Polish-born production designer and director Voytek (Wojciech Roman Pawel Szendzikowski) died in London on August 7, aged 89. During the 1960s he designed episodes of TV’s The Avengers, Out of This World and Mystery and Imagination (‘The Body Snatcher’), along with Roman Polanski’s Cul-De-Sac and a 1975 TV movie of The Canterville Ghost starring David Niven. Voytek also directed the 1968 Mystery and Imagination adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ featuring Ian Holm as both creator and monster.
Palestine-born movie producer Menahem Golan (Menahem Globus, aka “Joseph Goldman”) died in Israel on August 8, aged 85. After working as a production assistant to Roger Corman, he teamed up with his younger cousin, Yoram Globus, making and distributing films as The Cannon Group, Inc. during the 1980s. Amongst the numerous titles they produced were The Godsend, Schizoid, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype, New Year’s Evil, Hospital Massacre, House of Long Shadows (the only teaming of Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine), Treasure of the Four Crowns, Hercules (1983), Sword of the Valiant, Ninja III: The Domination, Lifeforce, Invasion U.S.A. (1985), King Solomon’s Mines (1985), America 3000, Invaders from Mars (1986), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, Aladdin (1986), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Masters of the Universe, Alien from L.A., Journey to the Center of the Earth (1988), Haunted Summer and Sinbad of the Seven Seas. After having purchased the UK’s Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment in 1986, which led to their ownership of the ABC cinema circuit and Elstree Studios, Cannon was virtually bankrupt when it was bought out from the cousins three years later. As 21st Century Film Corporation, Golan went on to produce The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Night of the Living Dead (1990), Captain America (1990), Dance Macabre (1992), Prison Planet, Invader and American Cyborg: Steel Warrior, before that company also folded. Golan also wrote and directed more than forty movies, and he continued working until 2009.
61-year-old Oscar-winning American special effects and pyrotechnics designer Joe (Joseph) Viskocil died of complications from liver and kidney failure on August 11. He worked on Flesh Gordon, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, The Day Time Ended, The Terminator and Terminator II: Judgment Day, The Return of the Living Dead, Critters, Vamp, House, The Blob (1988), Cast a Deadly Spell, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Independence Day, Godzilla (1998), Armageddon, Scream 3, Battlefield Earth, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) and The Prey, amongst many other titles.
British-born screenwriter, producer, editor and director Michael A. Hoey, the son of veteran character actor Dennis Hoey (“Inspector Lestrade” in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films), died in California of cancer on August 17, aged 79. He is best known for his 1966 movie The Navy vs. the Night Monsters starring Mamie Van Doren.
British sculptor and puppet designer John Blundall, who created several distinctive characters for Gerry Anderson’s “Supermarionation” TV series Fireball XL5, Stingray and Thunderbirds, died on August 18, aged 77.
79-year-old American actor turned director Brian G. (Geoffrey) Hutton died on August 19, following a heart attack some days earlier. He directed Night Watch (1973) starring Elizabeth Taylor and The First Deadly Sin (1980) starring Frank Sinatra, while as an actor, Hutton appeared in two episodes of TV’s Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He left the movie business in the mid-1980s.
British-born director Andrew V. (Victor) McLaglen, the son of veteran Hollywood actor Victor McLaglen, died in Washington State on August 30, aged 94. Along with numerous TV and movie Westerns (including several with John Wayne and James Stewart), he also directed Stowaway to the Moon (with John Carradine) and the pilot episode of The Fantastic Journey. The second of McLaglen’s four wives was actress Veda Ann Borg.
British TV director Graham Theakston died of cancer on September 2, aged 62. His credits include the 1984-85 BBC series The Tripods (based on the SF books by John Christopher) and the 2002 TV movie Sherlock starring James D’Arcy as Holmes.
American director, writer and actor Theodore “Ted” J. (Jonas) Flicker died on September 12, aged 84. His credits include episodes of TV’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, Night Gallery (in which he also appeared as “The Devil”), The Twilight Zone (1985) and the movies The President’s Analyst and Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang.
British film production designer and art director Assheton [St. George] Gorton died of heart failure on September 14, aged 84. He worked on such movies as Blow-Up, The Bed Sitting Room, The Magic Christian, Zachariah, The Pied Piper (1972), The Martian Chronicles, Legend, 101 Dalmations (1996), Shadow of the Vampire and 102 Dalmations, along with two episodes of TV’s Mystery and Imagination (‘The Flying Dragon’ and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’). Gorton also wrote and illustrated children’s books.