Front Row Dress Circle

The news about the death of Jett Travolta is very sad indeed - he was only sixteen years old. But the kid obviously had health problems.

Some years back - about ten years ago - I recall reading that Jett was a very difficult child to control behaviour-wise. This was reported via a nanny who had worked for the Travolta’s. At the time this was put down to Jett being a typical spoilt Hollywood child…but now we know better.

That boy was not a well kid. His Dad can afford to own and fly his own planes - but sometimes no amount of money can buy the most important things.

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While the actual cause of Charlton Heston’s death has not been released it is known that the actor was diagnosed with Alzheimers six years ago. This disease has also claimed the lives of many of Hollywood’s great stars, possibly the most tragic case being that of the beautiful screen goddess of the 1940’s and 1950’s - Rita Hayworth. Through her suffering the condition really came out into the open; for many years until her condition was formally announced she was accused of being everything from alcoholic to drug-hazed. Few knew at the time she was in the grip of this terrible condition.

Rita Hayworth was every man’s fantasy back in the forties, and no-one could doubt why. She was born Margharita Cansino and travelled vaudeville shows with her parents and their Spanish flamenco act ‘The Dansing Cansino’s’ even performing in countries such as Australia. She became Rita Hayworth after being discovered by Fox Studios in 1935. Rita was not without her demons; she doubled as her father’s dancing partner before she started in movies and it has been claimed that he sexually molested her as a young girl.

Rita led a tempestuous love life and, yes, was known to drink quite heavily as the years passed. As early as the late 1950’s her behaviour was noticed as becoming odd. Throughout the sixties she behaved more erratically as time passed and it was generally acknowledged that she was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. In 1976 Rita was booked to appear as guest presenter at the Australian Television Logie Awards in Melbourne. After boarding her flight in London for the trip she became increasing distressed and disoriented after which she was removed from the plane and her engagement in Australia cancelled.

This incident received worldwide publicity with many very cruel remarks reported. A year later in 1977 her daughter, Yasmin Khan, publically announced that her mother was suffering from Alzheimers Disease. She made fewer appearances in public until 1979 when she went into complete seclusion, she was never seen in public again. Her daughter cared for her until 1987 when Rita died.

Other stars who were Alzheimer sufferers…

* Ronald Reagan

* Billie Bird

* Charles Bronson

* Perry Como (singer)

* Aaron Copland (composer)

* Sugar Ray Robinson (boxer)

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I hope this is not too morbid a topic but in the world of entertainment it is interesting to note how many films were completed after the star had died; in the past it was just a process of replacing the deceased actor with a double and filming them from behind - or they just suddenly disappeared from the film by way of an accident or death.  Here’s a few films where the star died during production…

* Saratoga, 1936 - Actress Jean Harlow died aged 26 just a few weeks before completing her final scenes. A double was used in her place and you notice towards the end of the film that her character’s face is never shown and does not speak any lines. She appeared in the final scene when they used a scene that was intended for use earlier on in the movie.

* Solomon and Sheba, 1958 - Tyrone Power had filmed about 75 percent of his scenes when he was stricken with a massive heart attack, as he was filming a dueling scene with his co-star George Sanders. He died enroute to hospital. He was replaced by Yul Brynner to take over the role. Power’s closeups in the film were reshot with Brynner but the long shots featuring Power were kept; you can still spot Power in the long shots and even in a couple during the fatal dueling scene.

* Plan 9 from Outer Space, 1956 - a classic this one. Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack during production of Ed Wood’s cult film. It features footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double. Wood had taken a few minutes of silent footage of Lugosi, in his Dracula cape, and hired his wife’s chiropractor to double for Lugosi in additional shots. The double is thinner than Lugosi, and in every shot covers the lower half of his face with his cape. You can really spot the difference during his walk through the graveyard scene.

* Giant, 1955 - Actor James Dean only had completed his scenes with just some dubbing required when he was killed in a high speed road crash. His final scenes were shown in the film however his voice was dubbed by his friend Nick Adams; it is Nick’s voice you hear in Dean’s ‘drunken’ final scenes.

* The Misfits, 1960 - Clark Gable died of a heart attack after filming strenuous scenes in this western flick.  He had completed the film but a couple were reshot with a double.

* Canadian Bacon, 1995 - John Candy died from a heart attack during filming. A double was used in some scenes but the film was a flop.

* Twilight Zone, the Movie, 1983 - Actor Vic Morrow was killed, along with 2 children, during a scene. A helicopter hovering above crashed down into the actor and the two children. His episode in the film was included in the release but was edited to change the ending.

Actors injured during filming…

* Raintree County, 1957 - Handsome Montgomery Clift was filming when he was horrifically injured in a car smash after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor’s house one evening. His facial injuries were severe and production was halted for several months while he recuperated. His face never looked the same afterwards though. He completed the film eventually but if you watch the film you can easily spot the before the crash and after the crash Monty in his scenes.

* I, Claudious, 1937 - Actress Merle Oberon suffered facial injuries in a car crash during filming; the project was abandoned and never released even though the film was well into production.

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