Neal Hefti LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the movie "The Odd Couple" and the "Batman" television series, died Saturday. He was 85. Hefti died at his home, said his son Paul Hefti. Neal Hefti's notable achievements include the iconic theme of the 1960s superhero series "Batman," which became a Top 40 hit and won a Grammy Award in 1966 for best instrumental theme. He also composed music for "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot in the Park" and "Harlow," which featured his classic track "Girl Talk." His son said the "Batman" theme was Neal Hefti's most difficult piece, taking him at least one month to compose the driving bass and explosive trumpet bursts. Neal Hefti was born Oct. 29, 1922, in Hastings, Neb., and played trumpet with local bands as a teenager to earn money. As an adult, he worked with and arranged music for the greats of the Big Band era, including Count Basie, Woody Herman, Charlie Spivak and Harry James. ___ Stanislav Hlucka PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) _ Maj. Gen. Stanislav Hlucka, considered one of the best Czech pilots of World War II, died Wednesday. He was 88. Hlucka, who was one of the last living Czech World War II fighters, died in Prague's military hospital overnight, the Czech Defense Ministry said. Hlucka was born Oct. 19, 1919, in the eastern village of Blazovice. He fled Czechoslovakia, which was occupied by Nazi troops, and moved to France to join the Czech army there before moving to Britain to join the Royal Air Force. In May 1943, he became part of the RAF's No. 313 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron. The following year, he moved to the Soviet Union to join the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron. After the Communists took power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, Hlucka was arrested and sentenced to a one-year prison term in 1949. He was not allowed to return to the army until the 1960s. Officers who fought in the West during in the war were expelled from the Czech army and many were arrested and imprisoned by the communist regime. Hlucka later received many Czech, Slovak and British state and military decorations. ___ Chris Mims LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Chris Mims, a former defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers beset by legal problems, died Wednesday. He was 38. Mims was found dead in his downtown apartment. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play. Mims was discovered shortly before 9:30 a.m. by police officers conducting a welfare check, police said. The coroner's office declined to comment because Mims' relatives had not yet been notified. Mims played eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Chargers and one with the Washington Redskins. He retired in 2000, finishing with 42 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in 104 games. The 6-foot-5 Mims battled weight problems and once referred to himself as the "Fat Doctor" because he often tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds. Mims was drafted out of Tennessee in the first round by San Diego in 1992. He had a career-high 11 sacks when the Chargers won the AFC in 1994. He returned the next season but made only two sacks. After the 1995 season ended following a playoff loss to Indianapolis, Mims was almost an hour late for the team's final meeting, coming out of a limousine disheveled. The Chargers released him in 1997. A year later, Mims was convicted of refusing to take a blood-alcohol test after being pulled over for suspicion of drunken driving. His driver's license was suspended for a year. A judge had previously found Mims innocent of driving under the influence because prosecutors failed to prove their case. Continued... |