Johnny Carson, comedy icon and legendary talkshow host of "The Tonight Show" (1962-1992), passed away earlier today in his sleep surrounded by loved ones. Mr. Carson had been suffering from emphysema related to years of heavy smoking.
Carson defined the modern American talkshow with his brand of folksy humor and comfortable interviewing style. Although lambasted by many for a style that had become creaky by the 1980s, as soon as his retirement was announced in the early 1990s, Carson seemed to rebound and produce some of the best shows of his career in the last year of his Tonight Show hosting.
He will be missed...
And believe me, many people watching late night talk today have been mourning Carson's passing years before he physically died. Many of us don't think any of the current late night crop even touch the heights of Carson's worst shows.
There obviously will never be another Johnny Carson. Goodness knows neither Leno nor Letterman have done a very good job replacing him.
Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread
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I think conan has done an amazing job as late night talk show host. At least there's one guy around the late night talk show area that's still awesome. Though he's late show. Not tonight show... i'm rambling. anyway.
This really sucks =\ Johnny Carson owns the everloving crap out of Leno and Letterman, who think aren't funny at all.
I'm 18. I never got to see the actual show. Just numerous clips from his show, and I can tell he's SOOOOO much better than leno or letterman.
This really sucks =\ Johnny Carson owns the everloving crap out of Leno and Letterman, who think aren't funny at all.
I'm 18. I never got to see the actual show. Just numerous clips from his show, and I can tell he's SOOOOO much better than leno or letterman.
John Vernon, actor extraordinaire, RIP
News in at http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=1380
John Vernon, 72, recently passed away.
A veteran of many movies, specializing in comedic roles where he played villainous characters, he will be missed.
If you saw the original John Belushi "Animal House," you were delighted by his prickly performance as Dean Wormer. Dean Wormer coined the term "double secret probation" but ultimately failed to boot Delta House off his university's campus.
If you watched the 1990s Batman animated TV series or the latest Batman OVA project, "Mystery of the Batwoman," you booed and hissed to his vocalizations of mob boss Rupert Thorne, a "distinguished and honorably upright" citizen of Gotham City.
Vernon also did the voice of the prosecutor in the Captain Stern segment of the animated cult classic "Heavy Metal" alongside many of the actors whose paths he crossed over the years of his acting career (Harold Ramis, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty).
John Vernon may not have been the most recognizable name in showbiz, but everybody saw or HEARD him at some point in their movie-watching.
John Vernon, 72, recently passed away.
A veteran of many movies, specializing in comedic roles where he played villainous characters, he will be missed.
If you saw the original John Belushi "Animal House," you were delighted by his prickly performance as Dean Wormer. Dean Wormer coined the term "double secret probation" but ultimately failed to boot Delta House off his university's campus.
If you watched the 1990s Batman animated TV series or the latest Batman OVA project, "Mystery of the Batwoman," you booed and hissed to his vocalizations of mob boss Rupert Thorne, a "distinguished and honorably upright" citizen of Gotham City.
Vernon also did the voice of the prosecutor in the Captain Stern segment of the animated cult classic "Heavy Metal" alongside many of the actors whose paths he crossed over the years of his acting career (Harold Ramis, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty).
John Vernon may not have been the most recognizable name in showbiz, but everybody saw or HEARD him at some point in their movie-watching.
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Thanks for the news, George. I had just finished writing the reports on both John Vernon's and Ossie Davis' deaths, when I stopped by the forum and saw your message. If it's okay with you, I think I will leave our report as it is, since The Big Cartoon Database's remembrance of Vernon is rather extensive.
Nonetheless, thank you very much for the news. As you stated in your message, many folks may not have heard of Vernon, but they most likely heard him.
Nonetheless, thank you very much for the news. As you stated in your message, many folks may not have heard of Vernon, but they most likely heard him.
Yeah, what a week it's been.
Two GREAT character actors gone like that! First John Vernon, now Ossie Davis!
John Vernon I'm most familiar with because of Animal House, Batman, Heavy Metal, and hearing his voice in about a million animated TV series over the years. You just can't miss hearing him in any of a freakin' million cartoons! But the thing is, even though he wasn't a man of a million voices, he always did a good job. He was great at playing bastards in live-action films, even better being the straight man and set-up foil for jokes in comic situations.
I can't honestly say I've seen Ossie Davis in a bunch of movies and TV shows, but I do know of his reputation and it seems like he was a stand-up guy. Oddly enough, I bought one of his last movies on DVD, Bubba Ho-Tep, but have not taken the time to watch it yet.
Guys, he plays JFK in that movie. I kid you not! You just have to see the film or read the box to get the joke!
Two GREAT character actors gone like that! First John Vernon, now Ossie Davis!
John Vernon I'm most familiar with because of Animal House, Batman, Heavy Metal, and hearing his voice in about a million animated TV series over the years. You just can't miss hearing him in any of a freakin' million cartoons! But the thing is, even though he wasn't a man of a million voices, he always did a good job. He was great at playing bastards in live-action films, even better being the straight man and set-up foil for jokes in comic situations.
I can't honestly say I've seen Ossie Davis in a bunch of movies and TV shows, but I do know of his reputation and it seems like he was a stand-up guy. Oddly enough, I bought one of his last movies on DVD, Bubba Ho-Tep, but have not taken the time to watch it yet.
Guys, he plays JFK in that movie. I kid you not! You just have to see the film or read the box to get the joke!
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I can't believe no one - especislly on animation and related sites - has mentioned that he played a pretty rough villain in HERBIE GOES BANANAS.
Not the greatest film by any means, but this is surly where most of us would have gotten our first/only/early exposure to Mr Vernon.
As has been said, he wasn't ever a megastar, but I thought he was a fine actor and added value to whatever film he was in. I'll miss him certainly, as he was one of those whoose careers I kept and eye on.
Altogether now (from Airplane 2):
Prosecutor: "Doctor, would you give me your impression of Ted Stryker?"
Vernon: "I'm sorry I don't do impressions, my training is in psychology..."
He could be menacing and funny too. Like JT Walsh before him, a great actor if not one of the nmost celebrated.
Not the greatest film by any means, but this is surly where most of us would have gotten our first/only/early exposure to Mr Vernon.
As has been said, he wasn't ever a megastar, but I thought he was a fine actor and added value to whatever film he was in. I'll miss him certainly, as he was one of those whoose careers I kept and eye on.
Altogether now (from Airplane 2):
Prosecutor: "Doctor, would you give me your impression of Ted Stryker?"
Vernon: "I'm sorry I don't do impressions, my training is in psychology..."
He could be menacing and funny too. Like JT Walsh before him, a great actor if not one of the nmost celebrated.
Optimus Prime, RIP... Leader of the Autobots passes away
The sad news can be found here at http://www.pcacoalition.org/pressroom/2005_optimus.php
He was a good robot... He was no Go-Bot, or even a product of Robotechnology, but he was the ultimate Transformer and metal-plated fighter for good....
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Ha! Aprils' Fools a few weeks early!
You guys have to be seriously gullible to believe Optimus is dead!
Legends NEVER die!
(Y'all probably thought one of the voice actors for Optimus Prime passed away...)
Thanks to the forum at Comicon.com for passing on this seriously sick, dark joke!
He was a good robot... He was no Go-Bot, or even a product of Robotechnology, but he was the ultimate Transformer and metal-plated fighter for good....
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Ha! Aprils' Fools a few weeks early!
You guys have to be seriously gullible to believe Optimus is dead!
Legends NEVER die!
(Y'all probably thought one of the voice actors for Optimus Prime passed away...)
Thanks to the forum at Comicon.com for passing on this seriously sick, dark joke!
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Henry Corden passed away
Henry Corden the voice of Fred Flinstone has passed away.
[url=http://www.disneyinfo.nl/forum/profiler.php?uid=2]My Disney Collectie[/url]
OT -- RIP, Anne Bancroft, "The Miracle Worker"
Actress and wife of Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft has died at age 73.
She won an Academy Award in 1962 for the movie "The Miracle Worker" but is best known as the adultress Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate."
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What a year for passing legends and stars of yesteryear.
Condolences to Mel Brooks.
She won an Academy Award in 1962 for the movie "The Miracle Worker" but is best known as the adultress Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate."
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What a year for passing legends and stars of yesteryear.
Condolences to Mel Brooks.
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They were VERY tied together.
Bancroft never really became the huge star she could have been (not for want of trying), but was perhaps too tied to her husband's work to really break out.
She was a fantastically funny lady who made me laugh in many films, especially the vastly underrated To Be Or Not To Be (that she starred in with Mel, but is often wrongly attributed to have been directed by him).
She was also great in 84 Charing Cross Road and the brilliant The Elephant Man (produced by Mel, and directed by David Lynch).
The Graduate just played this weekend on TV here. Tribute enough to another lost talent.
Bancroft never really became the huge star she could have been (not for want of trying), but was perhaps too tied to her husband's work to really break out.
She was a fantastically funny lady who made me laugh in many films, especially the vastly underrated To Be Or Not To Be (that she starred in with Mel, but is often wrongly attributed to have been directed by him).
She was also great in 84 Charing Cross Road and the brilliant The Elephant Man (produced by Mel, and directed by David Lynch).
The Graduate just played this weekend on TV here. Tribute enough to another lost talent.
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Scotty canna take it any more! Doohan dies...
Not sure how long this will be up at the IMDB, but they are reporting that Star Trek's James "Scotty" Doohan has passed away:
http://www.imdb.com/news/flash/
Actor James Doohan Dies at 85
James Doohan, the actor who became known the world over as the redoubtable chief engineer Scotty on the original Star Trek TV series, died earlier today. He was 85. Doohan passed away at his Redmond, WA, home at 5:30 AM, with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side; the cause was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease. Born and raised in Canada, Doohan fought with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, losing the middle finger of his right hand during the D-Day invasion. After the war, Doohan embarked on a carerr as a character actor in a number of films and television shows throughout the 50s and early 60s (including an appearance in an episode of The Twilight Zone), initially traveling between his Canadian homeland and New York. Soon he also began work in Hollywood, and in 1966 he was cast in NBC's new space adventure series Star Trek as chief engineer Montgomery Scott, aka "Scotty," opposite William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Reportedly, Doohan tried a number of different accents for the character, and felt the Scottish brogue for which he would become famous ("Captain, the engines canna take anymore!") was the most authoritative and commanding. Among his many contributions to the show was the then-nascent language of Klingon, which was said to be partly devised by Doohan, and was later expanded on in upcoming TV series and films.
Though the original Star Trek ended in 1969, Doohan was forever associated with the character of Scotty, as the catchphrase "Beam me up, Scotty" entered the pop culture lexicon, and after initial balking, he fully embraced his Star Trek legacy. In 1979, he joined the original cast for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and also appeared in the six sequels that followed before the series was fully handed over to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. As the Star Trek films became more and more popular, Doohan attended numerous fan conventions and also lectured at various colleges; in 1996 he published his autobiography, appropriately titled Beam Me Up, Scotty. His health declined in later years, as he suffered from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis, though the actor continued to make sporadic appearances, and received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2004. Doohan is survived by his wife, Wende, and three children: sons Eric and Thomas and daughter Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80. --Prepared by IMDb staff.
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Though Doohan's character and catchprase was often parodied (and sometimes by himself), he really did contribute to a classic series and will be long remembered.
Guess he joins Roddenberry and DeForest Kelly in that ultimate Star Trek in the sky. Godspeed, Scotty!
http://www.imdb.com/news/flash/
Actor James Doohan Dies at 85
James Doohan, the actor who became known the world over as the redoubtable chief engineer Scotty on the original Star Trek TV series, died earlier today. He was 85. Doohan passed away at his Redmond, WA, home at 5:30 AM, with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side; the cause was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease. Born and raised in Canada, Doohan fought with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II, losing the middle finger of his right hand during the D-Day invasion. After the war, Doohan embarked on a carerr as a character actor in a number of films and television shows throughout the 50s and early 60s (including an appearance in an episode of The Twilight Zone), initially traveling between his Canadian homeland and New York. Soon he also began work in Hollywood, and in 1966 he was cast in NBC's new space adventure series Star Trek as chief engineer Montgomery Scott, aka "Scotty," opposite William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Reportedly, Doohan tried a number of different accents for the character, and felt the Scottish brogue for which he would become famous ("Captain, the engines canna take anymore!") was the most authoritative and commanding. Among his many contributions to the show was the then-nascent language of Klingon, which was said to be partly devised by Doohan, and was later expanded on in upcoming TV series and films.
Though the original Star Trek ended in 1969, Doohan was forever associated with the character of Scotty, as the catchphrase "Beam me up, Scotty" entered the pop culture lexicon, and after initial balking, he fully embraced his Star Trek legacy. In 1979, he joined the original cast for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and also appeared in the six sequels that followed before the series was fully handed over to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. As the Star Trek films became more and more popular, Doohan attended numerous fan conventions and also lectured at various colleges; in 1996 he published his autobiography, appropriately titled Beam Me Up, Scotty. His health declined in later years, as he suffered from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis, though the actor continued to make sporadic appearances, and received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2004. Doohan is survived by his wife, Wende, and three children: sons Eric and Thomas and daughter Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80. --Prepared by IMDb staff.
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Though Doohan's character and catchprase was often parodied (and sometimes by himself), he really did contribute to a classic series and will be long remembered.
Guess he joins Roddenberry and DeForest Kelly in that ultimate Star Trek in the sky. Godspeed, Scotty!
James "Scotty" Doohan, RIP
If you haven't heard, the original Star Trek cast has lost its second primary cast member.
James Doohan, best known to fans the world over as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Chief Engineer of the original Federation Starship Enterprise NCC-1701, passed away around 5:30 AM PST from complications of pneumonia and Alzheimer's Syndrome at his home.
Doohan made his last official public appearances last year at a Star Trek con and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame around the same time as well. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's Syndrome for some time before those last appearances. Doohan was noticeably frailer and skinnier in public appearances for the past several years.
In addition to his work on Star Trek, Doohan was a talented voice-over artist who did several documentaries as well as dramatic readings for audio adaptations of Star Trek novels. Doohan served in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II in which he lost portions of a finger in combat. Doohan is survived by his second wife, Wendy, as well as his children from his two marriages and several grandchildren.
Doohan was an irrascible if somewhat cranky personality at various conventions but connected well with fans. He was best-known for his colorful stories and somewhat strained relationship with William Shatner (which according to most recent accounts was resolved amicably). Believe me, he will be missed.
I expected this to happen sometime soon, but it's still a shock. The original Star Trek and its cast of characters still holds a special place in my heart...
Mr. Doohan was a devout Catholic and I have no doubt he has found his peace.
James Doohan, best known to fans the world over as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Chief Engineer of the original Federation Starship Enterprise NCC-1701, passed away around 5:30 AM PST from complications of pneumonia and Alzheimer's Syndrome at his home.
Doohan made his last official public appearances last year at a Star Trek con and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame around the same time as well. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's Syndrome for some time before those last appearances. Doohan was noticeably frailer and skinnier in public appearances for the past several years.
In addition to his work on Star Trek, Doohan was a talented voice-over artist who did several documentaries as well as dramatic readings for audio adaptations of Star Trek novels. Doohan served in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II in which he lost portions of a finger in combat. Doohan is survived by his second wife, Wendy, as well as his children from his two marriages and several grandchildren.
Doohan was an irrascible if somewhat cranky personality at various conventions but connected well with fans. He was best-known for his colorful stories and somewhat strained relationship with William Shatner (which according to most recent accounts was resolved amicably). Believe me, he will be missed.
I expected this to happen sometime soon, but it's still a shock. The original Star Trek and its cast of characters still holds a special place in my heart...
Mr. Doohan was a devout Catholic and I have no doubt he has found his peace.