Last Call: Science Fiction and Horror Obituaries July 2007

KERWIN MATTHEWS, 81. The heroic swashbuckling American star of Harryhausen classic The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and of Jack the Giant Killer (1962). Matthews appeared in a number of other genre titles including The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960), Battle Beneath the Earth (1967), The Boy who Cried Werewolf (1973) , Octaman (1971), and others. He also appeared in more mainstream fare including The Devil at Four O'Clock (1961), The Last Blitzkrieg (1959), and Man on a String (1960). A World War two Army Air Corps veteran, Matthews died of a heart attack July 5, 2007.

CHANEY KLEY, 34. Star of Darkness Falls (2003). TV appearances included Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Died of undisclosed causes July 24, 2007.

KIERON MOORE, 82. Noted for his role as the alcoholic scientist who discovers how to destroy the man-eating plants in Day of the Triffids (1962). Moore also starred in Dr. Blood's Coffin (1961) and was the ruffian who mixed it up with young Sean Connery in Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959). One of his more notable mainstream roles was as the traitor in The 300 Spartans (1962) who shows the Persians the shortcut around Thermopylae. He retired in the 1960s after completing 50 films, although he did narrate occasional documentaries thereafter. Moore died July 22, 2007.

MOE DISESSO, 83. Animal trainer whose charges appeared in numerous films, including My Stepmother is An Alien (1988),The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Devil Dog, Hound From Hell (1978), as well as numerous mainstream TV and film projects such as Seinfeld, Will and Grace, John Wayne's The Conqueror (1956), and so on. His pet raven, Jim, Jr., appeared in 125 productions including the title role in Roger Corman's The Raven (1963). For Ben (1971), Willard (1972), DiSesso provided 600 trained rats. Wounded in action in the Navy during World War Two, DeSesso received 11 Patsy awards for his animal training skills. Died July 2, 2007, in Newhall, California.