The year 2004, though not the kind of tragic year we experienced in 2003 -- with the loss of many legendary classic film stars of the first rank, such as Katharine Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Bob Hope, Charles Bronson, and Donald O'Connor -- still robbed us of the talents of a number of entertainment lights, many included in the dwindling group surviving from the Golden Age. They included Ann Miller, Paul Winfield, Peter Ustinov, Tony Randall, Ronald Reagan, Marlon Brando, Fay Wray, Janet Leigh, and Howard Keel. You'll find a complete listing of names below, several with links to new or existing tribute articles.

We also added some tributes to our growing list, which now includes all of the American Film Institute's top 25 actors and all but four of the top 25 actresses. Those who were added this year are listed below the 2004 obituaries.

Scroll to the bottom of this article for a drop-down box featuring a complete listing of all Classic Movie Star Tribute Articles. If you know of any sites I've neglected to list in any of the articles, please send me an email and let me know.

Some of the entertainment luminaries who died this year:

January

Etta Moten, 102. Pioneering black actress-singer who was featured in the show-stopping Carioca number in the 1933 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers film Flying Down to Rio and played Bess in 1942's Porgy and Bess. Jan. 2.

Lynn Cartwright, 76. Best known for her portrayal of the older Geena Davis character in A League of Their Own. Jan. 2.

Ingrid Thulin, 77. Often cited as one of Sweden's best actresses along with Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. Jan. 7.

Spalding Gray, 62. Actor-writer who laid bare his life in acclaimed monologues such as Swimming to Cambodia. Jan. 10.

Uta Hagen, 84. Actress who dazzled Broadway for more than 50 years; was brutal Martha in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Jan. 14.

Ron O'Neal, 66. His role as cocaine dealer Youngblood Priest in Superfly epitomized blaxploitation films. Jan. 14.

Ray Stark, 89. Producer of such movies as Funny Girl and recipient of the Oscars' Irving G. Thalberg award. Jan. 17.

Bernard Punsly, 80. The last surviving member of the "Dead End Kids," a band of teen actors who starred in several films in the 1930s and 1940s. Jan. 20.

Ann Miller, 81. She fast-tapped her way to immortality in musicals such as Easter Parade and Kiss Me Kate; dazzled Broadway in Sugar Babies. Jan. 22.

February

John Hench, 95. Longtime Disney artist and the official portrait painter of Mickey Mouse. Feb. 5.

Samuel M. Rubin, 85. Helped make popcorn the popular snack at movie theaters. Feb. 5.

John Randolph, 88. Tony Award-winning actor who had also appeared in such movies as You've Got Mail. Feb. 24.

Jerome Lawrence, 88. Writer for stage, radio and screen, including Inherit the Wind, Mame. Feb. 29.

March

Mercedes McCambridge, 87. Oscar-winning actress; provided demon-possessed girl's voice in The Exorcist. March 2.

Frances Dee, 94. Starred in nearly 50 films, including 1933's Little Women. March 6.

Paul Winfield, 62. Oscar-nominated stage, screen actor (Sounder). March 7.

Jan Sterling, 82. Acttress who was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for The High and the Mighty. March 26.

Sir Peter Ustinov, 82. Won two Oscars for an acting career that ranged from the evil emperor Nero in Quo Vadis to Agatha Christie detective Hercule Poirot. March 28.

April

Carrie Snodgress, 57. 40-year career included an Oscar nomination for Diary of a Mad Housewife. April 1.

Dorothy Hart, 82. Former model and beauty contest winner who appeared in films in the 40s and early 50s. July 11.

Harry Holt, 93. Former Disney animator who helped design legendary scenes in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Lady and the Tramp. April 14.

May

Alan King, 76. Witty comedian, known for tirades against everyday suburban life. May 9.

Dorothy Van Engle, 87. Starred in several films in the 1930s and 1940s before Hollywood embraced black actors. May 10.

Tony Randall, 84. Comic actor; the fastidious Felix Unger in The Odd Couple and fussbudget pal in several Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies. May 17.

June

Ronald Reagan, 93. Before entering politics, a popular Hollywood actor (Knute Rockne: All-American, King's Row.) June 5.

Ray Charles, 73. Transcendent talent who erased musical boundaries with hits such as "What'd I Say," "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." June 10.

Max Rosenberg, 89. Produced dozens of low-budget movies, including Tales From the Crypt and the early rock 'n' roll movie Rock, Rock, Rock. June 13.

July

Marlon Brando, 80. Revolutionized American acting with A Streetcar Named Desire; created the iconic character of Vito Corleone in The Godfather. July 1.

Carlo Di Palma, 79. The innovative cinematographer for Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters and Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up. July 9.

Isabel Sanford, 86. "Weezie" on The Jeffersons. July 9.

Georgine Darcy, 71. The voluptuous "Miss Torso," who captivated James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 thriller Rear Window. July 18.

Irvin Shortess "Shorty" Yeaworth Jr., 78. Directed the 1958 cult movie The Blob. July 19.

Jerry Goldsmith, 75. Composer wrote the original Star Trek theme, with scores of other credits, reaching back to the early '50s. Nominated 18 times for Oscars, won once for The Omen. July 21.

Virginia Grey, 87. Actress whose career stretched from the 1920s (Uncle Tom's Cabin) to the 70s (Airport). July 31.

August

Fay Wray, 96. The damsel held atop the Empire State Building by the ape in King Kong. Aug. 8.

David Raksin, 92. Oscar-nominated composer who arranged music for Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, wrote the memorable theme for Laura. Aug. 9.

Acquanetta, 83. B-movie actress best known for her role in the 1946 film Tarzan and the Leopard Woman. Aug. 16.

Elmer Bernstein, 82. Oscar-winning composer scored such classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Escape. Aug. 18.

Daniel Petrie, 83. Directed the movie version of A Raisin in the Sun and won an Emmy for Eleanor and Franklin. Aug. 22.

September

Frank Thomas, 92. One of Walt Disney's top artists, who animated two dogs romantically nibbling a single strand of spaghetti in the 1955 Disney film Lady and the Tramp. Sept. 8.

Fred Ebb, about 76. Wrote lyrics for Chicago and Cabaret as well as New York, New York. Sept. 11.

Russ Meyer, 82. Producer-director who helped spawn the "skin flick" -- and later gained a measure of critical respect -- for such films as Mudhoney, Vixen and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Sept. 18.

October

Janet Leigh, 77. Wholesome beauty whose shocking murder in Hitchcock thriller Psycho is a landmark of film. Oct. 3.

Rodney Dangerfield, 82. The bug-eyed comic who attained stardom in clubs, television and movies. Oct. 5.

Christopher Reeve, 52. Superman actor who became the nation's most recognizable spokesman for spinal-cord research after a paralyzing accident. Oct. 10.

Peggy Ryan, 80. Teamed with Donald O'Connor in movie musicals such as When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Oct. 30.

November

Howard Keel, 85. Broad-shouldered baritone in glittery MGM musicals (Kiss Me Kate, Annie Get Your Gun); later on Dallas. Nov. 7.

Terry Melcher, 62. Record producer and songwriter, the son of actress Doris Day, who aided the careers of Ry Cooder, the Byrds and the Beach Boys, co-wrote the Beach Boys hit "Kokomo" and performed on "Pet Sounds." Nov. 19.

Philippe de Broca, 71. French director whose 1960s films The Man From Rio and King of Hearts brought him wide renown. Nov. 26.

John Drew Barrymore, 72. Sometimes troubled heir to an acting dynasty and father of movie star Drew Barrymore. Nov. 29.

December

Larry Buchanan, 81. Spectacularly awful visionary behind Mars Needs Women (1968) and other films so horrid yet profitable that the director proudly called himself a "schlockmeister." Dec. 2.

Jerry Orbach, 69. Broadway and film actor who had most recently gained fame on the TV show Law and Order. Best known as a movie actor for his roles in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Prince of the City (1981). He won a Tony on Broadway for Promises, Promises and was in the original casts of Chicago and 42nd Street. Dec. 29.

Artie Shaw, 94. Swing era bandleader and clarinetist who appeared in 4 films and was married to a half-dozen actresses, including Lana Turner and Ava Gardner. Many music critics rank him along with Bennie Goodman as one of the most influential musicians of his era. He retired from playing jazz in the 50s to devote his attention to writing. Dec. 30.

Other New Tributes Added in 2004

Jimmy Stewart

Edward G. Robinson

Brigitte Bardot

Cole Porter

Shirley MacLaine

Tony Curtis