RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH - dies aged 90 - R.I.P.

Richard Samuel Attenborough was born in Cambridge on August 29th 1923 and died at lunchtime on Sunday 24th August 2014 following a prolonged period of illness, just five days from his 91st birthday.

Brother of David Attenborough, the acclaimed and equally renowned naturalist and broadcaster, he was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He served in the Royal Air Force during the second World War, and after pilot training was seconded to the new RAF Film Unit at Pinewood Studios where he volunteered to fly with the film unit flying several sorties over Europe filming the bombing raids. This gave him a taste for film making which later on would fuel his hunger for Directing.

His acting career began in the Noel Coward/David Lean production of 'In Which We Serve' in 1942, although he was uncredited by mistake. It was however, the 1947 adaptation of the classic Graham Greene novel, 'Brighton Rock', in which Attenborough starred as small time local crim, Pinkie Brown, that was to prove his breakthrough. Two years later in 1949, he was voted the sixth most popular actor in British cinema.

For the next thirty years he worked prolifically, with his starring role alongside many Hollywood heavyweights in 1963's 'The Great Escape' that was to prove another milestone - his big screen epic Hollywood breakthrough. This was followed up by the likes of 'The Flight of the Phoenix', 'Sand Pebbles' and 'Doctor Dolittle' starring with James Stewart, Steve McQueen and Rex Harrison respectively - the latter two roles winning him back-to-back Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

His Directing debut came in 1969 with 'Oh, What a Lovely War' and then the period epics 'Young Winston' and 'A Bridge Too Far'. 1982's 'Gandhi' won him two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture, as he also acted as Producer on that film.

He married actress Sheila Sim in 1945, and they remained married up to his death this past weekend. His eldest daughter, Jane Holland, and his granddaughter Lucy, were both tragically killed in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami that struck Thailand while they were holidaying. In 2008 Attenborough had a pacemaker fitted and suffered a stroke later that year that left him wheelchair bound until his death. In late 2012 his wife was diagnosed with senile dementia and in early 2013 he moved into the actors nursing home, Denville Hall, to be with his wife.

In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and in 1993 was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough of Richmond-on-Thames. in 1983 he was awarded the 'Padma Bhusan' - India's third highest civilian honour and that same year the 'Martin Luther King Jnr. Nonviolence Peace Prize'. In 2006 with his brother David, he was awarded as a 'Distinguished Honourary Fellow of the University of Leicester', and in 2008 an 'Honourary Doctorate of Drama from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama'. He also has a 30,000 sq.ft. sound stage named after him at Pinewood Studios which was unveiled in 2012 - his career then almost coming full circle!

His film performances run to 78 credits and began in 1942 with 'In Which We Serve', and took in over more than half a century with the likes of 'Brighton Rock', 'The Great Escape', 'The Flight of the Phoenix', 'Doctor Dolittle', 'The Last Grenade', '10, Rillington Place', 'Ten Little Indians', 'Brannigan', 'Jurassic Park', 'Miracle on 34th Street', 'Hamlet', 'The Lost World : Jurassic Park', and 'Elizabeth'. In addition he has thirteen Producer and twelve Director credits to his name including 'Oh, What a Lovely War', 'Young Winston', 'A Bridge Too Far', 'Gandhi', 'A Chorus Line', 'Cry Freedom', 'Chaplin', 'Shadowlands' and his last offering - 2007's 'Closing the Ring'.

He was the recipient of 31 career award wins and 16 other nominations including two Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for 'Gandhi'; three Golden Globes for Best Director for 'Gandhi' and Best Supporting Actor for 'Sand Pebbles' and 'Doctor Dolittle' with two other nominations; and six BAFTA wins for Best Actor for 'Guns at Batsai' and 'Seance on a Wet Afternoon', Best Film for 'Gandhi' and 'Shadowlands', Best Director for 'Gandhi' as well as winning the 'Academy Fellowship Award' in 1983, plus eight other nominations.

Richard Attenborough - an icon of British film history, a star of numerous Hollywood classics, active in the industry for seven decades, a respected influence to many, and the provider of a film legacy both in front and behind the camera that will live on in motion picture history, may you forever Rest In Peace in the knowledge that you have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema.

Richard Attenborough - Rest In Peace
1923-2014.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

James Garner - dies aged 86 - R.I.P.

James Garner - born James Scott Baumgarner was born in Oklahoma on April 7th 1928 and passed away of natural causes at home on Saturday evening 19th July 2014.


A veteran of more than fifty film appearances and numerous television series, Garner was also a veteran of the Korean War where he was wounded twice and subsequently awarded two Purple Hearts. He first came to acting in a non-speaking Broadway stage play 'The Caine Mutiny Court Martial' in 1954 before film and television beckoned and brought him six decades of success from the mid-50's onward.

His film career was as diverse and colourful as his small screen career with movies credits that include 'Move over, Darling', 'Marlowe', 'The Americanisation of Emily', 'The Great Escape', 'Grand Prix', 'Support your local Sherrif', 'Support your local Gunslinger', 'The Fan', 'Victor Victoria', 'Maverick', 'Space Cowboys', 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood' and 'The Notebook'.

His TV acting credits include 'Conflict' from 1956-57 over three episodes, 'Cheyenne' from 1955-57 over four episodes, 'Maverick' from 1957-62 over 60 episodes, 'Nichols' from 1971-2 over 24 episodes,  'The Rockford Files' (for which he is perhaps best known) from 1974-80 over 122 episodes and taking in eight TV movies from 1994-99, 'Bret Maverick' from 1981-82 over 18 episodes, 'Man of the People' from 1991-92 over ten episodes, 'Chicago Hope' in 2000 over four episodes, 'God, the Devil and Bob' from 2000-01 over 13 episodes, 'First Monday' in 2002 over 13 episodes and '8 Simple Rules' from 2003-05 over 45 episodes. He played the character of Bret Maverick in four TV series - 'Sugarfoot', 'Maverick', 'Young Maverick', and 'Bret Maverick' from 1957-1982.

Whilst filming 'Grand Prix' in 1966 he got the taste for motor racing (much like his good friend Paul Newman did later on in life), and became the owner of the 'American International Racer' team from 1967-69, and later on drove a pace car in the 59th, 61st and 69th Indianapolis 500. He was an avid golfer too winning a number of amateur tournaments, and a keen follower of 'The Oakland Raiders' American football team. During his time playing Jim Rockford in the 70's he experienced ongoing knee problems and had both knees replaced subsequently. He was hospitalised with a bleeding ulcer in 1979, underwent quintuple heart by-pass surgery in 1988, and suffered a major stroke in 2008 from which he recovered well following surgery.

Garner was nominated for an Academy Award in 1986 for Best Actor in 'Murphy's Romance'. He won three Golden Globes for 'Barbarians at the Gate', 'Decoration Day' and as 'Most Promising Male Newcomer' in 1958, and had nine other nominations. He also won two Primetime Emmy Awards for 'Promise' and 'The Rockford Files' together with 13 other nominations. Throughout his career he was the recipient of 17 total award wins and 33 further nominations.

Owner of a trademark deep gravelly voice, amiable, handsome, understated, TV icon and on-screen ladies man Garner has left his mark on both film and television history, and is survived by his wife Lois Fleishman Clarke whom he married in 1956.

James Garner - Rest In Peace.
1928-2014

-Steve, at Odeon Online-