August 8

2013 – Karen Black, appeared in numerous genre outings including “Ooga Booga”, “House of 1000 Corpses”, “Children of the Night”, “Invaders from Mars”, “Burnt Offerings”, “Trilogy of Terror” and more. She passed away at the age of 74.

2004 – The first Scream Queen, Fay Wray, passed away at the age of 96. She starred in “The Vampire Bat”,  “Doctor X” and “Mystery Of The Wax Museum,” and the film that made her a star “King Kong.”

1988 – Alan Napier, best known for playing “Alfred the Butler” on the “Batman” TV series, passed away at the age of 85. He also appeared in the films “The Mole People,” “The Uninvited” and “The Invisible Man Returns.”

1984 – Richard Deacon who is best known for playing Mel Cooley on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” passed away at the age of 63. His film credits have included “The Birds,” the 1953 version of “Invaders From Mars” and “Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy.”

1971 – Leonard Hicks who played “Kimar” in “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” passed away at the age of 53.

1965 – Shirley Jackson, who wrote the novel “The Haunting of Hill House” on which the film “The Haunting” was based, passed away at the age of 45.