RIPs, continued ...

Ruth Rendell (1930-2015), aged 85. British author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries, also wrote as Barbara Vine. Like Patricia Highsmith her work lent itself to the movies: Chabrol filmed her "A Judgement In Stone" as LE CEREMONIE in 1995, it had also been a British TV series. Others based on her works included THE RUTH RENDELL MYSTERIES, and NO NIGHT IS TOO LONG, A FATAL INVERSION and Almodovar filmed her novel LIVE FLESH.

Ben E. King (1938-2015), aged 76. Vocalist with The Drifters ("Save The Last Dance For Me") who had several hits on his own - "Spanish Harlem" is a favourite, and his megahit "Stand By Me" was re-released several times.

Nigel Terry (1945-2015), aged 69. English stage and film actor who made an impressive debut as Prince John in THE LION IN WINTER, 1968, unphased acting opposite Hepburn and O'Toole, and who did not film again until his King Arthur in John Boorman's EXCALIBUR in 1981. Terry was that rare thing, an actor who did not chase stardom (maybe like his LION co-star John Castle, or Jon Finch). He worked extensively in the theatre and then with Derek Jarman, notably as CARAVAGGIO in 1986, followed by EDWARD II, THE LAST OF ENGLAND, WAR REQUIEM  and BLUE.

"Ruggedly handsome, Terry conveyed an air of brooding taciturnity, one reviewer noting that he seemed to be “forcibly holding himself back until he has a pretext for full-throated rage or lamentation. In the role of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in Jarman’s re-telling of the life of the hell-raising Baroque painter, he exuded a dangerous intensity as he brawled, gambled, drank and pursued the well-muscled young boys (and girls) he got to pose for him."  (The Guardian)

Television roles included appearing in SPOOKS, FOYLE'S WAR, SILENT WITNESS, WAKING THE DEAD, etc. He later returned to film with O'Toole in TROY in 2004, He was actually the first baby born in Bristol after the war ended in 1945. 

Richard Corliss (1944-2015), aged 71. Respected film critic and magazine editor for TIME magazine, He was also editor-in-chief for FILM COMMENT magazine, which I liked in the 80s. He also wrote three books including "Talking Pictures". His number-one films of the year included MIDNIGHT COWBOY, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, PERSUASION, PULP FICTION, AMOUR, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, I think I would find his reviews interesting.

Erroll Brown (1944-2015), aged 71, lead singer with English group Hot Chocolate ("You Sexy Thing" etc). Martin will accuse me of name-dropping again, if I mention that he came up to me in London nightclub The Talk of the Town (my first and only time there in 1985) and said "I have not seen you here for ages" --- I wonder who he thought I was.