Theo Angelopoulos was a Greek god of film, even earning Cannes' praise in 1998;
Ben Gazzara displayed a great acting virtuosity, from Cassavetes films to Road House;
Whitney Houston was a pop goddess, though the '90s showed her ability to shine on the big screen;
David Kelly was one of Ireland's top talents, though the rest of the world didn't catch on until he woke Ned Devine;
Davy Jones spent life as a Monkee, and had part of that life displayed in a Head of a cult classic;
Ralph McQuarrie was a landmark sci-fi film designer, and the Star Wars universe would have looked different with him;
Robert B. Sherman was part of a songwriting duo of brothers, with Disney benefiting greatly from his words;
Tonino Guerra was one of Italy's top writers, with Antonioni and Fellini as great collaborators;
Mike Wallace and Dick Clark are TV gods, but even they popped up from time to time with big screen cameos;
Levon Helm drummed his way to musical immortality, but he even had acting as a side job;
Donna Summer and Robin Gibb shined throughout the '70s, and they even spent time on film in that decade;
Ann Rutherford wooed Andy Hardy in the '30s, but found screen greatness when she was Gone with the Wind;
Nora Ephron was a landmark writer-director who made audiences feel sleepless (in Seattle), and they liked what she had (to give on film);
Andy Griffith had his own self-titled TV sitcom, though he had a few great movie roles - especially as A Face in the Crowd;
Ernest Borgnine looked like a heavy, but he rocked the big screen with an Oscar-winning career;
Richard Zanuck followed his father's footsteps and became a top-notch producer;
Celeste Holm was another great character actress who shined, and had an Oscar to boot;
Frank Pierson was a prominent screenwriter, providing the world Cool Hand Luke and a Dog Day Afternoon;
Norman Alden drifted in and out of the big screen as a top-talented character actor;
Gore Vidal had a political reputation in writing, but he also spent time writing for the big screen;
Marvin Hamlisch wrote for the big screen too, but he was more a composer of lush and powerful melodies;
William Windom was more of a TV star, but he spent time with Brewster McCloud and on the Planet of the Apes;
Tony Scott was a powerhouse action director with style to boot, using cars and airplanes to chase all over the screen;
Phyllis Diller was an icon of American comedy, though she would spend time on the big screen - mostly in comic docs;
Hal David was a dynamite lyricist, especially when he gave "Raindrops" to Butch & Sundance in 1969;
Michael Clarke Duncan needed only one role as a big giant in a Stephen King prison, and became an Oscar nominee;
Andy Williams became a hugely successful singer, lending his voice to covers of some of the best movie songs ever;
Herbert Lom was best known to movie fans as the doomed original Dreyfus of the hugely comical Pink Panther franchise;
Alex Karras had a notable acting career after his football days, from Blazing Saddles to Victor/Victoria (and even Webster);
Sylvia Kristel became one of the Netherlands' most successful actors, best remembered as Emmanuelle;
Yash Chopra was one of India's great director-producers, helping to make Bollywood a worldwide filmmaking trend;
Russell Means was a prominent activist for the American Sioux, but gave his talents to the big screen along the way;
Larry Hagman spent part of his career acting and directing films, even as J.R. and Major Nelson made him a TV icon;
Ravi Shankar was the king of the sitar, and the epic biopic Gandhi benefited from his masterful playing;
Jack Klugman was also a great success story on TV, but his defining film role had him as an "angry man" in a jury;
Charles Durning was a iconic face on the big screen, with two Oscar nods and dozens of roles to boot;
Harry Carey, Jr. took up his father's trade and had success in his own right, especially with two Johns named Ford and Wayne.
These are the names of those the entertainment industry said goodbye to in 2012, and their incredible work will remain a visible part of worldwide filmmaking greatness.
Thank you for the characters, and for the memories.
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