Tower was turned off while the image is projected.

In a press statement, Shepard Fairey said, “After reading Matt Reeves’s script, I was excited to work on art for War for the Planet of the Apes...

As A Lawyer, Ralph Bellamy Was Indefensible

It’s a good thing this story wasn’t part of the actual series. Otherwise we might not all be here right now.

I’m so old, I watched Perry Mason first run not on the reruns playing on every channel this side of C-span. But it’s not why I became a lawyer. Perry Mason was unrealistic. A murder trial every week where the real murderer was dumb enough to sit in the courtroom and watch. No, Perry Mason didn’t make me want to become a lawyer. The Defenders did.

The Defenders was a show about a middle-aged attorney – played by E.G. Marshall – and his fresh-out-of-law-school son – played by a young, pre-permed Robert Reed. Although the show had some murder mystery episodes, most dealt with some of the complex and serious issues of the time; abortion, religious intolerance, capital punishment, civil rights,...

When Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27, popular music lost one of its most talented young voices. She had stunned the world in 2006 with her breakthrough album, Back To Black, which showcased her larger-than-life vocal range and songwriting skills that belayed her tender years. By the end of her life Winehouse had become infamous for her personal problems and drug-fueled exploits, but her music will endure long after the tabloid headlines are forgotten. While most of her songs are autobiographical, featuring lyrics brimming with equal parts wit and vulnerability, she wasn't afraid to add her own unique twist to familiar tunes.

When Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27, popular music lost one of its most talented young voices. She had stunned the world in 2006 with her breakthrough album, Back To Black, which showcased her larger-than-life vocal range and songwriting skills that belayed her tender years. By the end of her life Winehouse had become infamous for her personal problems and drug-fueled exploits, but her music will endure long after the tabloid headlines are forgotten. While most of her songs are autobiographical, featuring lyrics brimming with equal parts wit and vulnerability, she wasn't afraid to add her own unique twist to familiar tunes.

[caption id="attachment_47663" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Angela George at flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/. Permission (Reusing this file.) Otrs Wikimedia./caption]

Actress Doris Roberts has died at the age of 90. An accomplished performer with a C.V. longer than your arm, Roberts assumed her best-known TV role as Marie Barone, on CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond TV series, from 1996 to 2005.

Born Doris May Green, November 4, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, the actress took her step-father's surname. Her earliest TV series roles, in the 1950s, were in properties such as Starlight Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Suspense, Look Up and Live, 'Way Out, Ben Casey, Naked City, The Defenders, and The Doctors and the Nurses.

Read More…...

TV, film and Broadway actress Doris Roberts, best known as Ray Romano’s (Raymond Barone) mother Marie on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. Her son, Michael Cannata, says Roberts died in her sleep of natural causes Sunday night. She was 90. A St. Louis native, Roberts began her acting career in the early 1950s on TV’s Studio One, going on to appear in such series as The Naked City, Way Out, Ben Casey and The Defenders. She later segued to film in the 1960s and…...

TV, film and Broadway actress Doris Roberts, best known as Ray Romano’s (Raymond Barone) mother Marie on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. Her son, Michael Cannata, says Roberts died in her sleep of natural causes Sunday night. She was 90. A St. Louis native, Roberts began her acting career in the early 1950s on TV’s Studio One, going on to appear in such series as The Naked City, Way Out, Ben Casey and The Defenders. She later segued to film in the 1960s and…...

Everybody Loves Raymond actress Doris Roberts has died, People confirms.

Her son Michael Cannata confirmed that Roberts died peacefully late Sunday night in L.A. in her sleep of natural causes. She was 90.

Roberts career has spanned six decades during which time she received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award.

Prior to her time on the small screen, Roberts got her start on Broadway in the 1950s, appearing in numerous shows including The Desk Set, Bad Habits and a handful of others.

However, the actress was best known for playing Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from...

Everybody Loves Raymond actress Doris Roberts has died, People confirms. Her son Michael Cannata confirmed that Roberts died peacefully late Sunday night in L.A. in her sleep of natural causes. She was 90. Roberts career has spanned six decades during which time she received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award. Prior to her time on the small screen, Roberts got her start on Broadway in the 1950s, appearing in numerous shows including The Desk Set, Bad Habits and a handful of others. However, the actress was best known for playing Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from...

Doris Roberts, who played Ray Barone’s prying mother on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” died Sunday, a representative for the actress told TheWrap on Monday. She was 90. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1925, Roberts began acting in 1952, appearing on the television series “Studio One.” Appearances on “The Naked City,” “Ben Casey” and “The Defenders” followed. She first appeared on the big screen in the 1961 film “Something Wild.” Roberts’ other film credits include “A Lovely Way to Die,” “No Way to Treat a Lady” and “The Honeymoon Killers.” On television, she also appeared on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,”...

(This column starts off talking about Horace and Pete in relatively general terms, for the benefit of the people who still haven't watched but are curious about sampling it. I'll get to spoilers for the finale midway through, with another warning before that.) Horace and Pete, Louis C.K.'s drama about a Brooklyn bar that's been run by the same family for 100 years, came to an end over the weekend, with even less fanfare than it had on arrival. News of the first episode simply appeared in the inboxes of people on the LouisCK.net email list that just said "Go here to watch it. We hope you like it." Saturday morning, the email read, "I have nothing clever to say. But I would like you very much to know that episode 10 of Horace and Pete is ready right here." That this was going to be the final episode...

It’s fitting and funny that Louis C.K.’s formal experiments would ultimately take him back in time 60 years, to the age of televised theater: Studio One, Playhouse 90, and the like. Over five seasons, he exhausted most, if not all, of the possibilities of his experimental comedy Louie — including multi-episode arcs that were basically feature films broken into pieces, two of which cast other actors as his same-named alter ego. Now he’s made a series that’s as aggressively classical as a 21st-century TV artist can get. Horace and Pete, the “surprise” series C.K. released last week through his website, is old-school, save for its political and cultural references (super-recent) and its language (profane, of course — this is Louis C.K.). Were it not for C.K.’s roving, zooming camera and the brown-orange sets that echo stagey 1970s sitcoms like All in the Family, Horace and Pete...

Run for your lives! Or, apply for these four fabulous acting gigs featured now in Backstage’s casting notices. “Brock’S Diner Vs. The Undead”Think “Army of Darkness” meets “Waiting.” This Brad Lyon-directed horror-comedy film needs a whopping 26 roles filled for a Feb. 15 shoot in Flint, Mich. Both union and nonunion talent may apply from anywhere, and keep in mind in certain cases some nudity may be required. “Cost Of Being A Woman”Feeling glamorous? Condé Nast Entertainment needs a man and woman in their 20s for a Glamour video about the costs involved in being female. The Jan. 15 shoot will pay $150. Online branded content like this often goes viral, so check this opportunity out! Saint Vincent Summer Theatre 2016Attention, New Yorkers! Saint Vincent Summer Theatre and artistic director Greggory Brandt are hosting an open call for talented thespians Feb. 28 and March 1 in the Big Apple. The Pennsylvania–based...

Robert Loggia, the veteran actor best known for his appearances in “Scarface” and “Big,” died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 85. The actor was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 1986’s “Jagged Edge.” He also received Primetime Emmy nominations for his lead role on “Mancuse, FBI” in 1989, and for his guest role on “Malcolm in the Middle” in 2000. Loggia’s prolific film and television career extends back to his role on “Studio One in Hollywood” in 1957, and included roles on TV series such as “The Rockford Files,” “Magnum P.I.” and “Hawaii...

Lela Swift, who rose from the secretarial pool at CBS to become a pioneering force for female TV directors, died today at her Santa Monica home of natural causes. She was 96. Swift went from gopher to an Ad job on the network’s Studio One in 1948, to directing nearly 600 episodes of Dark Shadows and winning three Daytime Emmys over 14 years of helming the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. Born Lela Siwoff on February 1, 1919, in New York City, she joined the then-nascent CBS in the…...

Its a nasty blow to not only the horror community but the world. The woman revolutionized the obsessive mother But long before that she thrilled viewers with appearances in such hit shows as Kraft Theatre Studio One in Hollywood and Appointment with Adventure. She also showed her acting chops in flicks like The Last Angry Man It Happened to Jane and The Tin Star.

Friday the 13th star Betsy Palmer has died at the age of 88.

The actress was best known for her performance as killer cook Mrs Voorhees in the 1980 horror film and its 1981 sequel.

Her manager Brad Lemack informed The AP on Sunday (May 31) that she died of natural causes at a hospice in Connecticut.

In addition to her most famous role, Palmer appeared in TV dramas like Kraft Theatre, Studio One and Murder, She Wrote. She also appeared in The Long Gray Lane, Queen Bee and The Tin Star on the big screen.

Palmer was also known for her Broadway performances, and appeared in several plays during her long career, including Same Time, Next Year and Cactus Flower.

Looking back on Friday the 13th in the years that followed, Palmer was not afraid to share her true feelings about the film, describing the script as a "piece of junk".

The actress...

“You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday…”

The woman had a long and distinguished career including hundreds of TV appearances in the 1950s and ’60s, but she will always best known as Jason’s mom in the original Friday The 13th (1980). Betsy Palmer was a regular on the horror convention circuit and a good attitude about her place in horror film history. She said in an interview once: “If it was good enough for Boris Karloff, why should I complain?” Betsy Palmer died Friday of natural causes at a hospital in Los Angeles.

From The Associated Press:

Betsy Palmer, the veteran character actress who achieved lasting, though not necessarily sought-after, fame as the murderous camp cook in the cheesy horror film “Friday the 13th,” has died at age 88.

Palmer died Friday of natural causes at a hospice care center in Connecticut, her longtime manager, Brad Lemack,...

At the launch for Rosario Dawson's African-inspired clothing line, Studio One Eighty Nine for Opening Ceremony, the Daredevil actress paused to note a coincidence. "The 20th anniversary of Kids is this year, and Chloe [Sevigny] also has a collection [at Opening Ceremony]," said Dawson, who noted that a reunion screening of the Larry Clark indie is planned for June in Brooklyn. "I'm pinching myself, 20 years into a career, I'm still working outside of my comfort zone, doing a show with Marvel on Netflix — a platform that didn't exist then." Read more How Rosario Dawson Hopes

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Following her critically-acclaimed drama desk nominated perfor- mance in Horton Foote's, 'The Old Friends' with the Signature Theatre Company and again with the prestigious Alley Theater in Houston, legendary Broadway star and 2012 Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Betty Buckley returns to New York in May to offer her Song Interpretation amp Monologue Master Class at T. Schreiber Studio one of the foremost professional theatre studios in New York City. Established in 1969, T. Schreiber has been a home and train- ing ground for many artists who have gone on to successful careers in theatre, film, and television. The Tony Award Winner will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

Shirley Clarke’s final feature film emulates the free form style of its subject, legendary jazz musician Ornette Coleman, playfully editing fragments of live performances, interviews and fictionalized visions of the saxophonist’s upbringing with the fervent energy of early MTV music videos. The result is a sort of telegenic collage that allows Ornette to age and mature in stature over the course of decades through performative observation and on screen accolades from colleagues and critics alike. Yet, Coleman’s career has continued to grow and flourish since the release of Ornette: Made in America back in 1985, having even been awarded the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for music for his record Sound Grammar.

From the opening of the film Ornette’s seen being honored, in this case by the mayor of his hometown, Fort Worth, Texas, with a key to the city. It’s a recurring theme. Though at first misunderstood in his local musical community,...

A few weeks ago HBO and then CBS announced that they would launch stand-alone online services in U.S. in 2015. Before that, Netflix had made known that it would start producing features, crushing theatrical release windows once and for all, after it had contributed to the change of the patterns of attention and the way TV series are made by releasing its House of Cards episodes all at once, as a 13-hour movie. ‘Now the real shakeout begins’, wrote Ted Hope in Hollywood Reporter. ‘We are witnessing the march from once lucrative legacy practices built around titles to a new focus on community.’ Michael Wolff, writing also in the Hollywood Reporter, disagrees: ‘Streaming services from the two networks don’t signal television’s capitulation to Netflix and the web; it’s actually the opposite, as the medium expands yet again to gobble up more revenue.’ And in that sense, he says,...

The Ogunquit Playhouse, America's Foremost Summer Theatre, will be one of the first regional theatres in the U.S. to produce the Tony Award winning Billy Elliot the Musical on stage June 25 to July 26. Billy Elliot tells the story of a young boy who discovers his true passion lies in ballet class and not in the boxing ring, and then finds the strength to defy the convention of his small UK mining town to make his dream come true. The Ogunquit production features a cast of Broadway veterans, including Anastasia Barzee, Armond Shultz and Tony Award nominee Joel Blum.

Joan Lorring, 1945 Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominee, dead at 88: One of the earliest surviving Academy Award nominees in the acting categories, Lorring was best known for holding her own against Bette Davis in ‘The Corn Is Green’ (photo: Joan Lorring in ‘Three Strangers’) Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominee Joan Lorring, who stole the 1945 film version of The Corn Is Green from none other than Warner Bros. reigning queen Bette Davis, died Friday, May 30, 2014, in the New York City suburb of Sleepy Hollow. So far, online obits haven’t mentioned the cause of death. Lorring, one of the earliest surviving Oscar nominees in the acting categories, was 88. Directed by Irving Rapper, who had also handled one of Bette Davis’ biggest hits, the 1942 sudsy soap opera Now, Voyager, Warners’ The Corn Is Green was a decent if uninspired film version of Emlyn Williams’ semi-autobiographical 1938 hit play about an English schoolteacher,...

Following her critically-acclaimed performance in Horton Foote's, 'The Old Friends' with the Signature Theatre Company, legendary Broadway star and 2012 Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Betty Buckley returns to New York in May to offer her Song Interpretation amp Monologue Master Class at T. Schreiber Studio one of the foremost professional theatre studios in New York City. Established in 1969, T. Schreiber has been a home and training ground for many artists who have gone on to successful careers in theatre, film, and television. The Tony Award Winner will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

‘Gone with the Wind’ actress Mary Anderson dead at 96; also featured in Alfred Hitchcock thriller ‘Lifeboat’ Mary Anderson, an actress featured in both Gone with the Wind and Alfred Hitchcock’s adventure thriller Lifeboat, died following a series of small strokes on Sunday, April 6, 2014, while under hospice care in Toluca Lake/Burbank, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Anderson, the widow of multiple Oscar-winning cinematographer Leon Shamroy, had turned 96 on April 3. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1918, Mary Anderson was reportedly discovered by director George Cukor, at the time looking for an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s film version of Margaret Mitchell’s bestseller Gone with the Wind. Instead of Scarlett, eventually played by Vivien Leigh, Anderson was cast in the small role of Maybelle Merriwether — most of which reportedly ended up on the cutting-room floor. Cukor was later fired from the project; his replacement, Victor Fleming,...

Following her critically-acclaimed performance in Horton Foote's, The Old Friends with the Signature Theatre Company, legendary Broadway star and 2012 Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Betty Buckley returns to New York in May to offer her Song Interpretation amp Monologue Master Class at T. Schreiber Studio one of the foremost professional theatre studios in New York City. Established in 1969, T. Schreiber has been a home and training ground for many artists who have gone on to successful careers in theatre, film, and television. The Tony Award Winner will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

The Ogunquit Playhouse, America's Foremost Summer Theatre, will be one of the first regional premieres of the Broadway musical sensation The Addams Family. The frightfully delightful world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch come to spooky and spectacular life in this all new story, based on the bizarre and beloved characters created by cartoonist Charles Addams. The magnificently macabre family is put to the test when outsiders come to dinner, hurling them into a night that will change their lives forever. This new musical comedy was created by Jersey Boys' authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and Drama Desk Award winning composerlyricist Andrew Lippa. Executive Artistic Director Bradford Kenney said, This hilarious family friendly musical has now been seen around the world and we are delighted to create our own production of this spooky, kooky, warm and wonderful, musical comedy. It will be a...