INDY METRO® » OBITUARY

Malachi Throne has died: ‘Batman’ Villain Actor Dies at Age 84

editor — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:48:31 +0000

Malachi Throne has died.

Throne, the TV character actor who played Robert Wagner’s boss on It Takes a Thief and the enigmatic evildoer False-Face on Batman, died in Los Angeles after succumbing to cancer . He was 84.

Throne was born in New York City. He first appeared on stage at the age of ten in 1939 in the New York Parks Department production of Tom Sawyer as Huckleberry Finn.

Television career

Malachi Throne with Robert Wagner in It Takes a Thief, 1968.

Throne was a popular guest star on many television series of the 1960s and 1970s, including The Defenders, Naked City, Ben Casey, The Untouchables, GE True, The Fugitive, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (“The Four-Steps Affair” from 1965), Mannix (as Inspector Frank Kyler in “Run Sheep Run” – 1967), the High Chaparral, Hogan’s Heroes and also co-starring, with Robert Wagner, in the ABC series, It Takes a Thief. Throne also appeared in the 1965 season of Lost in Space as the Thief in the episode “The Thief of Outer Space.”

He made two appearances in the CBS’s Mission: Impossible, in seasons 1 and 4, in the late 1960s. He also appeared twice in the Irwin Allen ABC series, The Time Tunnel, most notably in the episode “The Death Merchant”, as Machiavelli, lost in time at the Battle of Gettysburg as well as co-starring in the episode “Night Of The Long Knives.” He even supplied voice talent in the unlikely “Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp” live action Saturday morning series of 1970-1971.

Roles in Star Trek

Throne provided the voice of “the Keeper” in the Star Trek’s first pilot episode, “The Cage”, which did not air in its original form until 1988, though most of the episode was included within the two-part episode “The Menagerie” when it aired in 1966.Throne was hired to play another role in “The Menagerie,” which was technically a dual role: a commodore in Starfleet named José I. Mendez, the officer in charge of the starbase where the story begins, and a replica of him created by Talosian illusion, who presides at Spock’s court martial. Because his voice was recognizably the same as that of the Keeper, the Keeper’s voice was electronically altered in pitch.^[2] Earlier in The Outer Limits series he had guested in the “Cold Hands, Warm Heart” (1964) episode with William Shatner.

On Star Trek: The Next Generation he played Pardek, a Romulan senator, in the two-part episode “Unification”.

In 2004, Throne appeared in the second episode of the Star Trek Fan Series New Voyages, “In Harm’s Way”, playing a Klingon.

Roles in Batman

One of his strangest roles was as the villain “False Face” in the ABC Batman (1966) series. The character, who used a variety of disguises to effect his nefarious schemes, wore a semi-transparent mask when not in the midst of his crimes. The mask rendered Throne’s real face unrecognizable on screen. Playing off this effect, but against Throne’s wishes, the show’s producers wrote the on-screen credit as “? as False Face”, which denied Throne his credit. However, at the end credits of the episode, “Holy Rat Race,” his full name was finally given full credit. His portrayal was a substitution for Clint Eastwood’s proposed version of Two-Face.

Later, he appeared in animation as the voice of Two-Face’s superego “Judge” on The New Batman Adventures (1998), and as the voice of Fingers the Gorilla on the Batman Beyond episode “Speak No Evil” (2000).

Role in Babylon 5

In the 1990s in the American television series Babylon 5, Throne became known to a new generation of TV science fiction viewers as “Prime Minister Malachi”, a high official of the Centauri government in the Hugo Award winning episode “The Coming of Shadows”. (The surprising eponymous character name was not revealed until a later episode.) The Prime Minister’s assassination ensured that the Centauri pursued a costly war, with tragic repercussions that drove one of the many plot lines in the series’ five year story arc.

Theatre career

Throne lived in southern California and did local theatre work there. He was a member of the Theatre West company in Hollywood. He also won critical acclaim for several performances with The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles.

Bio : Malachi Throne (December 1, 1928 – March 13, 2013) was an American stage and television actor, noted for his guest-starring roles on Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lost in Space, Land of the Giants, The Time Tunnel, Mission: Impossible, and The Six Million Dollar Man, and his recurring role on It Takes a Thief.

O’Donnell, Playwright Who Won the Tony for Hairspray, has died

editor — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:56:45 +0000

O’Donnell, Playwright Who Won the Tony for Hairspray, has died

Mark O’Donnell (July 19, 1954 – August 6, 2012) was an American writer and humorist. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College in 1976. He was a member of the Harvard Lampoon, where he held the position of Ibis. He was the writer and librettist for three Hasty Pudding musicals for the Hasty Pudding Theatricals group.

O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan shared the 2003 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical for their work on Hairspray, and they wrote the 2007 film adaptation. The pair also worked on another John Waters musical adaptation, Cry-Baby, for which they received a 2008 Tony nomination.

O’Donnell’s novels include Getting Over Homer and Let Nothing You Dismay. Along with Bill Irwin, he wrote Scapin, a 1997 play adapted from the original by Molière.

A 1980 article he wrote for Esquire, “O’Donnell’s Laws of Cartoon Motion,” was both widely quoted (“1. Any body suspended in space will remain suspended in space until made aware of its situation”) and widely circulated by fans of cartoon physics.

O’Donnell was the identical twin of television writer Steve O’Donnell.

He died in 2012 after collapsing in his apartment in Manhattan. He was 58

Marvin Hamlisch has died

editor — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:56:19 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Globe Social Network) — “A Chorus Line” and “The Sting” composer Marvin Hamlisch has died at the age of 68 (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012).

A child prodigy, Hamlisch began studying piano at the famed Juilliard School of Music when he was seven.

He was was an American composer. He is one of only twelve people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony. He is also one of only two people to have won those four prizes and also a Pulitzer Prize (the other is Richard Rodgers). Hamlisch has also won two Golden Globes

Hamlisch died Tuesday in Los Angeles after suffering from a brief illness.

He is survived by his wife, Terre Blair, a Columbus, Ohio, native and news anchor from the ABC affiliate WTVN – Channel 6 in that city, in May 1989.

He had a prior relationship with Carole Bayer Sager, which was the inspiration for the musical They’re Playing Our Song.

Hamlisch was born on June 2, 1944 in New York City.

Donald J. Schneider, Chairman Emeritus and Former President and CEO of Schneider National, Dies Following Lengthy Illness

editor — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:40:58 +0000

Green Bay Native Credited with Transforming Company, Industry Through Innovative Use of Technology and Commitment to Continuous Improvement of Associates

GREEN BAY, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Donald (Don) J. Schneider, chairman emeritus and former president and CEO of Schneider National, Inc., one of the Green Bay area’s largest employers and one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, died Jan. 13, 2012, in De Pere, Wis., with his family by his side following a lengthy and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 76.

“His competitive spirit, persistence and drive in everything he did made him such a remarkable leader and incredible man.”

Mr. Schneider was born on October 19, 1935, the same year his father, Al (AJ), sold the family car to buy his first truck … a seemingly simple purchase that laid the groundwork for what would become, under Don’s leadership, one of the most successful, recognizable and respected transportation and logistics companies in North America.

“The transportation and logistics industry has lost one of its most passionate and influential voices,” said Governor Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. “Don Schneider was a visionary, bringing business acumen and technology to blaze a trail and set the standard in the modern day development of our industry.”

Don started working for the family business while in high school in the early 1950s, first as a mechanic’s helper and then as a truck driver. He continued in this capacity while attending St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., in the late 1950s, using the job to fund his college education. To mechanics and drivers, he was known as “Donnie,” a term of endearment he earned and one still used affectionately by retired drivers today. To the majority of Schneider National’s shop, driver and office associates, one of the industry’s most accomplished icons was simply known as “Don,” a man just as likely as they were to wear blue jeans, a denim shirt and cowboy boots to work.

Julius Borley has been working for Schneider National for more than 60 years and remembers Don’s down-to-earth style. “Don thought of himself as a regular guy and always wanted to stay in touch with the drivers. When I stopped driving and became a company tour guide, he always asked us to bring the drivers to his office during the tour. Don’s door was always open. He wanted to meet the guys behind the wheel to let them know how much he respected how hard they worked and to thank them for working for Schneider. That’s the kind of man he was.”

Schneider graduated from St. Norbert College with an undergraduate degree in business and married his wife, Patricia (Pat) O’Brien, in 1957. After serving a 13-month military tour of duty in Korea, Schneider returned to the United States and enrolled in graduate school at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Upon earning his master’s degree from Wharton, he returned to the Green Bay area in 1961 to join his father’s trucking company as a manager. He also taught finance at his alma mater, St. Norbert College, during this time. In 1976 Don officially became president of the then $82 million company. His father, Al, passed away in March of 1983.

Schneider led the organization bearing his family’s name for more than 25 years. During that time, the company grew, survived and thrived during some of the modern trucking industry’s greatest challenges, including deregulation in the early 1980s. Schneider brought both business savvy and a keen ability to anticipate customer needs to the business, as well as a steadfast belief that with innovation, hard work and the commitment to excellence of associates, anything was possible. Through the years, Don was responsible for creating thousands of jobs and providing a livelihood for many.

Don’s commitment to technological innovation was instrumental to the company’s success. Schneider National was the first in the industry to adopt satellite-based communications and positioning in its trucks. Don’s vision extended beyond trucking as Schneider was a pioneer in providing intermodal and logistics services. In 1993 Schneider founded Schneider Logistics as a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider National. Today Schneider Logistics is a leading solutions provider, enabling customers to effectively manage the flow of materials, funds and information throughout their supply chains. His vision and talent extended beyond the transportation industry as he formed Schneider Communications, a regional telecommunications company, in 1982.

Schneider retired from the day-to-day responsibilities in 2002, selecting then chief operating officer Chris Lofgren to succeed him as president and CEO. Don continued on as chairman of the board for the privately held firm until 2007, when he reached the board’s mandatory retirement age.

“Don Schneider was one of the finest individuals I have ever known,” said Lofgren. “He was true to his convictions and committed to his values. I will be forever grateful that I had the opportunity to work for and be mentored by Don. He entrusted our management team to continue his vision of providing exceptional transportation and logistics services at a fair price, while enhancing the standard of living worldwide. Our Schneider National family of associates shares our deepest sympathies with his wife, Pat, and the entire Schneider family during this sad time.”

Schneider shared his time and talents with a wide range of academic, industry, business and community organizations. Most notably, he served as chairman of the Business Advisory Committee for Northwestern University’s Transportation Center, was a member of the Advisory Board for the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, was a director on the Federal Reserve Board in Chicago and served on the Board of Directors at Fort Howard Paper Company and Franklin Electric. He was also a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Green Bay Packers and sat on the Board of Trustees for St. Norbert College.

“Don was a very valuable member of the Packers executive committee for over 20 years. His business skills were extraordinary. He was a great sounding board for me, and I relied on his advice on numerous occasions,” noted Bob Harlan, chairman emeritus of the Packers. “Don also had a tremendous passion for the Packers and was as enthusiastic as any fan we have on game day,” Harlan added.

Schneider was also an active philanthropist in the Green Bay area, having chaired the capital campaign for Notre Dame Academy, the annual campaign for United Way of Brown County and provided the lead gift for the St. Norbert College athletic complex – Donald J. Schneider Outdoor Athletic Complex – in 2008. In 1982 Schneider founded the company’s charitable arm, the Schneider National Foundation, to bring about positive change in the communities where his associates live and work. The foundation has donated millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to charities in need since its founding.

According to long-time fellow associate and personal friend, Wayne Lubner, Don spoke often of the importance of building a company that was “built to last.” At the very heart of this philosophy was Don’s steadfast commitment to the core values of safety, integrity, respect and excellence. These core values guided many of the decisions Don made for Schneider National and are still the decision-making bedrocks used by thousands of associates today. “Don’s strength of character and instinctive leadership have been felt well beyond the transportation and logistics field,” Lubner reflected. “His competitive spirit, persistence and drive in everything he did made him such a remarkable leader and incredible man.”

Schneider is survived by his wife of 53 years, Pat, five children, 13 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and 18,222 members of his Schneider National family around the world.