James Whitmore RIP
 

Sad news about his passing as he was one of the better character actors in the 50's and 60's movies and television. Remember him best in the great WWII movie "Battleground", which several vets told me was one of the best representations of what life and death was like on the front lines. Also in the Planet of the Apes as the president. Didnt he also do some of the voice overs in the Pioneer ads of the 70's? In homage to one of his other movies I cant help but say..."The Next Voice you Hear"....

He will surely be missed.

Yep...

I loved this guy as Sgt. Kinney in "Battleground". A real WWII vet playing a battle-hardened paratrooper at Bastogne. RIP.

Also remember the outstanding performance he delivered in "The Shawshank Redemption". Truly great.

Don't forget his LOOOONG running stage portrayal of Harry Truman, "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!"

Forgot about the portrail of the journalist who wanted to experience life in America as a black man in "Black Like Me". A very telling tale of prejudice...

Got the 2 LP soundtrack to Give 'Em Hell, Harry. 1975 United Artist issue. Didn't he appear on ER last year? We'll miss him.

My father (Sterling Hayden) acted with James Whitmore in the movie Asphalt Jungle in 1950 and they became friends in the early 1950's. My dad played
Dix and Whitmore played Gus. As my dad was, Whitemore was a Marine who carried the experience of being in the Corps into acting which made for some darn realistic portrayals.

Indeed RIP. Ditto on Shawshank...great film.

...and then there's MiracleGrow.

anden, your father also had many, many very memorable roles :yes:

I remember Burgess Meredith pitching Pioneer in the mid-70s; I don't think Whitmore did, but it's certainly possible. Whitmore was great in a recurring role on "The Practice" for which, I believe, he won an Emmy.

you must be andrew.?
he's got a heck of a bio! very impressive.

If you ever get a chance to see "Face of Fire", it will stay with you, forever. Whitmore plays the role of a man whose face is hideously burned and he becomes mentally imbalanced as a result. It is truly disturbing at times but also amazing in that he acts with a cloth mask covering his face for 7/8 of the film. By today's standard it should have put him on top but I believe audiences then were just too uncomfortable with the subject matter to embrace his performance. (Unfortunately it sits in DVD release limbo.)

:thumbsdn:

Face of Fire / 1959

http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/wp-co...Direction2.jpg

I had not heard about that. He will be missed. The first role of his I saw was his part in "Them!". And there was "Tora!Tora! Tora!", plus all the various tv episodes he was in. RIP...............

I remember him playing the State Trooper.....in the Sci-Fi flick....."Them", with James Arnez.
Lions, and Tigers, and Ants.....oh my!

R.I.P.

Steve

A Great actor! R.I.P.

James Whitmore
 

Caught him in Black Like Me and The Next Voice You Hear.Yeah,the giant ant flick too.Great actor

He was a real pro. RIP Mr Whitemore.

As with most people of his generation, a real class act.He played many roles, but one of the last movies I saw him in was The Majestic,with Jim Carry. In one of his scenes,he gave a speach, you could tell how emotions went deep about the war. We will not see his kind again.

Asphalt Jungle is one of the great american classics.

Sterling Hayden ... Dix Handley
Louis Calhern ... Alonzo D. Emmerich
Jean Hagen ... Doll Conovan
James Whitmore ... Gus Minissi
Sam Jaffe ... Doc Erwin Riedenschneider
John McIntire ... Police Commissioner Hardy
Marc Lawrence ... Cobby
Barry Kelley ... Lt. Ditrich
Anthony Caruso ... Louis Ciavelli
Teresa Celli ... Maria Ciavelli
Marilyn Monroe ... Angela Phinlay
William 'Wee Willie' Davis ... Timmons (as William Davis)
Dorothy Tree ... May Emmerich
Brad Dexter ... Bob Brannom
John Maxwell ... Dr. Swanson

What a great cast....led of course by Sterling Hayden... James Whitmore,Louis Calhern,Sam Jaffe and Marilyn Monroe.

I was fortunate enough to see Whitmore in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry." It was great and Whitmore was thoroughly convincing. I've seen it a couple times with other actors playing the part but, for me, Whitmore WAS Harry Truman.

I've also been lucky enough to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain in his one man show. Another brilliant actor in a part that seems made just for him.

I recall a movie entitled "The Next Voice You Hear" that starred Whitmore and Nancy Davis (the future 1st Lady) that is quite intriguing. It's about a family that hears the voice of God over their radio. It sounds corny but isn't and is thought-provoking.

His performance in "The Shawshank Redemption" should have gotten him the Oscar.

Do forget his "Will Rogers' USA" show, either.

http://unsinkablecork.com/willrogers...moreRoping.jpg

Great actor.

Some years ago PBS aired his Will Rogers show. It takes special skills for any actor to pull of a one-man/woman show. That Whitmore did it several times is astonishing and a real testimonial to his incredible talent.

I think "great actor" about sums it up. I cannot think of any actor of his generation who was more natural or believable.

Great voice, great presence, great actor.