Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013)

LOS ANGELES (AP) –  Hal Needham, a top Hollywood stuntman who
turned to directing rousing action films including "Smokey and the Bandit"
(1977) and "The Cannonball Run” (1981).

His business managers tell the Los Angeles Times that Needham died on
Friday in Los Angeles.

A former paratrooper, Needham was a billboard model for Viceroy Cigarettes
while beginning a career in Hollywood as a motion picture stuntman. He had 
appeared in thousands of TV episodes and hundreds of movies, performing
and designing stunts and new equipment to execute them.

Needham’s first break was as the stunt double for actor Richard Boone on
the popular CBS-TV western Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-1963).

Needham jumped from planes, was dragged by horses and wrecked cars —
breaking 56 bones in the process. He received an honorary Oscar last year.

William Conrad (John William Cann Jr.)

(September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994)

Conrad was an actor, producer and director whose career spanned five 
decades in radio, film and television. He created the role of Marshal Matt 
Dillon for the popular CBS radio series Gunsmoke (1952–1961), and he 
narrated the television adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (1959-1964)
on ABC/NBC and The Fugitive (1963–1967) on ABC television.

William Conrad (right) with show director Norman Macdonnell

Richard Caspar Sarafian (April 28, 1930 – September 18, 2013)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard Sarafian, an influential film director whose
1971 countercultural car-chase thriller "Vanishing Point" brought him a
decades-long cult following, has died in Southern California, his son said
Saturday night.

Richard Sarafian reportedly died at a Santa Monica hospital on Wednesday
of pneumonia contracted while he was recovering from a fall, Deran Sarafian
told The Associated Press.

Sarafian worked primarily in television in his early career, directing episodes
of 60s shows like "Gunsmoke," ”I Spy," and "77 Sunset Strip."

He also directed 1963’s "Living Doll" episode of "The Twilight Zone," a chilling
tale whose demonic main character Talky Tina terrified children for decades.

“Living Doll” starring Telly Savalas

Actor/Director William "Bill" Paxton has had starring roles in 
films such as Apollo 13 (1995), and Twister (1996). He also
appeared in Aliens (1986), and True Lies (1994).

Bill Paxton in Aliens

Paxton in True Lies

Bill Paxton as seen in Tombstone

 
            
               Jack Shea ( August 1, 1928 – April 28, 2013)
 

Jack Shea, a TV comedy director for more than four decades who directed
ten Bob Hope overseas Christmas specials and multiple episodes of such
sitcoms as The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons and Sanford and Son, has died
from complications from Alzheimer’s. His wife of 59 years, TV screenwriter
Patt Shea, said he died Sunday in Los Angeles.