Author Topic: Actor James Whitmore has died at age 87  (Read 1969 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Actor James Whitmore has died at age 87
« on: February 07, 2009, 03:06:43 pm »
I just saw this sad news on AOL News. Award-winning character James Whitmore died Friday afternoon of lung cancer at the age of 87.

I've seen filmed versions of his one-man shows as Harry Truman and Will Rogers; I wish I could have seen him as Theodore Roosevelt. He had a long and award-winning career. I just saw him last year--or was it two years ago--in the C.S.I. episode about the boxer who had all sorts of wounds inflicted on him but ultimately died of drowning. Whitmore played the old gentleman who lived in a trailer whose late wife's picture got shot with a cross-bow bolt.

They don't make character actors like him any more.  :'(

My personal feeling of connection: In the film version of the musical Oklahoma! Whitmore played the father of Ado Annie, "the girl who cain't say no." In fact, the AOL news story included reminiscences by Shirley Jones, who starred as Laurie in the film. Anyway, my feeling of connection is that I played his role in my senior year in high school.  ;D And I always thought of it as his role, too.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.