Darren McGavin...Gone

So, Darren McGavin has died of natural causes, at 84. I know that this past Christmas most of us were saying the “A Christmas Story” was a true classic film. He was The Old Man, Ralphie’s father. McGavin also starred in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which I have never seen but honestly have always meant to (yeah, I’m sure that means alot).

@#$%^^&* BUMPUS’S !!!

R.I.P.

Why the wife wasn’t as thrilled about the lamp we’ll never know…

PS dude, are you the forum’s undertaker?

Not a finger…not a finger!

McGavin nailed that role as the dad in A Christmas Story. It’s the one holiday movie I make a point of watching every year.

RIP

I’m wondering why he wasn’t in any other movies/roles/anything? He did an awesome job in Christmas Story.

[quote]Majin wrote:
PS dude, are you the forum’s
undertaker?[/quote]

Ha, not really intentionally. Just a fan of movies and actors.

“You used up all the glue on purpose!”

“Its a major award”

“What brought you to this LOOOOOOWWWWWly state?”

“You look like a deranged easter bunny”

And his swearing with jibberish was the best.

Good stuff.

They go in three’s…

Darren McGavin, Don Knotts and Dennis Weaver all passed away over the weekend.

Sad to see three great actors leave us and strange how the rule of three seems to work.

[quote]lostinthought wrote:
RIP

I’m wondering why he wasn’t in any other movies/roles/anything? He did an awesome job in Christmas Story. [/quote]

He has a great early role as a smack dealer to addict Frank Sinatra in The Manwith the Golden Arm, directed by Otto Preminger.

Maybe you’re young, but don’t you remember him as Carl Kolchak, The Night Stalker? About once a month, the SciFi Channel plays a Night Stalker marathon on a weekday from 7 am to 3 pm (CST).

Later,
Scott

If you guys have never seen “tribes” with Darren McGavin and Jan Michael Vincent, go pick it up somewhere.

It was a movie of the week many years ago.

McGavin plays a tough Marine drill sgt. and Vincent is a recruit.

Good stuff.

McGavin was highly under rated as an actor. He was fabulous in everything that he was ever in.

Just to add to what Zeb said:

McGavin was one of those “I’ll do it my way or won’t do it at all” kinda’ real guys, that was (and is) rare in Hollywood (by the way…don’t compare McGavin’s time with these guys today making 15-20 million a film).

When he stood his ground, it would often mean a sacrifice.

He will forever be known to us as “Raphie’s Dad”…somehow I think that just cool with him.

Mufasa

Zeb:

Where can you get “Tribes”?

If I recall, didn’t Vincent play a Native American recruit, who evetually went AWOL, but before he did, fundamentally changed McGavin’s character forever? (At least that was the impression you were left with).

Mufasa

Some friends of mine actually have that same damn lamp.

Ummmm…

It says here Vincent played a “Hippie”.

(Somehow I remember a Native American character):

Mufasa

Here’s a great summary on “Amazon”.

Mufasa

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Ummmm…

It says here Vincent played a “Hippie”.

(Somehow I remember a Native American character):

Mufasa[/quote]

I recall him being a “hippie.”

Darren McGavin did many things; check www.imdb.com and search for his name. My first intro to him was watching “The Night Stalker” on Friday nights. I LOVED that show (and the cool opening music, beginning with the whistling).

It was a great moment on “The X-Files” when Fox Mulder tracks down an old retired agent who had been in an early version of the FBI’s X-Files division, and it turns out to be a curmudgeonly Darren McGavin!

Re: “Tribes” and the “Native American” theme–I found myself thinking the same thing; it might be because, when JMV’s character used meditation to endure the hardships of boot camp, there was a background score suggestive of Native American music.

He was pretty good in the X-Files…I’m still a big fan, record them on my dvr daily. Agent Arthur Dales, discovered the X-Files.
Also, very good as Brian Madison, Hotel owner tycoon, father of Billy Madison.

[quote]TShaw wrote:
It was a great moment on “The X-Files” when Fox Mulder tracks down an old retired agent who had been in an early version of the FBI’s X-Files division, and it turns out to be a curmudgeonly Darren McGavin!
[/quote]

Very cool moment.

Chris Carter has always said that the Night Stalker was his biggest inspiration behind the feel and tone of The X-Files.

Darren had about a one-second cameo in the first episode of the ill-fated new Night Stalker series. They pan across the newsroom and he’s there talking to someone — in his white suit and straw hat. Also very cool.