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Author Topic: Charles Durning, 89  (Read 1062 times)

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Offline IronDioPriest

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Charles Durning, 89
« on: December 25, 2012, 09:25:38 AM »
One of my earlier memories of Durning (unless I'm misremembering) was a 70s TV mini-series called "The Captains and the Kings" or something like that. Every time I saw him in anything, that would be my first frame of reference.

Charles Durning, king of character actors, dies in NYC

Charles Durning grew up in poverty, lost five of his nine siblings to disease, barely lived through D-Day and was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge.
His hard life and wartime trauma provided the basis for a prolific 50-year career as a consummate Oscar-nominated character actor, playing everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in "Tootsie."
Durning, who died Monday at age 89 in New York, got his start as an usher at a burlesque theater in Buffalo, N.Y. When one of the comedians showed up too drunk to go on, Durning took his place. He would recall years later that he was hooked as soon as heard the audience laughing.
He told The Associated Press in 2008 that he had no plans to stop working. "They're going to carry me out, if I go," he said....
« Last Edit: December 25, 2012, 09:33:09 AM by IronDioPriest »
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Offline trapeze

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2012, 11:02:51 AM »
There was a time when actors would serve in the military, especially during wartime and in combat.

Even Elvis served.

Now we have Ashton Kutcher.
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Online Pandora

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2012, 12:33:51 PM »
Quote from: trapeze on December 25, 2012, 11:02:51 AM
There was a time when actors would serve in the military, especially during wartime and in combat.

Even Elvis served.

Now we have Ashton Kutcher.

Ain't that the truth.  And Justin Bieber.

Mr. Durning had a good run.  RIP, sir.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2012, 12:49:39 PM »
Durning's rugged early life provided ample material on which to base his later portrayals. He was born into an Irish family of 10 children in 1923, in Highland Falls, New York, a town near West Point. His father was unable to work, having lost a leg and been gassed during World War I, so his mother supported the family by washing the uniforms of West Point cadets.

The younger Durning himself would barely survive World War II.

He was among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2012/12/25/charles-durning-dies-actor/1790203/

Well done, sir!   ::USA::

And isn't this a rarity in today's primadonna dominated world - "I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director," Durning told the Associated Press in 2008, when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 ::thumbsup::

R.I.P. Charles.
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Offline AlanS

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2012, 04:23:47 PM »
A rarity in Hollywierd. An actual man's man.

RIP, Charles.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #5 on: December 25, 2012, 05:43:12 PM »
  Loved him in Best Little whore house in Texas. R.I.P.

Sidestep - Charles Durning - The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.mp4
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Offline ChrstnHsbndFthr

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2012, 12:06:58 AM »
Wow, the only difference between him and the current president is the press actually questioned this guy and didn't buy the song and dance.
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Online ToddF

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Re: Charles Durning, 89
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2012, 07:35:46 AM »
Anther from a time when aspiring to be like pop culture was a good thing.

RIP  ::USA::
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