Gene S. Cantamessa dies at 80

Appear mixer Gene S. Cantamessa, who acquired an Oscar for his concentrate on "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" additionally to 6 other nominations, died in La on November. 8 carrying out a extended hospitalization. He was 80.Furthermore to "E.T." (he shared his Oscar with Robert Knudson, Robert Glass and Don Digirolamo), Cantamessa shared best-appear nominations for Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters in the Third Kind" and "1941" Mel Brooks' "Youthful Frankenstein" "The Candidate," starring Robert Redford "2010" and, later, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."Born in Queens, Cantamessa began his career sweeping flooring at Ryder appear services in 1955. He later gone after last century Fox, where he labored just like a boom operator on tv series "Peyton Place" and "Daniel Boone," which eventually introduced to use on films for instance "The Sand Pebbles" and "Star."He increased to become appear mixer in 1971 and labored continuously for an additional 3 decades, gathering credits on greater than 100 films including "Blazing Saddles," "Unhealthy News Bears," "Same Time, Next Season,In . "The Big Chill," "St. Elmo's Fire," "Postcards Within the Edge," "Kindergarten Cop" and "The Birdcage." He acquired his last credit round the 1999 Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer "Finish of Days."Cantamessa was granted the Cinema Audio Society's lifetime achievement award in 1999.He was a part of IATSE local 695 for 56 years, serving round the executive board for thirty years, and area of the Academy of Movies Arts & Sciences since 1983.Cantamessa is managed to get by his wife, Sandy a boy, Steve Cantamessa, furthermore a appear mixer, and Gina Mitchell, who also works on the market and a pair of grandsons. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com