DEATHS ELSEWHERE IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Diana Douglas, 92
Actress who appeared opposite exhusband Kirk, son Michael
Died: of cancer at a Los Angeles hospital Friday
Background: As an actress, Diana Douglas was best known for her work in television, going back to the late 1940s, when she appeared in live dramas, and in roles in hit series such as “Naked City,” “The Waltons,” “Ben Casey,” “The Streets of San Francisco” and “The Paper Chase,” on which she had a recurring part as a law professor. Diana and Kirk Douglas married in 1943 and divorced in 1951; they were reunited on screen as a married couple in the 2003 film “It Runs in the Family,” which also featured son Michael, with whom she also appeared on “The Streets of San Francisco.” Her other big-screen credits included “The Indian Fighter” (1955), “The Star Chamber” (1983, again with son Michael) and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987).
Jerry Weintraub, 77
Legendary Hollywood producer (‘Nashville,’ ‘Diner,’ ‘Ocean’s Eleven’)
Died: in Palm Springs, Calif., Monday; he had been in poor health recently, according to Variety
Background: Starting as a tour promoter and manager of such music artists as John Denver, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and Led Zeppelin, Weintraub got into the movie business in the 1970s with Robert Altman’s “Nashville” and hits such as “Oh, God!” and “The Karate Kid” series. After briefly running United Artists, Weintraub focused on producing, including the “Ocean’s Eleven” series with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace HBO movie “Behind the Candelabra,” starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. His most recent project was the HBO series “The Brink,” with Jack Black and Tim Robbins.