Published at: Jan. 14, 2006, 4:53 p.m. CST by staff
Hey folks, Quint here with some sad sad news. Shelley Winters, star of such films as LOLITA, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, ALFIE, BLOODY MAMA, WHO SLEW AUNTIE ROO?, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, CLEOPATRA JONES and over 100 other films in her career died of heart failure at the age of 85.
This actually hits me pretty squarely. One of my very first theatrical films was PETE'S DRAGON, which is still one of my favorite Disney films, in which Winters played a pretty vile villain, a hillbilly who adopted an orphan just to work him like a slave. She also starred in an obscure '70s flick called DIAMONDS alongside my namesake, Robert Shaw, and Shaft, himself, Richard Roundtree. The film itself isn't amazing, but that cast was one in a million.
Her work with Stanley Kubrick in LOLITA and Robert Mitchum and Charles Laughton in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER will be remembered for all of cinema history as it is passes from generation to generation of movie lovers. She was one of the most recognizable actresses of her generation and one who I always enjoyed seeing giving it her all onscreen. She will be missed.
My thoughts go out to Ms. Winters' friends, family and fans.
