A Halloween Tribute to June Lockhart

June Lockhart died on October 23, 2025, at the age of 100. For that reason, earlier today I eulogized her. She has always been one of my favourites, so I could do no less. At the same time, it is a tradition here of A Shroud of Thoughts for me to make seven Halloween-themed posts leading up to the holiday. I thought I would then leave you with a very brief post. It is a Halloween-themed promotional photo of Lassie, Jon Provost, and June Lockhart. I wish I knew when it was taken, but I have no information on the photo at all. Suffice it to say, it had to have been taken from 1957 to 1964 (the years that Jon Provost and June Lockhart were on the show). 

The Late Great June Lockhart

There are those people who can live to 100 and it still feels as if they died young. A case in point is legendary June Lockhart, She turned 100 years old on June 25, 2025. Sadly, she died on October 23, 2025. And while she did reach 100, it still feels as if she died too soon. It's not simply a case that June Lockhart was one of the last remaining actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It's not even a case that she appeared in such movies as A Christmas Carol (1938), All This and Heaven Too (1940), and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and starred on such TV shows as Lassie, Lost in Space, and Petticoat Junction. It's that June Lockhart was beloved by classic film buffs and classic television buffs for her talent, known for her grace, her strength, and her kindness.

June Lockhart was born on June 25, 1925, in New York City. Her parents were legends themselves, Canadian-American actor Gene Lockhart and his English-American wife Kathleen Lockhart. She was only 8 years old when she appeared in a pantomime scene in Peter Ibbetson at the Metropolitan Opera House. She also studied ballet there.

It was in 1934 that the family moved to California and Gene Lockhart signed with MGM. He was an early supporter of the Screen Actors Guild. June Lockhart attended the Westlake School for Girls in Beverly Hills. She stayed at the school during the week and spent the weekends with her parents. June Lockhart made her film debut in 1938 in MGM's version of A Christmas Carol, playing Belinda Cratchit, the daughter of Bob and Mrs. Cratchit (who were played by her parents, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart). In 1940, she appeared in a small role in All This and Heaven Too.

June Lockhart had significant roles in films in the 1940s. She played Lucille Ballard, the girl from the East initially resented by Esther and Rose Smith (Judy Garland and Lucille Bremer) in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). In Sergeant York (1941), she played Alvin York's sister Rosie. She played the title role in She-Wolf of London (1946). June Lockhart also appeared in the movies Adam Had Four Sons (1941), Miss Annie Rooney (1942), Forever and a Day (1943), The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), Keep Your Powder Dry (1945), Son of Lassie (1945), Easy to Wed (1946), The Yearling (1946), It's a Joke, Son! (1947), Bury Me Dead (1947), and T-Men (1947). She made her film debut on The Ford Theatre Hour in 1949. She appeared on Broadway in For Love or Money in 1947.

It was in 1958 that June Lockhart began playing the role of Ruth Martin on Lassie. She would remain in the role until the format of the show was changed in 1964. She guest starred on the TV shows The Prudential Family Playhouse, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Betty Crocker Star Matinee, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Studio One, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lights Out, Omnibus, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Love Story, The Stranger, Justice, The Elgin Hour, Kraft Television Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, The Goodyear Television Playhouse, Appointment with Adventure, Star Tonight, Science Fiction Theatre, The Christophers, Studio 57, The Alcoa Hour, Playhouse 90, Ford Television Theatre, On Trial, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, Shirley Temple's Storybook, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Zane Grey Theatre, Have Gun--Will Travel, Decision, Cimarron City, Rawhide, The United States Steel Hour, General Electric Theatre, and The Best of the Post. She appeared in the movie Time Limit (1957). She appeared on Broadway in The Grand Prize.

In the Sixties, she continued to star on Lassie. In 1965, she began playing the role of Maureen Robinson on Lost in Space. Following the end of Lost in Space, June Lockhart began playing Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction. She guest-starred on the shows Perry Mason, Bewitched, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Branded, Death Valley Days, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Mr. Novak, The Red Skelton Hour, Family Affair, and The Beverly Hillbillies.

In the Seventies, June Lockhart was the voice of Martha Day on the Saturday morning cartoon These Are the Days. She guest starred on the shows The Man and the City; Honeymoon Suite; Love, American Style; The ABC Afternoon Playbreak; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Adam-12; Police Story; Mobile One; Joe Forrester; Ellery Queen; Happy Days; Sword of Justice; The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries; Greatest Heroes of the Bible; and ABC Afternoon Specials. She appeared in the movie Just Tell Me You Love Me (1978).

In the Eighties, June Lockhart appeared in the movies Butterfly (1981), Deadly Games (1982), Strange Invaders (1983), Troll (1986) Rented Lips (1987), The Big Picture (1989), and C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (1989). She had a recurring role on the soap opera General Hospital.  guest starred on the shows Vega$; Magnum, P.I.; Darkroom; Falcon Crest; Insight; Knots Landing; The Greatest American Hero; Quincy, M.E.; Whiz Kids; Murder, She Wrote; The Colbys; Hotel; Amazing Stories; Wildfire; It's Gary Shandling Show; CBS Schoolbreak Special; The New Lassie; and Room For Romance. She was a guest voice on the animated show Pound Puppies.

In the Nineties, June Lockhart guest-starred on the shows Full House; Nurses; The John Larroquette Show; The Mommies; Babylon 5; Roseanne; Step by Step; 7th Heaven; Fired Up; and Beverly Hills, 90120. She was a guest voice on the animated shows The Critic, Duckman, Private Dick/Family Man, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Johnny Bravo, and Casper. She continued to appear in her recurring role on General Hospital. She appeared in the movies Dead Woman in Lingerie (1991), Sleep with Me (1994), Tis the Season (1994), Lost in Space (1998), Deterrence (1999), and The Thundering 8th (2000).

In the Naughts, June Lockhart guest-starred on the TV shows The Drew Carey Show; Andy Richter Controls the Universe; Las Vegas; Rock Me, Baby; Complete Savages; Grey's Anatomy; and Cold Case. She appeared in the movies One Night at McCool's (2001), Super Capers: The Origins of Ed and the Missing Balloon (2008), and Wesley (2009). In the Teens, she appeared in the movies Zombie Hamlet (2012) and The Remake (2016). She was a voice in the animated feature film Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm (2019). Her last role was in 2021 as the voice of Alpha Control in the reboot of Lost in Space.

June Lockhart was an incredible talent. Indeed, she achieved something few actors do, appearing in three different hit television shows. She was farm wife Ruth Martin on Lassie, biochemist and matriarch of the Robinsons on Lost in Space, and Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction. All three women were remarkable for their eras in terms of their strength and intelligence. Indeed, it is notable that two of them (Maureen and Dr. Craig) held doctorates. Of course, she played other roles beyond these. On the TV show Have Gun--Will Travel she played what I believe to be the one true love of Paladin (Richard Boone), Dr. Phyllis Thackeray. She was the perfect match for Paladin, intelligent, strong-willed, and caring, and not afraid to stand up for what she believed. As noted earlier, in Meet Me in St. Louis, she played Lucille Bremer, who was not only sweet, but also endowed with a good deal of common sense. In the Bewitched episode "Little Pitchers Have Big Fears," she played an overprotective mother, a sharp contrast to her usual maternal roles. In the Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode "The Second Wife," she played a mail-order bride who comes to believe her new husband killed his first wife. 

Beyond her acting, June Lockhart was known for her intelligence, her grace, her charm, and her kindness. She was certainly a progressive woman for her time. She was well-known for her love of rock 'n' roll and was a fan of artists from The Beatles to David Bowie. According to her Lost in Space co-star Bill Mumy, she took him and Angelea Cartwright to the Whisky a Go Go.  She was an advocate for NASA and space exploration in general, and was proud that her role on Lost in Space had inspired many women to go into space exploration. She was an ally of the LGBTQ community, to the point that in a 1970 appearance on The Virginia Graham Show, she confronted host Virginia Graham about her homophobia. June Lockhart said that she had driven Army tanks, flown in hot air balloons, and she went plane gliding. June Lockhart was a remarkable woman and a talented artist. It is no wonder so many people love her. 

"I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Unlike Christmas, there aren't that many songs that were written specifically for Halloween. There's "Monster Mash' by  Bobby "Boris" Pickett and "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and not may beyond that. Regardless, there are plenty of songs that, due to their subject matter, have become Halloween songs, including "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult, "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, Strange Brew by Cream, and so on. Among the oldest of these songs, at least as far as rock 'n' roll in concerned, "I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Jay Hawkins first wrote the lyrics for "I Put a Spell on You" in 1954 after his girlfriend left. Initially it was meant to be a ballad and was recorded as such in 1955 when he was with Grand Records. That version was not released at the time, although it would be released the Screamin' Jay Hawkins compilation The Whamee 1953–55 in 2006. It was on September 12, 1956, that Jay Hawkins recorded a new version for Okeh Records. According to Screamin' Jay Hawkins, producer Arnold Maxin brought chicken and ribs to the studio, and everyone got drunk. Screamin' Jay Hawkins couldn't even remember making the record.  In the end he went from being ordinary Jay Hawkins to Screamin' Jay Hawkins. 

Although not specifically written for Halloween, "I Put a Spell on You" was released in October 1956. Not only did the title of the song fit the holiday, but so did Screamin' Jay Hawkins's performance., complete with screams, grunts, and moans. "I Put a Spell on You" proved to be somewhat of a controversy, and some moral watchdogs claimed the song was about everything from cannibalism to rape. In th end, some radio stations refused to play it and it only went to no. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Regardless, it would be legendary Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed who would encourage Screamin' Jay Hawkins to entirely lean into the controversial nature of the song when he added the singer to his Rock and Roll Revue. Screamin' Jay Hawkins would emerge from a coffin, wearing a cape. Such theatrics would remain a part of his act for the rest of his career. Quite simply, Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the first shock rocker.

Since then "I Put a Spell on You" has been covered by several artists, including Nina Simone, Alan Price, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown,  Creedence Clearwater Revival, and yet others. It has also become a Halloween standard. 

The Rise and Fall of the Sexy Halloween Costume

Laurie, Maria, Janet, and Danielle in Trick 'r Treat

Sexy Halloween costumes, often referred to by the less polite term "slutty Halloween costumes," are not as popular as they once were. Mass-produced sexy Halloween costumes emerged in the late Nineties and peaked around the years 2008-2011. With the #MeToo movement in 2017, sexy Halloween costumes further declined in popularity, with many people choosing spookier, more traditional costumes. Regardless, sexy Halloween costumes are still popular. In 2024, sales for sexy Halloween costumes were projected to be around 6 billion. Of course, this begs the question of how sexy costumes became part of a holiday known for being spooky or scary.

To understand the phenomenon of the sexy Halloween costume, it would be a good idea to examine Halloween as it has been celebrated through the years. Indeed, to a small degree sex has been a part of Halloween all along. Among the various Halloween traditions were divinatory games centred around marriage. For example, in his poem "Halloween" Robert Burns described how single young people went out hand in hand into the cabbage patch to pull the first stalk they saw. The size and shape of the stalk were thought to be indicative of what his or her future spouse would look like. 

Halloween would be brought to the United States by Scottish immigrants. Initially, a holiday celebrated primarily by those immigrants, the celebration of Halloween began to spread beyond Scottish communities, and by the 1880s many Americans were holding Halloween parties. Of course, costumes were a part of those Halloween parties. In those days, Halloween costumes were home-made and favoured such spooky subjects as ghosts, devils, and witches. 

Of course, with Halloween growing in popularity, it would not be long before Halloween costumes were mass-produced. In the 1920s and 1930s, Collegeville, Halco, and Ben Cooper began manufacturing Halloween costumes for children. These three companies would make on major change in the nature of Halloween costumes by licensing popular characters from comic strips, theatrical cartoons, and radio. Ben Cooper made Halloween costumes based on various Walt Disney properties (including Snow White from the hit movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). Collegeville made a Lone Ranger costume, based on the popular radio show character. Halco made costumes based on the characters from Thimble Theatre, including Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Wimpy. The post-war years would see the most popular Halloween costumes for children shift from traditional costumes as ghosts, witches, and devils to the latest characters from movies and television.

The post-war years would see another shift in the celebration of Halloween. From its introduction to the United States by Scottish immigrants in the 19th Century to the 1930s, Halloween had been a holiday celebrated by both adults and children. Following World War II, the popularity of trick-or-treating led Halloween to increasingly become a holiday for children. It was in the 1970s that more and more adults began celebrating Halloween, By the 1980s, Halloween was once again being marketed to adults, including a notable advertising campaign for Coors Light featuring Elvira. The stage was then set for the emergence of sexy Halloween costumes.

Of course, while the mass production of sexy Halloween costumes would not come about until the close of the 20th Century, to a degree they were nothing new. From the 1920s through the Golden Age of Hollywood, the movie studios regularly published Halloween-themed pin-up pictures of their starlets in skimpy witch, black cat, and devil costumes. And, of course, throughout the 20th Century, people would wear their own home-made French maid, saloon girl, and other thematically sexy Halloween costumes. 

It would be in the 1970s that Halloween really began to develop a sexy side. In 1974, Greenwich Village's Halloween parade began and would soon become an annual neighbourhood party. The gay community in Greenwich Village took the parade, so that it would feature more and more outrageous drag outfits. The Greenwich Village parade would be followed by similar parades in West Hollywood and The Castro in San Francisco. 

Despite this, it would be some time before a sexy aesthetic in Halloween costumes would become mainstream. Largely due to the cycle of slasher movies popular at the time, the trend in costumes for adults tended towards gore.  It was in 2000 that Leg Avenue, originally a company that made tights and leggings, came out with its first Halloween costume, a scant, cat costume complete with ears. Leg Avenue would not be the only company to manufacture sexy Halloween costumes. Forplay, Yandy, 3 Wishes, and yet others would enter the market.

By 20004, the sexy Halloween costume had become enough of a phenomenon that it was acknowledged in the movie Mean Girls (2004), with several of the female characters dressing in sexy Halloween costumes, although the movie's costumes were actually modest compared to some of the costumes actually on the market at the time. In the movie, lead character Cady (Lindsay Lohan) remarks, "In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Notably, Cady does not dress as something sexy for Halloween, but something scary instead, because "It's Halloween."

The phenomenon of sexy Halloween costumes was also acknowledged in the cult movie Trick 'r Treat (2007). In the film, characters Danielle, Marie, and Janet dress in sexy Cinderella, Snow White, and Bo-Peep costumes, while Danielle's sister Laurie wears a more traditional and more modest Little Red Riding Hood costume. Even so, Laurie complains that her costume is too small. 

With the popularity of sexy Halloween costumes soaring in the Naughts, the costumes themselves became more and more outrageous, and not simply in the amount of skin they exposed. Companies began coming out with costumes that the vast majority of people would never have thought of as sexy. While many might find the ideas of sexy nurses, sexy witches, or sexy firefighters appealing, I think most people would never dream of Mister Rogers, Chewbacca, or Freddy Krueger as "sexy."

Unfortunately, some sexy Halloween costumes are not only bizarre, but also downright offensive and insensitive. There are sexy Pocahontas costumes, sexy mariachi costumes, sexy geisha costumes, and yet other examples of cultural misappropriation. Arguably worse are costumes that exploit real-life tragedy. For years, sexy Joan of Arc costumes have been on the market, despite the fact that Joan is the patron saint of France and died by being burned at the stake.

Of course, arguably the sexy Halloween costume has always been problematic to a degree. Through the years, there have been many who have argued that sexy Halloween costumes tend to objectify women. Yet others have argued that sexy Halloween costumes often demean professions, such as the myriad sexy nurse and sexy teacher costumes. Others have criticized the costumes for only being built for specific body types. While sexy Halloween costumes have their critics, there are those who see them positively as well. Some have argued that the costumes actually empower women to express their own sexuality in the way they choose. 

Sexy Halloween costumes have long been somewhat controversial. And it does seem that they have been declining in popularity. Whether they will completely disappear is a question only time can tell. Regardless, they have very much become a part of Halloween history. 

The Late Great Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley, founding member and lead guitarist of Kiss and a solo artist in his own right, died on October 16, 2025, at the age of 74. The cause was complications from a fall. 

Ace Frehley was born Paul Frehley in The Bronx, New York City on April 27, 1951. He began playing guitar when he was 13. He was influenced by artists from Albert Lee to Jimi Hendrix to The Who. It was while he was in high school that he received the nickname "Ace." 

Ace Frehley played with several different bands early in his career. One band, Molimo, was signed to RCA and released one album in 1971. It was in late 1972 that Ace Frehley answered an ad in The Village Voice for a lead guitarist. He auditioned for Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who were forming a new band following the dissolution of their old band Wicked Lester. Ace Frehley then became the lead guitarist of the band Kiss. It was Ace Frehley who designed the Kiss logo. The band also decided to perform in make-up, with each member adopting a different persona. Ace Frehley became "Space Ace," also known as "The Spaceman." 

Kiss's self-titled, debut album was released in 1974. Ace Frehley wrote the song "Cold Gin" and co-wrote"Love Theme from Kiss" with the rest of the band. Ace Frehley would write or co-write several different songs on various Kiss albums, including "Parasite," "Comin' Home," and "Strange Ways" on Hotter Than Hell, "Getaway" and "Rock Bottom" on Dressed to Kill, "Flaming Youth" on Destroyer, "Shock Me" on Love Gun, "Hard Times" and "Save Your Love" on Dynasty, "Talk to Me," "Two Sides of the Coin," and "Torpedo Girl" from Unmasked, "Dark Light," "Escape from the Island," and 'Finale" from Music from the Elder.  It was in 1978 that each member of Kiss released a solo album, including Ace Frehley. The album featured a cover of the band Hello's song "New York Groove," which proved to be a hit single for Ace Frehley, going to no.13 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

It was in 1982 that Ace Frehley decided to leave Kiss due to creative differences with the other members of the band. He formed his own band, Frehley's Comet, which would release two album: Frehley's Cometin 1987 and Second Sighting in 1988. He also recorded a solo album, Trouble Walkin', which featured a cover of The Move/ELO song "Do Ya." 

It was in 1996 that Ace Frehley reunited with Kiss and he appeared on the album Psycho Circus. Afterwards, Ace Frehley left Kiss again and resumed his solo career. From 2009 to 2024, he released six solo albums. 

Ace Frehley also appeared as a guest artist on artists' work, including Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band's self-titled, debut album, Wendy O. Williams's 1981 album WOW, and  former Kiss bandmate Peter Criss's 1994 album Cat 1, among others. 

Ace Frehley was both a consummate performer and a virtuoso guitarist. His style was aggressive, but at the same time melodic and would have a lasting impact on glam metal. It was Ace Frehley's guitar that largely shaped the sound of Kiss in its early days, and while talented guitarists would follow Mr. Frehley as Kiss's lead guitarist, the band never quite sounded the same after he left. Ace Frehley was also a talented solo artist, producing good quality work from "New York Groove" to "Do Ya." He won't soon be forgotten. 

Godspeed Samantha Eggar

Samantha Eggar, who appeared in such films as The Collector (1965), Walk, Don't Run (1966), and The Brood (1979), died on October 15, 2025, at the age of 86.

Samantha Eggar was born on March 5, 1939, in Hampstead, London. It was not long after she was born that her family moved to Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, where she grew up. Her family was Roman Catholic, and she studied at St Mary's Providence Convent in Woking, Surrey. She was interested in theatre and the arts from a young age, and was offered a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her mother forbade her from attending Rada, as she didn't want her to become an actress. Instead, she attended the Thanet School of Art. After graduating, she worked as a fashion artist.

It was a cousin who insisted that she attend the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts. She had not even completed her courses at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts when she was offered a part in photographer Cecil Beaton's play Landscape With Figures, in which she made her debut on the West End in 1959. In 1962, she appeared in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night at the Royal Court Theatre.

In the Sixties, Samantha Eggar had a recurring role on the TV show Rob Roy. It also marked her television debut. She guest starred on the shows Rendezvous, BBC Sunday-Night Play, ITV Television Playhouse, Ghost Squad, ITV Play of the Week, The Saint, and New Release. She made her movie debut in The Wild and the Willing (1962), Doctor and Distress (1963), Dr. Crippen (1963), and Psyche 59 (1964). She received her big break with the movie The Collector (1965), directed by William Wyler and co-starring Terence Stamp. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for the film. For the remainder of the decade, Samantha Eggar appeared in the film Return of the Ashes (1965), Walk, Don't Run (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967), The Molly Maguires (1970), The Walking Stick (1970), and The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970).

In the Seventies, she starred in the short-lived show Anna and the King. She guest starred on the shows Love Story, Lucas Tanner, Baretta, Columbo, Starsky and Hutch, Family, Hawaii Five-O, Fantasy Island, Love Boat, and Hagen. She appeared in the movies The Light at the Edge of the World (1971), The Dead Are Alive (1972), A Name for Evil (1973), The Seven Per-Cent Solution (1976), Welcome to Blood City (1977), Why Shoot the Teacher (1977), The Uncanny (1977), The Greatest Battle (1978), The Brood (1979), and The Exterminator (1980).

In the Eighties, she appeared in the movies Demonoid (1981), The Hot Touch (1981), Curtains (1983), and Ragin' Cajun (1990). She appeared on television in The Love Boat; Aloha Paradise; Falcon Crest; Darkroom; Hart to Hart; Murder, She Wrote; Magnum, P.I.; Finder of Lost Loves; Tales of the Unexpected; George Burns Comedy Week; Hotel; Outlaws; Stingray; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; 1st & Ten; The Magical World of Disney; Heartbeat; Matlock; and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She appeared in the mini-series For the Term of His Natural Life.

In the Nineties, Samantha Eggar guest starred on the shows Mann & Machine; L.A, Law; ABC Weekend Specials; and Burke's Law. She had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera All My Children. She was the voice of Guinevere on the animated show The Legend of Prince Valiant. She appeared in the mini-series The Secrets of Lake Success. She appeared in the movies Round Numbers (1992), Dark Horse (1992), Inevitable Grace (1994), The Phantom (1996), and The Astronaut's Wife (1999). She was the voice of Hera in the animated movie Hercules (1997).

In the Naughts, she had a recurring role on the TV show Commander in Chief. She guest starred on the shows She Spies, Cold Case, and Mental. In the Teens, she appeared on the TV show The Nine Lives of Chloe King. She was a guest voice on the animated series Metalocalypse. 

Samantha Eggar was a remarkable actress who played a wide variety of roles. She certainly deserved the Oscar nomination for The Collector, in which she played Miranda Grey, the innocent, but nonetheless defiant art student kidnapped by psychotic Freddie Clegg (Terence Stamp). In Walk, Don't Run, she played a British native living in Tokyo who inadvertently sublets her apartment to an older man (Cary Grant). In The Brood, she played a character as far those she played in The Collector and Walk, Don't Run as one could get. She played  Nola Carveth, a woman with an extreme mental disorder. She also gave good performances in her guest appearances in television shows as well. In "Marcia," an episode of The Saint, she played a starlet threatening her with disfigurement unless she pays up £5000. Samantha Eggar could play a wide variety of roles in a variety of genres, from thrillers to comedy to horror. 

Godspeed Chris Dreja of The Yardbirds

Chris Dreja, the rhythm guitarist and later bassist of The Yardbirds who became a professional photographer, died on September 25, 2025, at the age of 78. The case was from complications from multiple strokes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chris Dreja was born on November 11, 1946, in Surbiton, Surrey. He grew up in n Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. His father was a Polish immigrant. Chris Dreja was a teenager when he took an interest in rock 'n' roll. His brother Stefan was in the same pre-college art program as original Yardbirds lead guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham. Chris Dreja and Top Topham met and then began playing music together.

Chris Dreja and Top Topham joined a band called the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, which also featured vocalist Keith Relf and bassist Paul Samwell Smith. Over time, the Metropolitan Blues Quartet evolved into The Yardbirds. It was in October 1963 that Top Topham left the band. He was replaced by guitarist Eric Clapton. The Yardbirds served as a back-up band for Sonny Boy Williamson II during a tour in late 1963 and early 1964. It was after this tour that The Yardbirds were signed to the Columbia label. 

The Yardbirds proved to be a success, producing such hits as "For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Evil Hearted You," "Shape of Things," and others. The band also experienced frequent changes in its lineup. Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds when they decided to go for a more pop-oriented sound. Paul Samwell-Smith tired of touring and became more interested in record production. He then left the band and Chris Dreja then switched from rhythm guitar to bass.

Chris Dreja co-wrote several Yardbirds songs. Along with the other members of the group, he was credited as a writer on their album Yardbirds (also known as Roger the Engineer and Over Under Sideways Down). He also drew the cover for the album. On their album Little Games, he co-wrote the songs "Smile on Me," "Drinking Muddy Water," "Glimpses," and "Stealing Stealing." 

The Yardbirds broke up in 1968, and Chris Dreja became a professional photographer. In fact, he photographed Led Zeppelin for the back cover of their first album. He worked out of a studio in New York City, and he photographed such people as Bob Dylan, The Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner, Andy Warhol, and others. It was in 1983 that he returned to music when he and other former Yardbirds Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty formed a Box of Frogs with vocalist John Fiddler. Box of Frogs would release two albums, a self-tilted album in 1984 and Strange Land in 1986. Chris Dreja later performed with The Yardbirds when they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. 

It was following their induction into the Hall of Fame that The Yardbirds would begin touring again. The reformed band released a new album, Birdland, in 2003. Chris Dreja continued to play with The Yardbirds until he had a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013. 

For the most part, Chris Dreja would be overshadowed by The Yardbirds' lead guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, but the band would not have been the same without him. As rhythm guitarist and later bassist, Chris Dreja was the engine that drove the band forward. Both his rhythm guitar and bass playing was very tight, but at the same time powerful. Chris Dreja would set the pace for many rhythm guitarists to come.