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Andy Whitfield

Title actor in cable's 'Spartacus' series

Andy Whitfield, 39, star of the cable series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," died Sunday of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Sydney, Australia, according to his manager, Sam Maydew.

Whitfield, who was born in Wales and lived in Australia, was a virtual unknown when he was cast as the title hero in "Spartacus," a hit original series for the Starz network that made headlines with its graphic violence and sexuality.

Whitfield was preparing for the second season when he was diagnosed 18 months ago.

In January the network announced that another Australian actor, Liam McIntyre, would take over the role.

Frank Warner

Movie sound-effects man

Frank Warner, 85, who received a special achievement award in 1978 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his sound effects editing on Steven Spielberg's science fiction classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," died Aug. 31 in Sedona, Ariz., his family announced. The cause was not given.

Warner, who had an extensive library of sound effects, was lauded for his work on Martin Scorsese's 1982 film "Raging Bull" about boxer Jake La Motta.

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FOR THE RECORD:
Frank Warner: A brief obituary of sound effects editor Frank Warner in the Sept. 12 LATExtra section said that one of the films he worked on, "Raging Bull," was released in 1982. It came out in 1980. —

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His long list of film credits also includes "Little Big Man," "Harold and Maude," "Paper Moon," "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," "Shampoo," "Taxi Driver," "Bound for Glory," "Coming Home," "Being There," "The King of Comedy," "St. Elmo's Fire," "Roxanne," "Baby Boom" and the second, third and fourth "Rocky" films.

—Los Angeles Times staff and wire reports

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