Hal Dantzler has joined TM Advertising, Dallas, as director of broadcast production….Director Bill Bindley has signed with Trio Films, Venice, Calif., for spot representation….Director James Gartner of bicoastal production house GARTNER is currently in the midst of helming the new Jerry Bruckheimer feature Glory Road for Disney. This is part of a three-picture deal, with GARTNER having a first look option on each of the films….Joseph J. Di Buono, who had been with Unitel Video, New York, for almost two decades over two separate periods of time, passed away from cancer on June 19. Di Buono joined Unitel as sales director in 1972 and moved in ’79 to Reeves Teletape, New York, where he served as the company’s VP marketing for five years. In ’85, he returned to Unitel where he held the title of VP, director corporate marketing. Di Buono also had stints with several other companies including Reeves Actron, Video Tape Center and NBC Telesales….Accel-KKR, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based technology-focused private equity firm, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Alias’ management have completed their acquisition of Toronto-headquartered 3-D graphics software firm Alias from Silicon Graphics Inc., Mountain View, Calif., for $57.5 million. The deal was originally announced during the NAB confab a couple of months ago (SHOOT, 4/23, p. 1)….Writer/producer Michael "Lofey" Sandloafer has joined bicoastal music shop JSM….L.A. area houses V12 and Panopoly Pictures are merging their respective design and production departments to form Full Circle, a shop that will provide live-action production, branding motion graphic design and animation to clients in the feature, commercial and broadcast markets….
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More