Passings of Note

Some interesting people have recently passed from the scene...

Harriet Burns, Disney's first female Imagineer, has passed away at the age of 79. (Click on the title of this post for her obituary.) A photo gallery is here.

A very interesting column on Mrs. Burns and her contributions to Disneyland can be read at Jim Hill Media.

I was unfamiliar with the work of composer and guitarist George Russell, who died at age 89, but I was very interested to learn that he was the older brother of the beautiful Gail Russell, star of favorite movies such as ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, THE UNINVITED, and SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. I'll be watching for his name in the future.

Luther Davis, who won a Tony in 1954 for writing the book for the Broadway musical KISMET, has died at age 91. Davis also wrote the screenplay for the entertaining film THE HUCKSTERS, which starred Clark Gable, Deborah Kerr, and Ava Gardner; I reviewed the film last year.

Finally, while I was away last week I was sorry to read of the passing of Randy Pausch, whose positive outlook in the face of terminal illness inspired many. I previously posted on Professor Pausch in September and October 2007.