Passages

[Perkins Cobb]

The hits keep on coming. Tom Laughlin

(wait for it ... wait for it...)

One tin soldier rides away.

[domino harvey]

I'm killing time waiting for my carry out and the girl manning the counter's watching the news crawl: "Peter O'Toole, dead at 84. Sorry about your loss, buddy!" Ah, youth (says the guy not that much older than her)

[Buttery Jeb]

Peter O'Toole: Excuse me. Are you Richard Burton?
Peter Sellers: No, I'm Peter O'Toole.
Peter O'Toole: Then you are the finest man that ever breathed.

That is all.

[flyonthewall2983]

Joan Fontaine

[domino harvey]

God fucking dammit what is happening

[domino harvey]

Absolutely, I think it's the only good post-serious mode Stevens pic, and Fontaine gives a really interesting perf-- one of Hollywood's best on-screen drunks, even. For my part I'd recommend the tonally-askew Serenade for a great late-period perf by Fontaine as the ice queen trying to wedge into Mario Lanza's life. Oh, and if you have access to back channels, 1938's Blond Cheat is super cute

[knives]

God fucking dammit what is happening

Damn straight. December is a monster for death. I honestly thought that at least to get the better of her sister the two of them world achieve immortal status.

[Sandman]

And in case anyone's interested, here is TCM's (U.S.) memorial tribute.

Thank you for this, Feego. I love their annual tributes.

[kingofthejungle]

Jesus. It was just five days ago that I was watching Letter From An Unknown Woman and thinking Fontaine's performance was perhaps the best I'd ever seen.

This one hits hard.

davidhare, thanks for recommending the Stevens. I was looking for some quality Fontaine that I hadn't seen yet, and I think I'll give that one a shot.

[karmajuice]

None of these are easy, but Joan Fontaine is the hardest of all. My love for her went well beyond mere appreciation.

[Jonathan S]

One of the few commentaries I'd eagerly have listened to would have been Fontaine and Jourdan deciding to "revisit the scenes of [their] youth" in Letter. Not that it was ever going to happen - but even the dream is ended now...

[MichaelB]

Al Goldstein.

[HerrSchreck]

Al was far more important than he seemed to the average indivdual . . . and the same way that porn is always at the technological forefront of the digital frontier, so did it at one time ride pioneer on first amendment rights across the world. And Al was frighteningly intelligent to boot. Screw mag will forever be an emblem of a side of NYC during it's grimiest glory days in the 70's . . . a rickety 1970's newstand, under a green canvass canopy with large old fashioned 7-UP and Pepsi bottle caps floating above them, without a copy of SCREW under the IRISH ECHO etc, wasn't a real NYC newsstand. Like Sal & Angie's joint in French Connection. That's where you bought Screw. . . .

[HerrSchreck]

Don't get me started . . . . I may never stop.

[Perkins Cobb]

Except that Al Goldstein is not dead.

[dad1153]

Typical Al, he won't give the bastards the pleasure of the news of his death as long as he can help it. ;)

[Drucker]

After prematurely being reported a few days ago, now officially, Ray Price.

[HerrSchreck]

Except that Al Goldstein is not dead.

I love it-- Al is fucking with the powers that be even as he lays there at death's door floating through the hallways of dilaudid floors.

[MichaelB]

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, the inspiration for the obscure Prisoner of Rio and the guest star (while still a fugitive from justice) of the considerably better known The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle.

[mfunk9786]

Al Goldstein is officially dead now.

[jbeall]

NY Times obit for Goldstein.

[domino harvey]

Young Adult author Ned Vizzini, who wrote It's Kind of a Funny Story, has committed suicide

[Kirkinson]

One we seem to have missed: photographer Kate Barry, daughter of Jane Birkin and John Barry, after falling from her apartment window. If you're interested in her work, there's this tribute, and tumblr is very helpful, too.

[dadaistnun]

Yusef Lateef

[Polybius]

When a 93 year old man with his record of accomplishments writes his own epitaph with “I am deeply grateful for all of the respect that people have given me, for all of those that have contributed to my career. All mankind are brothers and sisters. I believe in love for all and hate for none.”...that really is about as good as it gets.