They do say they go in threes, so let’s hope we have a break for a bit. Within the last week, we have lost three extremely talented, and some underrated talents in the world of movies and television that I thought needed mentioning here.

James Cann, best known as a tough guy (and rightly so) from his most famous role in The Godfather, but also in many other great titles like Rollerball (1975), Thief (1981) and The Killer Elite (1975), but horror fans know him from a very different role, of the poor writer Paul Sheldon who gets trapped by his “number one fan” in Rob Reiner’s adaption of Stephen King’s Misery (1990). But that wasn’t the only genre pic Cann appeared in, with his role in 1962’s Lady in a Cage, or even the sci-fi thriller Alien Nation (1988). It just showed his range as an actor, that could do so much more than being a tough guy.

Cann passed away on July 6th, at the age of 82.

L.Q. Jones was one of those actors that appeared in everything, and even if you didn’t know his name, you knew that face. With over 165 credits to his name, he appeared in a ton of westerns, a few directed by Sam Peckinpah, including Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), but it was the few entries into the cult and horror genre is where I have to give him props for. He appeared in the TV movie The Strange and Deadly Occurrence (1974), and the rubber monster horror film The Beast Within (1982), but it will be his appearance in The Brotherhood of Satan (1971), that he co-wrote, that I always remember him from. Of course, I also cannot forget to mention one of the strangest, weirdest, and bizarre movies that I got to see in the theater, a midnight screening of A Boy and His Dog (1975) that I went into with no idea what it was about. Jones wrote and directed this strange little futuristic flick that has built up quite a following, and rightly so.

Jones passed away on July 9th, at the age of 94.

Larry Storch is part of my childhood, like every other boy who grew up in the late ’60s and early ’70s, even though we may not have known it most of what we were “hearing” him on. Storch is listed with 250 credits on IMDB, a good chunk of those are due to voices he contributed to cartoons, such as Phineas J. Whoopee in Tennesse Tuxedo. Of course, he also did the voice for Drac in one of my favorite childhood cartoons, Groovie Goolies, as well as other voices on that show. While the show F Troop was one of his more popular series that he worked on, it was The Ghost Busters (1975) that I remember seeing him act, alongside Forrest Tucker and Bob Burns (as their pet gorilla Tracy), doing battle with all sorts of spooks and other crazy characters. Yes, it was a kid show and pretty silly, but for young monster kids, it was pretty cool.

Storch passed away on July 8th, at the age of 99!

To these three that had an effect on my youth, especially Storch, I am honored to have grown up watching you on either TV or the movie screen. And I know that you will always be there for us to revisit and remember you by. Gone, but not forgotten. Our thoughts go out to their friends and family during this difficult time. Rest in Peace.