Notable Passings

...Actress Joan Taylor, best known for roles in EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956) and TV's THE RIFLEMAN (1960-62), has passed on at the age of 82.

Taylor passed away in Santa Monica on March 4th.

Taylor played storekeeper Milly Scott in THE RIFLEMAN, and she appeared in many Westerns on both the large and small screen. An accomplished dancer, Taylor can be glimpsed as the Indian maiden in this trailer for the MGM musical ROSE MARIE (1954), and she starred in another sci-fi film, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957).

A multi-talented woman, Taylor wrote the story for the engaging romantic comedy FOOLS RUSH IN (1997), which starred Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek.

As Rose Freeman, she oversaw production of the original HAWAII FIVE-O series after the death of her husband, producer Leonard Freeman, in 1974. The current version of the series paid tribute to her at the end of the March 19th episode.

Taylor/Freeman shared memories of her career in a 1997 interview.

...Actor Warren Stevens, whose long career included playing Doc Ostrow in FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956), has died at the age of 92.

Stevens passed away on March 27th in Sherman Oaks, California.

Stevens' career began in the theater, including over a year in the cast of DETECTIVE STORY on Broadway from 1949 to 1950.

Stevens' screen career spanned nearly six decades, with over 160 credits from the late '40s to 2007.