Les Paul Robley, a long time movie critic for Easy Reader, passed away of natural causes on May 6, at age 65.
“Les had an encyclopedic knowledge of film history and was one of the few critics with a deep grasp of film technology,” said Easy Reader editor Kevin Cody.
Robley was born March 5, 1955 in Warren, Ohio, and as a baby moved with his family to Downey. From an early age, he was fascinated with movie cameras and in 1977 graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema. As a Visual Effects, Motion Control Operator he worked on “Army of Darkness,” “Multiplicity,” “Oblivion 2: Backlash,” “Parent Trapp,” “Bedazzled,” “Waterworld” and “Charlotte’s Web,” among others.
In 1987, Les and a co-worker received a Technical Achievement Academy Award for refinements to a dual screen, front projection, image-compositing system in. Over the years he worked as a film consultant in China, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Bulgaria.
Robley is survived by his wife Sylvia of Temecula, stepchildren Christopher De Castro of Westminster, Elizabeth Berlin of Temecula, his sisters, Frances (Steve) Salter of Riverside, Kathy (Alan) Gibbs of Memphis, Tennessee, their children Larry Gibbs of St. Louis, Cassie Gibbs Clarke of Tampa Bay, and Nikki Gibbs of Chicago and his aunt Frances Husack of Norwalk.
Services were held Friday last Friday All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Ave. Long Beach, 562-424-8601. ER
