04/13/2026 02:00:59 PMObituaryobituaryDonald Staples, 91, of Denton, Professor Emeritus of film and television, who taught at UNT from 1979 to 2004, died Jan. 19, 2026. He earned a bachelor’s degree in theater at Northwestern University and then served as a U.S. Navy officer on ships in the Caribbean. He was assigned to coordinate production shots there while director John Huston was shooting the movie Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, and after directing background action behind Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum during the final scenes, Staples turned to a career studying film. He earned his master’s degree in cinematic arts from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in film from Northwestern — as one of the first students in the nation to treat film as an academic discipline. He joined UNT from New York University to chair what was then the Division of Radio, Television and Film, today’s Department of Media Arts. He recruited faculty and developed new undergraduate and graduate courses for the program and was named an Honor Professor by UNT students. In his 45-year teaching career at six universities, which also included Vassar and Ohio State, he inspired thousands of students. Many went on to work in the film industry as directors, producers, writers, actors and in other roles. Staples wrote countless scholarly articles and movie reviews throughout his career, as well as several books about film. As a film critic for 40 years, he wrote articles for the national magazine Films in Review and annually predicted Oscar winners for CBS, PBS and DFW-area media. He was president of the National Society for Cinema Studies and the National University Film and Video Association. His role as vice president and U.S. representative for the International Congresses of Schools of Film and Television (CILECT) took him to many overseas film festivals — including trips behind the Iron Curtain twice during the Cold War to what was then Czechoslovakia. He also was a member of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the Screen Actors Guild. He began acting when he was 11 years old, working in television commercials and industrial films and on stage. After retirement, he remained active in the Denton Community Theatre, sang in the Senior Center Chorus of Denton and the First United Methodist Chancel Choir, and enjoyed golfing, sailing and traveling. Survivors include his wife of more than 40 years, Kris Staples, who also worked at UNT.