Deaths: June 1

Mike Batayeh is a native of Detroit, though he later moved to Los Angeles. As an actor he guest-starred and recurred on several television shows including notable appearances on Everybody Loves Raymond, The Shield, Sleeper Cell, Touch and Breaking Bad. He co-starred in films including American Dreams, Gas, American East, You Don't Mess With The Zohan, and his leading role in Detroit Unleaded. As a comic, Mike performed and headlined all over the USA at reputable comedy clubs such as Gotham in NYC, Los Angeles clubs such as Laugh Factory (regular), Comedy Store, Improv and Icehouse. He was part of the first wave of western comics to perform for local audiences in the Middle East in such places as Dubai, where he filmed a comedy special for Showtime Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, where he was invited 2 years in a row by the royal family for the Amman international Comedy Festival and Nazareth.

Andrew Massey was born on 1 May 1946 in Nottingham, England, UK. He is known for The Final Curtain (2002) and Billy Elliot (2014). He was married to Sabra. He died on 1 June 2018 in Vermont, USA.

Ann B. Davis made her debut in show business at age 6 earning $2.00 in a puppet show. At the University of Michigan, Ann planned to study medicine but got the acting bug from her brother who was the lead dancer in the national company of "Oklahoma" for over a year. Ann then spent six years in little theaters, stock companies, touring musicals, and such until she got her break as "Schultzie", the secretary on "The Bob Cummings Show." Before Hollywood, Ann spent a summer at the Cain Park Theater and, during a year at the Erie Playhouse in Erie, Pennsylvania, she studied everything about show production and played dozens of roles ranging from teenagers to characters over 60. In 1949, she arrived at Porterville, California and spent three years at the Barn theater.

She then moved down the coast to Monterey, where she appeared at the Wharf theater. From there she decided to try Hollywood. Anne has also played many parts on stage including "The Women", "Twelfth Night", "Dark Of The Moon", and others. Her mother, Marguerite Scott Davis, appeared with professional stock companies for over thirty years.

Anna Shay was born on 31 December 1960 in Tokyo, Japan. She was married to Kenneth John Kemp. She died on 1 June 2023 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

Arlene Grayson was born on 2 March 1950 in New York, USA. She was a producer, known for The Torkelsons (1991), Boy Meets World (1993) and My Two Dads (1987). She died on 1 June 1995 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Camille Billops started as a sculptor and painter, became a filmmaker, and amassed a treasure trove of books, documents, and photographs related to black culture.She was born in Los Angeles in 1933 and studied art at the University of Southern California there and later switched to childhood education, the field in which she got her degree in 1960, at California State University.Her putting up her daughter Christa for adoption two years later, because she did not want to be a mother, became a source of controversy, especially when Billops later made a documentary about their reunion.In this period and into the 197os, with a white scholar of black theater in New York City named James V. Hatch who would become her husband, she presided over a 4,000 square feet artistic loft in the Soho neighborhood of that city which served as a hub for collaborations, a salon for musicians and other performers.A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts allowed her and Hatch to record over 1,200 oral histories about black artists.These interviews and the other material she and her husband collected are now houses at Emory University.Billops died in Manhattan on June 1st of 2019.

Cris Miró was born on 16 September 1967 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an actress, known for Videomatch (1990), The Plague (1992) and Dios los cría (1991). She died on 1 June 1999 in Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cynthia Weil was born on 18 October 1940 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was a composer and writer, known for An American Tail (1986), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Troy (2004). She was married to Barry Mann. She died on 1 June 2023 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

"Got a smoke?" Darwin Joston secured himself a permanent place in cult movie history with that particular laconically witty line as laid-back Death Row-bound convict Napoleon Wilson in John Carpenter's outstanding urban action thriller classic Assault on Precinct 13 (1976). Wilson was undoubtedly Joston's best role, and he played it with exceptional skill: mellow, low-key and disarmingly casual with a cool sense of dry ironic humor and a wickedly funny way with a sardonic wisecrack. Joston's terrific portrayal of the acidic and fatalistic Wilson should have led to bigger and better things. Alas, it did not.

He was born as Francis Darwin Solomon on December 9, 1937, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His parents were Mary Elizabeth Smith and Buford Odell Solomon. Joston attended Glenn High School in Kernersville, North Carolina, where he was considered a talented athlete. Following graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1960, Darwin moved to New York and began acting in stage plays and summer stock productions for about five years in the early to mid 1960s. He then moved to Los Angeles to continue his acting career.

Compared to his substantial starring role in "Assault on Precinct 13," most of Joston's other film parts were relatively small: he's an ill-fated soldier in the dreadful killer snake dud Rattlers (1976), a beleaguered pencil-factory clerk in Eraserhead (1977), a drunken truck driver in Coast to Coast (1980), a coroner in the splendidly spooky The Fog (1980) and a typically relaxed FBI agent in the entertainingly crummy science-fiction/horror hoot Time Walker (1982) (Joston was reunited with his fellow "Assault on Precinct 13" cast member Austin Stoker in this latter picture).

Joston also did guest spots on such TV shows as ALF (1986), Hill Street Blues (1981), Remington Steele (1982), Spenser: For Hire (1985), The Rookies (1972), McCloud (1970), Circle of Fear (1972), Ironside (1967), The Rat Patrol (1966), Lassie (1954) (in which he had a recurring role) and The Virginian (1962). In addition to his acting credits, Joston worked behind-the-scenes as either a driver or a transportation captain on such features as The American President (1995), Wild at Heart (1990), La Bamba (1987), Back to the Beach (1987), The Ladies Club (1985), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) and The Buddy Holly Story (1978).

Darwin Joston died of leukemia on June 1, 1998. Although he's no longer with us, Joston nonetheless will forever live on in our hearts and memories as the supremely amiable, if notorious, killer criminal Napoleon Wilson. "Anybody got a smoke?"

The man most of us know by his unmistakable, calming yet disturbed raspy voice was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in Whynot, Mississippi. His father, Eli Ruffin, was a Baptist minister. Only months after his birth his mother Ophelia Ruffin died, and his father later remarried, to a schoolteacher.

David began singing and touring at a very young age with his father and siblings in a gospel group. Leaving home at 13 to pursue the ministry, it was David's select showmanship that caught the eyes of some in the secular music industry. He then moved to Detroit, Michigan, and was signed to Anna Records in 1960 and then Check-Mate Records in 1961. David didn't have hits with either label, but they were good showcases for his vocal ability and talent. In 1964 he joined The Temptations, who had yet to chart a hit, at Motown Records. The "Tempts"' hitless status changed in March of 1965 with the classic "My Girl", on which David sang lead. The song stayed at #1 for eight weeks, and the rest is history. The same showmanship that brought David into the R&B industry caught the attention of fans around the world. His stage performance was dynamic. His dramatic hand gestures and slipping out of chorus to fall to his knees wasn't all this tall, slender man wearing black-framed glasses could do. His voice proved to be powerful, as he went on to sing lead on Temptations hits that brought joy and happiness in the turbulent times of the 1960s. These times also proved to be turbulent for the group, however. Tensions arose when David asked for billing before the group, a practice common among vocal groups of the time. Not only did David not get his name above the group's, but he was dismissed from the group in 1968. He was Still under contract at Motown, though, and his solo career got off to a promising start with the ballad "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me"). Subsequent releases failed, however, as did duets with his brother Jimmy Ruffin. Few of the songs charted and he blamed Motown for not properly promoting his music. In 1979 he left the label and went to Warner Brothers, where his career unfortunately went into a complete decline.

He later rejoined The Temptations for a reunion tour, but after that he fell obscurity, and his personal life also took a downward spiral when it came to light that he was suffering from substance abuse and depression. He eventually reunited with former Temptations colleague Eddie Kendricks (who was now also a solo artist) in 1986, and they began touring and performing with 'Artists Against Apartheid', Live-Aid, and Hall & Oates. In 1989 Otis Williams was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and David and Eddie begin touring with ex-Temptation Dennis Edwards. Weeks after the tour ended, David was dropped off at a Philadelphia hospital and an hour later the man who sang the biographical tune "Statue Of a Fool" from every bit of his heart and soul was pronounced dead. While the official cause of death was ruled a cocaine overdose, his family has come to believe that foul play was involved. When the world lost David Ruffin, it lost a life too short-lived, a heavenly voice, and a whimsical, charismatic man. He had one of the most recognizable voices in music. The joy and sadness in his songs can be felt by all. David's voice will continue to bridge the generation gap just as it crossed the color lines in the sixties and seventies. Legends are never forgotten and David Ruffin IS a musical LEGEND.

David Spielberg was born on 6 March 1939 in Weslaco, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Christine (1983), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and The American Girls (1978). He was married to Janie Glassman Tutelman and Barbara Gladstone. He died on 1 June 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Eddie Smith was born on 1 December 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Live and Let Die (1973), The Nutty Professor (1996) and Do the Right Thing (1989). He died on 1 June 2005 in San Diego, California, USA.

Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater was born on 10 January 1935 in Macon, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Earlean Harrington and Renee Greenman. He died on 1 June 2018 in Skokie, Illinois, USA.

Egon Hoegen was born on 28 September 1928 in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was an actor, known for Journal 1870/71 - Täglicher Telegraph (1970), Express (1968) and Ei verbibbsch - Das Comedy Kombinat (2004). He was married to Dorotea. He died on 1 June 2018 in Germany.

Spent her later years portraying Susan Lucci's much-beleaguered mother on the long-running daytime soap opera, All My Children. Susan Lucci loved her in real life and consequently portrayed the grief-stricken daughter quite convincingly when Frances Heflin's character died (upon the actual death of Ms. Heflin). Although she bore a slight resemblance to her more-famous brother Van, one would not realize this resemblance without knowing her last name.

Frank Birney was born on 10 September 1937 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Dave (1993), Mr. Mom (1983) and Critters 2: The Main Course (1988). He was married to Betty G. Birney. He died on 1 June 2021 in Studio City, California, USA.

George Martin was born on 15 August 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990) and Léon: The Professional (1994). He was married to Katherine Helmond. He died on 1 June 2010 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Georgina Ward was born on 13 March 1941 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Pride and Prejudice (1967), The Man Who Finally Died (1963) and The Avengers (1961). She was married to Patrick Tritton and Alastair Forbes. She died in 2010 in Mexico.

Guillaume Bats was born on 14 April 1987 in Reims, Marne, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Hero Corp (2008), Guillaume Bats: Hors cadre! (2020) and Omega (2011). He died on 1 June 2023 in Paris, France.

Helen Keller contracted a virulent childhood disease which resulted in complete loss of sight and hearing at nineteen months. Her parents futilely sought help for her, as did family friend Alexander Graham Bell. Finally, when Keller was seven, Annie Sullivan, a young teacher, was hired by the family. Through a system involving a constant physical contact with Sullivan, a touch alphabet "spelled" into Keller's hand, persistence, faith, and love - detailed in The Miracle Worker (1962) - Keller suddenly and amazingly understood; she quickly and efficiently learned language, and the world opened to her. She asked to be taught to speak at the age of ten. With Sullivan's important emotional and intellectual support, Keller's development took off. Keller graduated - cum laude - from Radcliffe College in 1904. Sullivan was her companion until her death in 1936. Helen Keller wrote prolifically, traveled widely, lectured on various personal, political, and academic topics, and was awarded numerous honorary degrees from universities around the world. She died in 1968, one of the most famous and widely-admired women of our time.

Hugo Pimentel was born on 25 January 1919 in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Una mujer sin importancia (1945), La mano que aprieta (1953) and En el viejo Buenos Aires (1942). He was married to María Luisa Lamata. He died on 1 June 1984 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Janine Reiss was born on 23 November 1921 in Paris, France. She is known for Carmen (1984), Le voyage dans la lune (1986) and Manon (2001). She died on 1 June 2020 in Saint-Arnoult, Calvados, France.

John Julius Norwich was born on 15 September 1929 in London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Spying on the Royals (2017), Spirit of the Age (1975) and Chronicle (1966). He was married to Mary Makins and Anne Frances May Clifford. He died on 1 June 2018 in the UK.

José Antonio Reyes was born on 1 September 1983 in Utrera, Spain. He was married to Noelia López. He died on 1 June 2019 in Utrera, Spain.

In 1958, at the age of just seventeen, the beautiful Jose' Greci was chosen by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to play the role of the Virgin Mary in "Ben-Hur" which was to be filmed at Cinecitta Studios in Rome, thus assuring her of a great deal of publicity in newsreels and magazines of the day. Although international stardom surprisingly eluded her, she remained busy throughout the 1960s starring in low-budget Italian sword n' sandal epics, spy and crime thrillers and Television work. (See filmography below). Also used the pseudonym Carolyn Davys.