Director of '69 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
LOS ANGELES -- Paul Mazursky, the innovative and versatile director who showed the absurdity of modern life in such movies as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and An Unmarried Woman, has died. He was 84.
The filmmaker died of pulmonary cardiac arrest Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said Mazursky's spokesman Nancy Willen.
As a talented writer, actor, producer and director, Mazursky racked up five Oscar nominations, mostly for writing such films as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Enemies, A Love Story. He also created memorable roles for the likes of Art Carney, Jill Clayburgh and Natalie Wood. Later in life, Mazursky acted in such TV series as The Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm and films such as Carlito's Way and 2 Days in the Valley.
Mazursky had always dreamed of becoming an actor, and he appeared in student plays at Brooklyn College. With the school's permission, he flew to California to act in Fear and Desire, director Stanley Kubrick's first film. When he received bad reviews, Mazursky buckled down to studying acting with a variety of teachers, including Lee Strasberg. But he found the most success behind the camera.
Over the years, he was nominated four times for screenplay Oscars: 1969's Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, 1974's Harry and Tonto, 1978's An Unmarried Woman and 1989's Enemies, A Love Story. As a co-producer, he also shared in the best picture nomination for An Unmarried Woman.
Lt. Carpenter on TV sitcom McHale's Navy
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- An actor best known from the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy, has died. Bob Hastings was 89.
Allison Knowles said her grandfather died Monday in his Burbank, Calif., home after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer.
Hastings won fans on McHale's Navy as Lt. Carpenter, a bumbling yes man. Other memorable roles were on All in the Family and General Hospital.
The Brooklyn, N.Y.-born Hastings began his career at age 11 on radio dramas. He branched out into TV in its infancy, snagging a role on Captain Video and His Video Rangers in 1949.
Other early acting jobs included a recurring role on the military comedy The Phil Silvers Show.
Later TV appearances included Ironside; The Dukes of Hazzard; Major Dad; and Murder, She Wrote.
His voice-over work continued as recently as the 2010 video game Mafia II.
Metro on 07/03/2014