Craig Zablo

Michael Lerner  died on April 8, 2023.  Mr. Lerner was 81.

Michael Lerner knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor.  While in college he performed in several plays.  After his graduation from Brooklyn College, Michael Lerner received a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. There he earned a master’s degree.  Upon graduation he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study theater in London.  While in London, Michael Lerner became friends with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.  He even appeared in one of Ono’s short experimental films.

In 1968, Michael Lerner returned to California.  He began appearing in local stage productions.  The following year he began getting guest spots on television shows.  In 1970, he appeared in the feature film Alex in Wonderland.  For the remainder of his career Michael Lerner would act on stage, television, feature films and even radio. Mr. Lerner was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in Barton Fink (1991).

Some of Michael Lerner’s television appearances include: Dr. Kildare; The Brady Bunch; The Doris Day Show (2 episodes); The Young Lawyers; That Girl; Thief; Marriage Year One; Banacek; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (2 episodes); Ironside (2 episodes); Night Gallery; The Streets of San Francisco; The Bob Newhart Show; Emergency; Love American Style; MASH; The Odd Couple; The Missiles of October; Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic; Starsky and Hutch (2 episodes); Rhoda; Harry O; Police Woman; The Rockford Files (4 episodes); Ruby & Oswald; Kojak; Vegas; Wonder Woman; Barnaby Jones; Hart to Hart (2 episodes); MacGyver; The A-Team; Hill Street Blues (4 episodes); Amazing Stories; The Equalizer; Melba (4 episodes); Tales from the Crypt; Courthouse (11 episodes); Clueless (18 episodes); Godzilla: The Series (3 episodes); Third Watch; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 episodes); Entourage; Saving Grace; The Good Wife and Glee (5 episodes).

Some of Michael Lerner’s feature film appearances include: Alex in Wonderland; The Ski Bum; The Candidate; Busting; Newman’s Law; St. Ives; The Other Side of Midnight; Outlaw Blues; Golden Girl; Borderline; Coast to Coast; The Postman Always Rings Twice; Strange Invaders; Eight Men Out; Harlem Nights; Maniac Cop 2; Barton Fink; No Escape; Godzilla; The Mod Squad; My Favorite Martian; Elf and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

I don’t remember when I first saw Michael Lerner.  He appeared in several shows that I regularly watched as a kid.  Michael Lerner always brought something special to the roles he played.  My favorite is probably his Academy Award nominated performance in Barton Fink.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Lerner’s family, friends and fans.

Wilmer Cable Butler aka Bill Butler died yesterday at the age of 101, just two days short of his 102nd birthday.

Mr. Butler graduated with a degree in engineering from the University of Iowa.  He began his professional career as an engineer at a Gary, Indiana radio station.  He moved to Chicago to help design and build ABC television affiliate stations.  Mr. Butler then moved to WGN-TV where he worked live camera reports for local shows and commercials.

It was at WGN where Bill Butler met director William Friedkin.  Friedkin was prepping a documentary. He asked Mr. Butler to serve as his cinematographer.  The documentary was The People vs. Paul Crump, about a death row inmate.  The documentary assisted in getting Crump exonerated.  It was also Bill Butler’s first professional film credit.  Mr. Butler would go on to become one of the most requested and admired cinematographers in the industry.

Some of Bill Bulter’s feature films include: Fearless Frank; The Rain People; Drive, He Said; The Return of Count Yorga; Hickey & Boggs; The Conversation; Jaws; Lipstick; The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings; Demon Seed; Capricorn One; Damien: Omen II; Grease; Uncle Joe Shannon; Ice Castles; Rocky II; Can’t Stop the Music; The Night’s the Lights Went Out in Georgia; Stripes; Rocky III; Rocky IV;  Biloxi Blues; Graffiti Bridge; Hot Shots!; Sniper; Cop & ½; Beethoven’s 2nd; Anaconda and Frailty.

Some of Bill Butler’s television projects include: The People vs. Paul Crump; Something Evil; Circle of Fear (5 episodes); Savage; The Execution of Private Slovik; Raid on Entebbe; The Thorn Birds (4 episodes); A Streetcar Named Desire and  A Walton Wedding.

Bill Butler is best known for his work with Steven Spielberg on Jaws.  They had worked together previously on two television movies, Something Evil and Savage.  I first saw Bill Butler’s work on The Execution of Private Slovik, a television movie starring Martin Sheen.  It felt like I was watching a feature film and much of the credit for that goes to Mr. Butler.

I loved how throughout his career Bill Butler could move from low-budget genre films to high budget star vehicles.  He was at home with gritty dramas as movies geared to kids.  He worked on so many films that I love: Jaws; Capricorn One; Rocky 2, 3 &4 and Frailty to name a few.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Butler’s family, friends and fans.