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R.I.P. ERNEST BORGNINE (AT AGE 95)
- Thread starter gregg75
- Start date
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iNOBFk-eEM
One of Borgnine's best TV roles. The other one is when he played the late Vince Lombardi in a made for TV movie. The resemblance between Lombardi and Borgnine was eerie.
One of Borgnine's best TV roles. The other one is when he played the late Vince Lombardi in a made for TV movie. The resemblance between Lombardi and Borgnine was eerie.
And we all know how he made it to age 95:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I_PeLNzxNQ
RIP, dear Mr. Borgnine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I_PeLNzxNQ
RIP, dear Mr. Borgnine.
If Andy Griffith played the patriarch, Ernest Borgnine was our favorite Uncle. That magic grin, his contagious belly laugh, and those jolly characters he played in most of his roles, all made us feel like we were personally aquainted with this gentle, celebrated giant.
Like Griffith, Borgnine was a dimensionally talented actor who could play villainous roles too. Still, many, especially us baby-boomers, remember him best as the title character in the TV sitcom MacHale's Navy. And that's understandable; the Quinton MacHale character was a perfect fit for Borgnine's personality. He seemed to have been playing himself.
I came close to actually meeting Borgnine in Tijeras Canyon, near Albuquerque. Colleagues of the U of Albuquerque's PR dept had gathered there in 1971, some poised as "extras", waiting for that special call from producers taping the very forgettable, Bunny O'Hare, co-starring the legendary Betty Davis. I myself had no interest in working before a camera; I was afterall, a college radio DJ. One friend, now an Associate Professor at Texas A&M, made the cut and got a small, unspoken role.
Bunny proved to be a cinematic disaster, and it might have been Borgnine's only big-screen flop (an incredilous, humiliated Davis actually sued!). But the big bear with the Santa Clause laugh landed on his feet. If Bunny bothered him, it didn't show. Plenty of other successful roles would come along later, like the TV drama Airwolfe, and a host of other movies, one taped so recently that it hasn't even been released yet.
Borgnine showed just how comfortable he was in his own skin on a segment of The O'Reilly Factor, taped a few years ago and replayed on FOX NEWS just last week. We too were comfortable with Ernest Borgnine. He was, afterall, our favorite uncle.
Like Griffith, Borgnine was a dimensionally talented actor who could play villainous roles too. Still, many, especially us baby-boomers, remember him best as the title character in the TV sitcom MacHale's Navy. And that's understandable; the Quinton MacHale character was a perfect fit for Borgnine's personality. He seemed to have been playing himself.
I came close to actually meeting Borgnine in Tijeras Canyon, near Albuquerque. Colleagues of the U of Albuquerque's PR dept had gathered there in 1971, some poised as "extras", waiting for that special call from producers taping the very forgettable, Bunny O'Hare, co-starring the legendary Betty Davis. I myself had no interest in working before a camera; I was afterall, a college radio DJ. One friend, now an Associate Professor at Texas A&M, made the cut and got a small, unspoken role.
Bunny proved to be a cinematic disaster, and it might have been Borgnine's only big-screen flop (an incredilous, humiliated Davis actually sued!). But the big bear with the Santa Clause laugh landed on his feet. If Bunny bothered him, it didn't show. Plenty of other successful roles would come along later, like the TV drama Airwolfe, and a host of other movies, one taped so recently that it hasn't even been released yet.
Borgnine showed just how comfortable he was in his own skin on a segment of The O'Reilly Factor, taped a few years ago and replayed on FOX NEWS just last week. We too were comfortable with Ernest Borgnine. He was, afterall, our favorite uncle.
2 questions...
Who's left from "McHale's Navy" besides Tim Conway and Gavin McLeod?
The YouTube link to the opening credits...Regarding the second cut which identified the producer, writer, director, etc. and showed the signal flags. I remember reading once that those flags spelled out a specific message. Anybody else ever hear this?
Bit Of McHale Trivia--The origin of the show was a live drama on one of the old anthology shows. It was called "Seven Against The Sea", and featured Borgnine as the skipper of a PT boat that had been caught in a storm. One can almost hear a TV executive saying, "I love it! Let's turn it into a weekly series! Um, can we make it a wacky comedy, though?"
Who's left from "McHale's Navy" besides Tim Conway and Gavin McLeod?
The YouTube link to the opening credits...Regarding the second cut which identified the producer, writer, director, etc. and showed the signal flags. I remember reading once that those flags spelled out a specific message. Anybody else ever hear this?
Bit Of McHale Trivia--The origin of the show was a live drama on one of the old anthology shows. It was called "Seven Against The Sea", and featured Borgnine as the skipper of a PT boat that had been caught in a storm. One can almost hear a TV executive saying, "I love it! Let's turn it into a weekly series! Um, can we make it a wacky comedy, though?"
C
cd637299
Guest
Corky Marlowe said:
I believe that Wikipedia listed info on both "Seven Against the Sea" AND the signal flags---the flags spelled out C-H-A-L, the middle 4 letters in "McHale."
I am sure that some of McHale's henchmen are still with us, but I don't keep track of that crew.
Also---if you count Claudine Longet (semi regular), she is still with us, right?....no jokes, please....
cd
Its fitting that Borgnine was meant to play McHale, since he did serve in the Navy as a Gunner's Mate for ten years (1935-45). In fact he was promoted to honorary Chief Petty Officer in 1954 for his service to the Navy and helping their families, which he did throughout his life.
Speaking of "McHale's Navy", one has to wonder if Antenna TV will do a marathon (or at least show the 1997 film). Better yet, how about a "Airwolf" marathon.
Speaking of "McHale's Navy", one has to wonder if Antenna TV will do a marathon (or at least show the 1997 film). Better yet, how about a "Airwolf" marathon.
Interesting that there are some parallels in the careers of Ernest
Borgnine and Andy Griffith: Borgnine, although perhaps best-known
in the '50s for the movie "Marty," played the sadist who beat Frank
Sinatra to death in "From Here To Eternity," while Griffith played the
overbearing, power-gone-to-his-head Lonesome Rhodes in "A Face
In The Crowd." In the '60s both had successful sitcoms, then followed
up with popular drama series ("Airwolf" for Borgnine, "Matlock" for Griffith)
in the '80s.
"McHale's Navy" changed Borgnine's image from villainous to comic. And
BTW, the pilot, "Seven Against The Sea," aired on ABC's "Alcoa Premiere"
(hosted by Fred Astaire); I believe the year was 1961.
Borgnine and Andy Griffith: Borgnine, although perhaps best-known
in the '50s for the movie "Marty," played the sadist who beat Frank
Sinatra to death in "From Here To Eternity," while Griffith played the
overbearing, power-gone-to-his-head Lonesome Rhodes in "A Face
In The Crowd." In the '60s both had successful sitcoms, then followed
up with popular drama series ("Airwolf" for Borgnine, "Matlock" for Griffith)
in the '80s.
"McHale's Navy" changed Borgnine's image from villainous to comic. And
BTW, the pilot, "Seven Against The Sea," aired on ABC's "Alcoa Premiere"
(hosted by Fred Astaire); I believe the year was 1961.
B
Bob1370
Guest
Ernest Borgnine may have been one of the two oldest actors still alive AND performing at the time he passed last week.
I think the only one out there who's senior to him and still alive and performing is Norman Lloyd, who began appearing on television during its experimental days in 1939, on what would later become WNBT and finally WNBC once commercial TV began. He still does occasional voiceover and on-camera appearances, although he's probably best known for his co-starring role as Dr. Auschlander on the series "St. Elsewhere" (also on NBC) during the 1980s.
I think the only one out there who's senior to him and still alive and performing is Norman Lloyd, who began appearing on television during its experimental days in 1939, on what would later become WNBT and finally WNBC once commercial TV began. He still does occasional voiceover and on-camera appearances, although he's probably best known for his co-starring role as Dr. Auschlander on the series "St. Elsewhere" (also on NBC) during the 1980s.
B
Bob1370
Guest
Ernest Borgnine had one of the most durable careers in film and television--and may have been the second-oldest active performer in America at the time of his passing last week.
The only man who is his senior, and still alive, active and performing, is Norman Lloyd, who started on the Broadway stage and on radio in the 1930s (including a stint as one of the players on Orson Welles' Mercury Theater series on CBS) and first appeared on TV on NBC's experimental station W2XBS (precursor of WNBC-TV) in 1939. He was later better known as co-star of NBC's St. Elsewhere in the 1980s, and most recently appeared on TV in a guest shot on ABC's current comedy hit Modern Family.
He'll be 98 in November.
The only man who is his senior, and still alive, active and performing, is Norman Lloyd, who started on the Broadway stage and on radio in the 1930s (including a stint as one of the players on Orson Welles' Mercury Theater series on CBS) and first appeared on TV on NBC's experimental station W2XBS (precursor of WNBC-TV) in 1939. He was later better known as co-star of NBC's St. Elsewhere in the 1980s, and most recently appeared on TV in a guest shot on ABC's current comedy hit Modern Family.
He'll be 98 in November.
Bob Hastings, who played Lt. Carpenter, Captain Bingington's Yes Man, is still alive at the age of 87. He still appears at Old-Time Radio Conventions across the country. Just about everyone else that appeared as a regular on the show were in their late 30s or older at the time.Corky Marlowe said:
Here's another one-- Andy Griffith colaborated on a failed attempt at bringing From Here To Eternity to TV, as a movie or a mini-series.bpatrick said:
And you "might be the only one in the whole wide world" who acknowleges familiarity with Bunny. That turkey did play on TV a few times, but I haven't seen it aired since the early '90s. Nobody in my circle has even heard of Bunny.Silkie said:
Another Borgnine flick I enjoyed was Convoy. Not exactly a classic, but, playing the corrupt sheriff, Borgnine got to show his talent for playing both the villain and a nice guy, all in one character!
jfrancispastirchak said:
Actually, early in his career he played mostly villains - and he was very good at that, too.
Sorry, should have worded that better. I sounded a little self-righteous. Actually, I have my own list of favorite "turkeys", including old Audie Murphy westerns and TV re-runs of THE MONKEES. Promise you won't tell anyone.Silkie said:
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