Monday, July 09, 2012

Bon Voyage Commander McHale

Sad news from Los Angeles yesterday, Oscar-winning actor Ernest Borgnine, 95, died in Cedar Sinai Medical Center of renal failure.

Early in Borgnine's career he was typecast as "heavies" and was the actor who beat Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity

Brognine received the Oscar for his portrayal in Marty, the film adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky's play. His character was a man in his mid-thirties who believes he is so unattractive he will never find a woman. Borgnine was cast against type to play the lonely butcher.

In addition to the Borgnine Oscar, the film was awarded the Best Picture Oscar.  Not bad for a film that only cost $380,000.

For Boomers, Borgnine is best known as Quinten McHale the irascible commander of a misfit crew on a PT Boat in World War II in McHale's Navy.

In my estimation, Borgnine was an actor who fought against type and became one of Hollywood's legends.

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Turner Classic Moviers (TCM) is planning a tribute to Borgnine with a twenty-four hour marathon on July 26.  Films in the all day tribute include Torpedo Run (1958), From Here to Eternity (1953), Ice Station Zebra (1968), and, of course, Marty (1955).

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