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Yvonne Furneaux, the glamorous actress who had memorable performances in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Le Amiche, Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, has died. She was 98.

Furneaux died July 5 at her home in North Hampton, New Hampshire, of complications from a stroke, her son, Nicholas Natteau, told The Hollywood Reporter.

She also was the female lead in the Hammer horror film The Mummy (1959), starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Though she considered the project less than ideal, she said she ultimately learned from those actors that “if you don’t take a film like The Mummy seriously and put your heart and soul into it, then you can bring it down,” she explained in Mark A. Miller’s 2010 book, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema.

She starred in Italian, French, German and Spanish films during her career.

In Le Amiche (1955), a hit at the...

Martin Campbell's "The Mask of Zorro" is one of the most rousing adventure films of the 1990s, a bracing throwback to old-school Errol Flynn swashbucklers that dazzles with masterfully staged sword fights. Perhaps most importantly, it's powered by an emotionally resonant narrative that raises the stakes sky-high, leading to a breathtaking climax that had audiences cheering all three times I saw the film theatrically.

Antonio Banderas is absolute perfection as Alejandro Murrieta, a rakish outlaw who becomes the unlikely successor to Anthony Hopkins' Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro. Murrieta also falls for Catherine Zeta Jones' beautiful and feisty Elena Montero, who does not know that her father, the evil Don Rafael Montero, stole her as an infant from de la Vega and his wife Esperanza (Julieta Rosen).

That Elena does not know her true lineage winds up being the heartfelt counterpart to the film's rollicking action. Indeed,...

The Associated Press is reporting that stuntman and sword master Bob Anderson, who played Darth Vader in fight sequences in Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi has passed away at 89. In addition to being part of the good Star Wars films, Anderson’s five decades in cinema has seen him work with everyone from Errol Flynn in The Master Of Ballantrae in 1953, to Antonio Banderas in The Legend Of Zorro in 2005. In between you’ll find Highlander (’86), The Princess Bride (’87), the Lord Of The Rings films, and many, many more. The British Academy of Fencing reports Anderson died in an English hospital on New Year’s Day.

Here is a classic light saber battle, this one from Empire Strikes Back, featuring Anderson at his best. He will be missed, but his work will never go forgotten…...

'Swordmaster' and stunt double who fenced with Errol Flynn and swung the lightsaber for Darth Vader

As a stunt double, Bob Anderson, who has died aged 89, was among the many unsung, unknown, uncredited and partially unseen performers of motion pictures whose purpose is to remain anonymous while making the star look athletic, acrobatic, courageous or devil-may-care. For those in the business, Anderson reigned supreme in the fencing department, earning the title of "swordmaster". Given the partly Japanese genesis of the Star Wars franchise, it was an apt description of the man who wielded the lightsaber for Darth Vader in his duels in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).

In 1983 Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, blew Anderson's cover in an interview: "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting. It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told George [Lucas, the creator] I didn't think it was fair any more.

They say "the pen is mightier than the sword," but that old adage doesn't account for lightsabers.

When it came to mastering any kind of blade, be it the 18th-century fencing of "Barry Lyndon" to the epic laser sword duels of a galaxy far, far away, Bob Anderson was the go-to guy to train, choreograph and occasionally work as stunt double. The Associated Press reports the 89-year-old movie legend died early New Year's Day at an English hospital.

For years, many people assumed it was six-foot-six bodybuilder David Prowse, the man inside Darth Vader's suit, fighting Luke Skywalker in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," but behind-the-scenes it was Anderson, pushing age 60, clashing over the fate of the universe.

"Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting," said Mark Hamill. "It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told (director) George (Lucas...

Bob Anderson, Olympic fencer and movie sword master who donned Darth Vader's helmet for all of the light saber fight scenes in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, has passed away at the age of 89. Cause of death was not disclosed to the public.

Bob Anderson worked as a sword master, fight director, and stunt performer for over five decades in cinema, appearing alongside Errol Flynn, Antonio Banderas, and Mark Hamill.

It was Mark Hamill who outted Bob Anderson as the third piece of the Darth Vader persona in 1983. The actor was joined by James Earl Jones as the voice and David Prowse as the body in creating one of the greatest villains of all time.

According to Bob Anderson's former assistant Leon Hill, David Prowse wasn't good with a sword, and he was unable to...

At some point in their lives, pretty much everyone on the planet has pretended to wield a sword, lightsaber or some kind of deadly blade in an epic battle to the death. However, Olympic fencer Bob Anderson actually handled swords in real-life as an Olympic fencer and one of the foremost sword-fighting trainers and choreographers in cinema. Sadly, we must report a tragic loss at the beginning of 2012 as TheOneRing.net reports that Anderson, who has worked on such iconic films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the original Star Wars trilogy, passed away early this morning at a hospital in the UK. Anderson's career started nearly 60 years ago when he staged fights for the 1952 Errol Flynn film The Master Of Ballantrae. However, he would go on to choreograph fight scenes in films like From Russia With Love and Die Another Day, The Legend Of Zorro, and ...

Former Olympic fencer Bob Anderson, who has died aged 89, staged classic fights for films from Return of the Jedi to The Princess Bride. Here are a few swashbuckling scenes to remember

The Master of Ballantrae

Bob Anderson: stunts, coaching

The first film Anderson worked on, The Master of Ballantrae stars Errol Flynn as Jamie Durie, a Highlander who fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie and then went off to become a pirate. You don't see much sword-fighting in this clip, but you get the idea.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Bob Anderson: stunt performer

Anderson's role in the Star Wars series went unrecognised at first, until Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker, revealed all. "It was always supposed to be a secret, but I finally told (director) George (Lucas) I didn't think it was fair any more," he said in an interview with...

Former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series has died

Bob Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series, has died, British fencing authorities said today. He was 89.

The British Academy of Fencing said that Anderson died early on New Year's Day at an English hospital.

Anderson donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The villainous character was played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, and Anderson's role was not initially publicised.

But Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, said in a 1983 interview that "Bob Anderson was the man who actually did Vader's fighting."

"It was always supposed to be a secret, but I...

A master swordsman who performed stunts in Star Wars and the Lord Of The Rings franchise has died aged 89.

Former Olympic fencer Bob Anderson passed away in England on New Year's Day.

After serving in the Royal Marines during World War II, he represented Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games before moving into movie stunt work.

His first big screen fight scene was when he staged sword battles and coached Errol Flynn in The Master of Ballantrae. He became one of Hollywood's most sought-after sword masters, and worked on stunts for films including From Russia With Love and Die Another Day, The Legend of Zorro and The Princess Bride.

He also donned Darth Vader's iconic black costume to perform the character's light saber bouts in the three original Star Wars movies

. Anderson is survived by his wife Pearl and three children.

London — Olympic fencer and movie sword master Bob Anderson appeared in some of film's most famous dueling scenes – though few viewers knew it.

Anderson, who has died at age 89, donned Darth Vader's black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original "Star Wars" films, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."

Anderson, who worked with actors from Errol Flynn to Antonio Banderas during five decades as a sword master, fight director and stunt performer, died early New Year's Day at an English hospital, the British Academy of Fencing said Monday.

Vader, "Star Wars'" intergalactic arch-villain, was voiced by James Earl Jones and played by six foot six (1.98 meter) former weightlifter David Prowse, but Anderson stepped in during the key fight scenes.

"David Prowse wasn't very good with a sword and Bob couldn't get him to do the moves," said Anderson's former assistant, Leon Hill.

Bob Anderson, a former Olympic swordsman who staged fights for films including the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series, has died, British fencing authorities said Monday. He was 89. The British Academy of Fencing said Monday that Anderson died early New Year’s Day at an English hospital.

Anderson donned Darth Vader’s black helmet and fought light saber battles in two of the three original Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The villainous character was played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones, and Anderson’s role was not initially publicized.

There's more to Notre Dame de Paris than Quasimodo, but the latest movie adaptation sounds unlikely to do the novel justice

According to Jay Fernandez at Risky Business: The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has signed up a "high-concept action-adventure story" using "the framework of the traditional Hunchback of Notre Dame story in the vein of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies". If this isn't a spoof, it's the latest proof that Hollywood film-makers have never understood one of the greatest Romantic historical novels.

Victor Hugo's novel is called Notre Dame de Paris. Part of Hollywood's problem has been its use of the title Frederic Shoberl invented for his 1833 translation: it's not all about Quasimodo. The book is a panorama of 15th-century Paris, from Louis XI to the Villon-esque Cour des Miracles. Its dark hero is the young Archdeacon, Claude Frollo, a proto-Dostoevskian tortured intellectual. Claude unravels, mentally and morally,...