wow - i didn't even know he was still alive.

made it to 90 - good on him - he lived to see a lot of changes - was his own time machine.

Arthur C. Clarke was in trouble for pedophilia not to long ago wasn't he? I remember something on the news.

Yea he was, but later exonerated of all charges.


R.I.P.

Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who wrote the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" with Stanley Kubrick and more than 100 books, died today in his adopted home of Sri Lanka. He was 90.

http://www.nndb.com/people/725/000023656/clarke-sm.jpg

Clarke had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair.

Clarke moved to Sri Lanka in 1956, lured by his interest in marine diving which he said was as close as he could get to the weightless feeling of space.

His TV programs "Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World" and "Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers" ran during the 1980s.

He based "2001" on an earlier story "The Sentinel," and then worked on the novel and the screenplay for "2001" simultaneously.

His sequel novel "2010" was made into a film directed by Peter Hyams. A film version of his book "Rendezvous with Rama" is reportedly in the works with director David Fincher.

In addition to several futuristic concepts created in "2001," Clarke was credited with the concept of communications satellites in 1945, decades before they became a reality. Geosynchronous orbits, which keep satellites in a fixed position relative to the ground, are called Clarke orbits.

He joined American broadcaster Walter Cronkite as commentator on the U.S. Apollo moonshots in the late 1960s.

The veterans here will know this guy...


R.I.P. Paul Scofield

Oscar-winning British thesp Paul Scofield has died at the age of 86. He had been suffering from leukemia.

http://www.nndb.com/people/950/00003...l-scofield.jpg

His agent Rosalind Chatto confirmed the actor, who won the best actor Academy award in 1967 for his portrayal of Sir Thomas More in “A Man For All Seasons,” passed away Wednesday in a hospital near his home in the south of England.

Though Scofield was more prolific on stage- Richard Burton once remarked “of the 10 greatest moments in theatre, eight are Scofield’s”- the thesp often sparkled when plying his trade on the big-screen.

Aside from his role in “A Man For All Seasons”- a part he also performed on stage - Scofield drew plaudits for his perfs in Tony Richardson’s “A Delicate Balance” alongside KatherIne Hepburn in 1973, Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 adaptation of “Henry V,” Robert Redford’s “Quiz Show” in 1995, and Nicolas Hytner’s “The Crucible” the following year.

Born on Jan. 21, 1922 in Hurstpierpoint on the south coast of England, Scofield made his professional acting debut in London in January 1940.

He went on to work regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

Scofield made an acclaimed debut on Broadway in 1961 in the stage version of “A Man For All Seasons,” winning a Tony for his efforts.

His performances were often marked by his rich voice and powerful presence. His turn as King Lear in 1971’s screen and stage version of William Shakespeare’s tragedy was voted the greatest Shakespearean performance ever in a 2004 poll of actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Awarded a CBE in 1956, Scofield reportedly turned down the offer of a knighthood on more than one occasion.

He was made a Companion of Honour in 2001, one of Blighty’s top honours and limited to 65 living people at any one time.

Scofield is survived by his wife, actress Joy Parker, and their two children.

Finally - i've been waiting for the #65 spot for several years now.

Stand-up Comedy in the spotlight...finally
 

oops...nvm me.

For serious actors they didn't get much better. RIP.

Actor Richard Widmark, who earned an Oscar nomination playing a psychopath in 1947's film noir "Kiss of Death," has died aged 93, a medical official in his home state of Connecticut said on Wednesday.

Widmark was blond and slightly built during his prime and brought an edgy nervousness to the outcasts and heavies he played in Hollywood's film noir heyday -- a list of roles that The New York Times once described as a "gallery of reprobates."

Widmark, whose long career was marked by playing villains, tough guys and cowboys, died on Monday at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, the Times reported.

An official with the Connecticut's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington confirmed that Widmark had died but declined to provide further details.

Widmark's most memorable role may have been his first. As Tommy Udo, he gleefully pushed a wheelchair-bound woman down a flight of stairs in "Kiss of Death" with a maniacal laugh that made a lasting impression on moviegoers.

Widmark would go on to prove he could play a wide range of characters in more than 60 movies, but the Udo role earned him his only Oscar nomination.

"One will remember that nasty little creep with the wild eyes and high-pitched laugh, neurotic to the core, which Richard Widmark has turned into one of his finest roles," Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton wrote in "A Panorama of American Film Noir 1941-1953."

'WHEN IN DOUBT, I'D LAUGH'

Widmark told an interviewer that the laugh was born of nervousness.

http://www.cantonrep.com/photos/2008...mw_widmark.jpg

heres hoping this thread remains a short one