Remembering icons in film, music, and innovation

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, January 3rd.

Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: remembering some prominent figures from the world of arts and culture. Here’s WORLD reporter Emma Perley.

SINGING: [Sisters Suffragette - Mary Poppins]

EMMA PERLEY: British actress Glynis Johns is best known for her role as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins. She frequently took on roles where she danced and sang and often performed in comedy musicals. And although she suffered from stage fright—it didn’t stop her from appearing in 30 plays and 60 films. For the Broadway play A Little Night Music, she earned a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her song, “Send in the Clowns.” Audio from Sony Music Entertainment.

SINGING: [A Little Night Music — Send in the Clowns]

Johns was married four times, and once remarked that she was not as good at being married as she was at acting. Johns died of natural causes at 100 years old on January 4th.

Shigeichi Negishi also passed away at age 100 on January 26th. Although he’s not a household name, his invention certainly is: the karaoke machine.

AUDIO: [Karaoke]

As a Japanese engineer, Negishi built the first prototype in 1967. He called it the “Sparko Box” and distributed it with cassette tapes and a little book of lyrics.

He eventually ran into manufacturing issues and had to shut down his business. But the idea became popular as other companies put out their own versions of karaoke. Negishi never patented his prototype, but he is credited with being the first to invent it.

Infamous football star Orenthal James—or O.J.—Simpson also died this year at age 76. He was one of the best running backs in the NFL, but his highly publicized murder trial overshadowed his football achievements. The jury controversially acquitted Simpson for the crime of murdering his wife and her friend.

Audio here from a 1996 press conference with Simpson.

SIMPSON: I ask you to listen to me, and you judge. But I swear to you before my God, I did not commit these crimes.

He believed that the media purposely targeted him for sensational headlines, and maintained his innocence until his death on April 10th.

Atheist author and philosopher Daniel Dennett who praised evolution in his 1995 book, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, also died in April. Fellow atheist Richard Dawkins interviewed Dennett in 2009.

DENNETT: It shows us how over eons, natural processes have generated the design improvements that make this all possible.

Dennett tried to make the point that Darwin’s “dangerous idea” was that creation did not need an intelligent designer—even if evolution might be false. The book caused controversy among scientists and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Dennett wrote many books on philosophy throughout his lifetime. He died of lung disease at age 82.

Next, an actress who made her mark in Hollywood as a stunt double. Audio here from a 1979 CBS Sunday Morning interview with Jeannie Epper.

EPPER: Something sort of comes over you, a sense of peace, a sense of … you know you can do it. You know you’re not going to get killed doing it.

Epper’s parents were also stunt performers, and she continued their legacy. In the 70s, she was the stuntwoman for the TV series Wonder Woman and the movie Charlie’s Angels. And the job came with plenty of challenges. Once, she accidentally caught on fire.

But Epper said she always felt fulfilled and she paved the way for many other women to join the stunt industry. Epper died on May 5th at 83 years old.

Next, a documentarian who gained 24 pounds to prove a point about fast food.

SPURLOCK: I will only super size it if they ask me. I can only eat things that are for sale over the counter at McDonalds. Water included. If McDonalds doesn’t sell it, I can’t eat it.

In 2004, Morgan Spurlock set out to eat 3 McDonald’s meals a day for 30 days—and filmed himself doing it. The documentary—called Super Size Me—became popular for its honest depiction of America’s obesity problem.

Spurlock produced and directed several other documentaries. He later admitted to sexual misconduct against his coworkers, which largely ended his career. He died from cancer complications on May 23rd at 53 years-old.

MUSIC: [M*A*S*H title song]

Actor Donald Sutherland’s rise to stardom began with his performances in the film The Dirty Dozen and the war sitcom M*A*S*H. Audio here from a 2001 BBC interview.

SUTHERLAND: I think what you need in your life is a little bit of talent, some chance, some good luck, and an extraordinary amount of hard work and a wonderful partner. And I have been blessed with those things. And my life has been a happy one.

Sutherland also took on the role of President Snow in the Hunger Games trilogy, and played Mr. Bennet in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. Although he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he was presented with an honorary Oscar in 2017. His son Kiefer followed in his father’s footsteps and also became a well-known actor.

Donald died on June 20th, aged 88.

Next, James Earl Jones started as an actor specializing in Shakespeare plays. He overcame a childhood stutter to become a widely known stage performer. But the job didn’t come with much money.

Then Jones joined the cast of Star Wars in 1977. George Lucas paid him $7,000 to voice Darth Vader.

JONES: I was broke, and for me that was good money. I got lucky.

Jones went on to star in Field of Dreams, a critically acclaimed sports film. And he lent his baritone voice to several roles, including Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King. He also narrated the King James Version of the New Testament.

JONES: And seeing the multitude, he went up into the mountain. And when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jones earned an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award during his long career. Jones passed away from diabetes complications at 93 years old on September 9th.

Finally, another legendary actor also passed away in September.

CLIP: Welcome to Hogwarts! Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates.

Maggie Smith is most known for her role as Professor Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter, or as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey.

CLIP: Sybill, vulgarity is no substitute for wit.

Her career spanned seven decades, and she was known for her versatile performances. Among many other awards, Smith earned the Triple Crown of Acting. That’s an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony Award and it’s something only fifteen women have ever achieved. Smith died at 89 years old.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Emma Perley.

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