Ted Ashley, 80, the executive who turned Warner Bros. into a Hollywood powerhouse that turned out such hits as The Exorcist, Superman and Dirty Harry, died Saturday in New York of leukemia.

In the early 1970s, Mr. Ashley teamed with Frank Wells, who later became chief of Walt Disney Co., and John Calley, now chairman of Sony Pictures.

The studio's hits under their guidance included All the President's Men, Blazing Saddles, Chariots of Fire, Dog Day Afternoon, Deliverance, Klute, Oh, God!, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Superman, Summer of '42, Towering Inferno and What's Up Doc?

William Warfield, 82, an acclaimed bass-baritone known best for his rendition of "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 movie musical Show Boat, died Sunday at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where he was recovering from a fall last month, his brother Thaddeus Warfield said.

Mr. Warfield had most recently been a professor of music at Northwestern University.

His career ran the gamut from stints in churches and nightclubs to performances on stage and screen.