As the darker nights draw in, Death has visted the entertainment industry as if it was going out of fashion, claiming several notable names.
Ingrid Pitt, the Hammer Horror siren passed away on 23rd November, aged 73. Born Ingoushka Petrov in Poland in 1937 and a survivor of the concentration camps of WWII, she is best remembered as both a seductress and 'seductee' in several prominent horror outings. She is also known for her key role in cult film The Wicker Man and Where Eagles Dare.
Irvin Kershner died on Novemeber 27th, a true veteran of the industry at the age of 87. He directed The Empire Strikes Back, arguably the best of the entire Star Wars franchise, but also made his name on other key movies such as Raid on Entebbe, The Return of a Man Called Horse and Robocop 2. He helmed the unofficial James Bond movie Never Say Never Again, in which Sean Connery returned to the role he made famous. He retired in 1994 but was still a much-quoted and hugely admired industry figure.
Canadian-born actor Leslie Nielsen died on November 28th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Best known for his comedic turns in the Airplane movies and the role of Frank Drebin in Police Squad! and the Naked Gun movies, he had previously been a genuine matinee idol and received plaudits for his central role in the now classic Forbidden Planet. Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert once called him '"the Laurence Olivier of spoofs" and he certainly delighted in causing smiles and laughter - onscreen and off. Nielsen was partially deaf but often turned this to his advantage in interviews.
