Three Recent Passings - Robert Schlitt, William Finnegan and Robert Collins

[Zoneboy]

Their names may not be familiar but each left their mark on the entertainment industry.

Robert Schlitt


SCHLITT, Robert Passed away peacefully at his home on November 25th. Mr. Schlitt is survived by his children, Michael, Caroline, Colin and Sarah; and by his grandchildren, Suzanna, Max, Alexa and Isabella. Born in Brooklyn New York on July 24, 1933, the only child to parents Carl and Dorothy, he served in Frankfurt, with the U.S. Army Special Services Division (1955-56), where he played clarinet, saxophone and guitar with the Special Services jazz band.

In 1957, he graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Literature. He worked for a year and a half in Paris as a professional actor and musician. In 1960, his English translation of Felicien Marceau's "The Egg" opened at Broadway's Court Theater, where it was included on several "10 best plays of the Season" lists. In 1965, Mr. Schlitt went to work for NY Radio Station WBAI, where he co-created and performed a satirical sketch program "Its Your World and You Can Have it." The work quickly landed him a trip to Hollywood to write the premiere episode of a new television show "The Monkees".

He continued to work in television steadily for the next 35 years, with episodic writing credits including The Nurses, NYPD, Adam-12, The Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-0, Kung Fu, The Streets of San Francisco, and Lou Grant. Writer/Producer credits include The Blue Knight, Hill Street Blues, Q.E.D., Chicago Story, The Lazarus Syndrome, Emerald Point NAS, Sweepstakes, Matlock, Father Dowling Mysteries, Diagnosis Murder, Jake and the Fat Man and Perry Mason Mysteries. A lover of books, an avid sailor, a brilliant chef and a masterful conversationalist--there are few subjects he couldn't discuss at great length-Robert Schlitt is a genuine original. He will be sorely missed.

William Finnegan

The Emmy-nominated producer's credits include 'The Fabulous Baker Boys,' 'Hawaii Five-O,' and numerous TV movies.

William R. Finnegan, a film and television producer whose credits include "Hawaii Five-0," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "The Fabulous Baker Boys," has died. He was 80.

Finnegan, who was nominated for five Emmy Awards, died Friday of Parkinson's disease at his home in Sag Harbor, N.Y., according to his son Michael.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Finnegan-Pinchuk Co., the Studio City-based production firm he started with his wife, Patricia, and their partner, Sheldon Pinchuk, was one of the leading suppliers of network and cable television movies.

In addition to "The Dollmaker" (1984), with Jane Fonda, and "Amos" (1985), with Kirk Douglas, their productions included "Hoover" (1987), with Treat Williams, "The Atlanta Child Murders" (1985), with Morgan Freeman, "World War III" (1982), with Rock Hudson, "The $5.20 an Hour Dream" (1980), with Linda Lavin, and "The Ordeal of Patty Hearst" (1979), with Dennis Weaver.

Born June 29, 1928, in Kansas City, Mo., Finnegan served in the Navy after World War II. He started his career as a newsman in 1950, writing for the Hollywood Citizen News, the Associated Press and CBS. He went on to work in television and feature films as an assistant director and production manager.


The feature films he produced or co-produced include "Support Your Local Gunfighter" (1971), "North Shore" (1987), "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989), "White Palace" (1990), "The Babe" (1992), "CrissCross" (1992), "Reality Bites" (1994) and "Ed" (1996).

He also produced the TV shows "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" (1987) and "Big Hawaii" (1977).

He retired in 2003.

In addition to his wife, Patricia, Finnegan is survived by sons Michael, a political reporter for The Times; William, a staff writer for the New Yorker; Kevin, a labor lawyer in New York City; daughter Colleen, a doctor in Northampton, Mass.; brother Charles Robinson of Mill Creek, Wash.; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service in Los Angeles is being planned for January.


Robert Collins


Robert E. Collins, an Emmy-winning cinematographer and former instructor at the UNC School of the Arts, has died.

Collins, who was 73, was a faculty member of UNCSA's School of Filmmaking from 1997 to 2005. He taught editing and cinematography.

He died Monday after a prolonged illness.

David Elkins, an assistant dean at the school, started at UNCSA the same time as Collins. "We became fast friends and colleagues," he said. "I loved working with him."

Students loved working with Collins as well, according to Elkins. "All of the students wanted to have him as their mentor and would go to him with questions," he said. "He would go on locations with them on weekends."

Even after they graduated, students would frequently return to visit Collins and ask him for advice.

"He had a wealth of information and knowledge," Elkins said.

Collins was born in Lubbock, Texas, and moved to Hollywood as a teenager.

"He just fell into (show business) there," said his wife, Mel Higgins. "His mother was working in Hollywood, so he got a job with (TV station) KABC as an editor." Collins had more than 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

He won two Primetime Emmy Awards, for cinematography on the 1970 TV special Peggy Fleming at Sun Valley and for the premiere episode of Miami Vice, and one Daytime Emmy Award for an ABC Afterschool Special.

On television, he worked on various TV movies and miniseries, and on such shows as Airwolf, Hart to Hart, Twilight Zone and Dinosaurs. He also worked on movies including The Kentucky Fried Movie, Octopussy and Superman.

Higgins said that Collins was most proud of his three Emmy wins and his work on Airwolf, for which he was also nominated for an Emmy.

After he retired from UNCSA in 2005, "we traveled, in between hospital visits," she said. "We drove all the way to L.A."

In addition to Higgins, Collins is survived by three children. He asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Forsyth Humane Society, 61 Miller St., in honor of his dog Rascal.