People We thought Were Already Dead Who Just Died Yesterday

I know that the name of Ray Harryhausen isn't exactly a household world but, I submit that most of us have enjoyed his work.

Harryhausen was a special effects wizard who didn't have the advantages of computers to make his work look good. He had to work with wood and clay and anything else he could lay his hands on. His stop action animation set a new standard in Hollywood and the man was a living legend.

I could have sworn that Ray Harryhausen had been dead for at least 10 years but, the man just died yesterday. He was 92.

Before I knew his name, I knew his work. I'll never forget one effect in particular.

My best friend, Pat McClure and I seldom missed a Kid's Show when we were growing up. You remember Kid's Shows, don't you?

On Saturday mornings, theatres would show movies that kids were sure to like and they charged something like 50 cents to get in. Well, one Saturday the feature was "Jason and the Argonauts" and there was a scene where skeletons began to pop up out of the ground and engage in battle with Jason and company. It was scary and fascinating at the same time. The following Monday, we all talked about that one scene. We didn't know that we had just become fans of Ray Harryhausen.

Remember this scene?

Many years later, after I knew the name of the man that created all that magic, I got to see more of his work in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad." By that time, I was a few years older and was more interested in Jane Seymour in her gauzy outfit.

People We thought Were Already Dead Who Just Died Yesterday — Ray Harryhausen [VIDEO]