End Credits #106: Cinema's 2022 Lost Treasures Mike Hodges, Angela Lansbury, Louise Fletcher, Jean-Luc Godard, Marsha Hunt, Wolfgang Petersen, Paul Sorvino, Bob Rafelson, L.Q. Jones

These are some of Cinema's sad departures of 2022 taken from my personal notes soon after the events took place:

British born director Mike Hodges died at age 90. He began his directorial career in television helming 3 episodes of the long running current affairs programme World in Action (1963 - 1998), and later, 2 episodes of the dramatic anthology series ITV Playhouse (1967 - 1982). His first motion picture was the daring and brutal Neo-noir Get Carter (1971, co-writer with Ted Lewis), one of his country’s most critically acclaimed films of the ‘70s. Motion pictures Hodges lent his directorial talents to that followed included Pulp (1972, its sole writer), The Terminal Man (1974, co-writer with Michael Crichton), Flash Gordon (1980), A Prayer for the Dying (1987), Croupier (1998), I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003), and the documentary Murder by Numbers (2004, co-director with Paul Carlin). Mike Hodges (July 29, 1932 - December 17, 2022) R.I.P.

London born actress of supreme versatility and dedication Angela Lansbury died at age 96. Her first film role, and a most memorable one, occurred when the actress was just 17 years of age, in the prominent film Gaslight (1944, as Nancy) at which time she was given a 7 year contract to MGM. Numerous important roles, many in what turned out to be classic motion pictures, followed including those in National Velvet (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The Harvey Girls (1946), The Hoodlum Saint (1946), State of the Union (1948), The Three Musketeers (1948), Kind Lady (1951), A Life at Stake (1955), A Lawless Street (1955), The Court Jester (1955), Please Murder Me! (1956), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960), All Fall Down (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962, an astonishing performance as Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin, pictured), The World of Henry Orient (1964), Something for Everyone (1970), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and Death on the Nile (1978). She probably achieved her biggest fame for appearing in 264 episodes of Murder, She Wrote (1984 - 1996) and providing the voice of Mrs. Potts in the Disney animated hit Beauty and the Beast (1991). Angela Lansbury (October 16, 1925 - October 11, 2022) R.I.P.

Academy Award winning actress Louise Fletcher died at age 88. After making regular appearances in mostly TV series, Fletcher took time out to raise a family. She returned to work in Robert Altman’s Thieves Like Us (1974), coming to the attention of director Milos Forman who was casting the role of nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next (1975, pictured). She won the role and subsequently the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Other films she lent value to included The Cheap Detective (1978), The Lady in Red (1979), Natural Enemies (1979), Brainstorm (1983), Firestarter (1984), Once Upon a Time in America (1984, The Extended Cut), The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), The Player (1992), Giorgino (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Cruel Intentions (1999), A Map of the World (1999), Big Eden (2000), Aurora Borealis (2005), and A Perfect Man (2013). Additionally, Fletcher won an Emmy nomination for her recurring role as Christine on Picket Fences (1996). She also had notable parts in 6 episodes of VR.5 (1995 - 1997) and 14 episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 - 1999). Louise Fletcher (July 22, 1934 - September 23, 2022) R.I.P.

The highly acclaimed, and many would say, iconoclastic French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard died at age 91. In 1952 and 1956 he wrote film criticisms for "Les cahiers du cinéma". His first film was the short Charlotte et Véronique, ou Tous les garçons s'appellent Patrick aka All the Boys Are Called Patrick (1959) written by soon to become filmmaker (not to mention part of the French ‘New Wave’ himself), Éric Rohmer. It was Godard’s 1960 landmark film Breathless aka Le Mepris (1960) with its mix of cinéma-vérité and free-wheeling improvisational styles that resonated with both audiences and film critics alike, becoming a huge success with both. He went on to direct Une Femme est une Femme aka A Woman is a Woman (1961, co-writer with Geneviève Cluny), Vivre Sa Vie (1962, co-writer with Marcel Sacotte), The Little Soldier aka Le petit soldat (1963, its sole writer), Contempt aka Le mépris (1963, co-writer with Alberto Moravia), Band of Outsiders aka Bande à part (1964, co-writer with Dolores Hitchens), Alphaville (1965, co-writer with Paul Éluard), Pierrot le fou (1965, co-writer with Rémo Forlani and Lionel White), Masculin féminin (1966, co-writer with Guy de Maupassant), Two or Three Things I Know About Her… aka 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967, co-writer with Catherine Vimenet), La chinoise (1967, its sole writer), Week End (1967, co-writer with Julio Cortázar), Tout va bien (1972, co-director and writer with Jean-Pierre Gorin), and Hail Mary aka Je vous salue, Marie (1985, its sole writer). He also made, as well as participated in, many short films and TV series including the acclaimed 8-part documentary Histoire(s) du cinéma (1989 - 1999). Jean-Luc Godard (December 3, 1930 - September 13, 2022) R.I.P.

She had an acting career that spanned 73 years (her first film was The Virginia Judge released in 1935, Empire State Building Murders her last in 2008): actress Marsha Hunt died at age 104. She was a tremendously gifted actress whose presence enlivened the films Born to the West (1937), Star Reporter (1939, pictured), Pride and Prejudice (1940), Kid Glove Killer (1942), The Human Comedy (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), Cry 'Havoc' (1943), Lost Angel (1943), None Shall Escape (1944), The Valley of Decision (1945), Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), Raw Deal (1948), Jigsaw (1949), The Happy Time (1952), and Johnny Got His Gun (1971) among others. Marsha Hunt (October 17, 1917 - September 6, 2022) R.I.P.

German born director Wolfgang Petersen died at age 81. After directing a number of TV movies and short films in Germany, Petersen received worldwide recognition, as well as critical acclaim, for directing Das Boot aka The Boat (1981). There followed The NeverEnding Story (1981) and Enemy Mine (1985). After moving to the U.S. in 1987, Petersen became an A-list director, helming Shattered (1991), and the blockbusters In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Air Force One (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000), Troy (2004), and Poseidon (2006). His final picture was the German heist drama Four Against the Bank (2016). Wolfgang Petersen (March 14, 1941 - August 12, 2022) R.I.P.

Few character actors could convey as imposing of an authority figure as Paul Sorvino who died at age 83. He always lent authenticity to the many films he appeared in, including Where’s Poppa? (1970, hilarious as the fed up owner of ‘Gus and Graces’ Retirement Home), The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Made for Each Other (1971), A Touch of Class (1973), The Gambler (1974), Oh, God! (1977), The Brink’s Job (1978, for director William Friedkin), Reds (1981, for director Warren Beatty), That Championship Season (1982), A Fine Mess (1986, for director/writer Blake Edwards), Dick Tracy (1990, as Lips Manlis), Goodfellas (1990, a standout performance as Paulie Cicero in this Martin Scorsese classic, pictured), The Rocketeer (1991), The Firm (1993, a small but highly effective part as gangster Tommy Morolto), Nixon (1995, an astonishing transformation as Henry Kissinger for director Oliver Stone), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Bulworth (1998), The Cooler (2003), Switchback aka Mineville (2010), Detours (2016), and Papa (2018). Paul Sorvino (April 13, 1939 - July 25, 2022) R.I.P.

A major influence in Hollywood’s break toward independent filmmaking was Bob Rafelson who died at age 89. His first film as a director was Head (1968, co-written with friend Jack Nicholson) starring ‘The Monkees’, a pop group, along with Bert Schneider, he helped create. Five more films featuring Nicholson would follow. Rafelson went on to direct the justifiably acclaimed Five Easy Pieces (1970, co-writer with Carole Eastman), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972, co-writer with Jacob Brackman), Stay Hungry (1976, co-writer with Charles Gaines), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981, co-adapted with David Mamet from the novel by James M. Cain), Black Widow (1987), Mountains of the Moon (1990, co-writer with William Harrison), Man Trouble (1992), Blood & Wine (1996, co-writer with Nick Villers and Alison Cross), and Poodle Springs (1998, a TV movie adapted from an unfinished ‘Philip Marlowe’ novel by Raymond Chandler), amongst others. Bob Rafelson (February 21, 1933 - July 23, 2022) R.I.P.

The multi-talented actor, producer and director L.Q. Jones died at age 94. Born Justus McQueen, he took the name we came to know him by from the character he portrayed in his first film, Battle Cry (1955). Other films that benefitted from his personable and distinct characterisations include: An Annapolis Story aka The Blue and the Gold (1955, his first for director Don Siegel), Between Heaven and Hell (1956), Men in War (1957), The Young Lions (1958), Buchanan Rides Alone (1958), The Naked and the Dead (1958), Torpedo Run (1958), Flaming Star (1960), Hell Is for Heroes (1962), Major Dundee (1965, his first for director Sam Peckinpah), Hang 'Em High (1968), The Wild Bunch (1969, pictured), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Casino (1995, for director Martin Scorsese), The Edge (1997) The Patriot (1998), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006, for director Robert Altman).  He also co-produced, co-adapted (along with Harlan Ellison from the latter’s novel) and directed the post-apocalyptic cult classic A Boy and His Dog (1975). L.Q. Jones (August 19, 1927 - July 9, 2022) R.I.P.