List of Famous people who died at 78

Ted Sherdeman was an American radio producer, television writer and screenwriter. He was known for the films The Eddie Cantor Story (1953), Away All Boats (1956), St. Louis Blues (1958), A Dog of Flanders (1960) and Misty (1961); and the TV series Wagon Train (1958-1965), Hazel (1963-1966), My Favorite Martian (1964), Flying Nun (1968), Bewitched (1965). He died on 22 August 1987 in Santa Ana, California at aged 77.

Dan Curtis was an American director, writer, and producer of television and film, known among fans of horror films for his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows and TV films such as Trilogy of Terror. Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication for nearly 40 years. Curtis was responsible for the 1991 remake of Dark Shadows, which was canceled because of low ratings.

Vulo Radev was a Bulgarian film director, writer, and cinematographer, who also did some script editing.

Herschel Goldberg, better known as Harry Grey, was a Russian-American writer. His first book, The Hoods (1952), was the model for the film, Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone, where his part was played by Robert De Niro. This was one of the few autobiographies of real gangsters. It is believed that the real name of the author was Goldberg and that his memoir, partially factual, partially subconsciously altered, and partially fictional, was written when Goldberg was incarcerated in the Sing-Sing prison.

Joseph Velly was a French racing cyclist. He rode in the 1962 Tour de France.

Betty Blythe was an American actress best known for her dramatic roles in exotic silent films such as The Queen of Sheba (1921). She appeared in 63 silent films and 56 talkies over the course of her career.

Enrico Mollo was an Italian racing cyclist. He won the 1935 edition of the Giro di Lombardia.