Brad Renfro
January 15, 2008
Renfro, 25, who was best known
for his roles in "The Client" and
"Ghost World" and for his
off-screen history of drug abuse,
died of a heroin overdose in his
Los Angeles home. Originally from
Tennessee, he starred opposite
Susan Sarandon in "The Client,"
propelling him to a succession of
other roles. In 2005, he was
arrested as part of a prominent
drug sweep on Skid Row in Los
Angeles.
Suzanne Pleshette
January 19, 2008
The dark-haired, smoky-voiced
actress played Bob Newhart's
sardonic and sexy wife, Emily
Hartley, for six years on the '70s
sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show."
Called a "pro's pro" by Newhart,
the New York actress made her
movie debut in the 1958 Jerry
Lewis comedy "The Geisha Boy."
Bobby Fischer
January 17, 2008
The most powerful American chess
player in history, Fischer emerged
only briefly in 1992 from a
mysterious seclusion that had
lasted two decades. He defied an
American ban on business in
Yugoslavia to play against his old
nemesis, Boris Spassky, whom he
beat handily.
While Fischer is not a movie or
television personality he was a big
celebrity in his time and does share
a birthday with one of the Delta
Films principles. This above all
makes him worthy of inclusion in
our farewell salute.
Heath Ledger
January 22, 2008
Ledger, who went from teen idol
in his native Australia to one of
the most exciting actors of his
generation, was best known for
his Oscar nominated role as a
closeted gay ranch hand in
"Brokeback Mountain". Heath won
the Delta Award for best actor in
2006 for this performance. His
death, blamed on an accidental
overdose, came as a shock, as his
off-screen life wasn't perceived as
being as intense as his on-screen
performances. His final movie, The
Dark Knight, in which he plays a
very dark and disturbing "The
Joker", opens later this year.
DELTA FILMS
January 2008
Allan Melvin
January 17, 2008
Former The Brady Bunch star Allan
Melvin has died. He was 84. The
veteran actor - who played Sam
the butcher in the show - passed
away at his home in Los Angeles
on Thursday, January 17. Melvin
was best known for his character
roles in many classic TV series,
including The Phil Silvers Show and
All In The Family.
He also voiced the character of
Bluto in the Popeye cartoon.