R.I.P.

With the passing of Red Buttons so soon after Barnard Hughes this past week, I couldn't help but think of a former customer at our store. His name was Dave, and he would only rent movies when someone famous died. At first we thought this was a bit strange, but in time this practice became the norm among many renters. And after a while we ourselves started to run films on our in-store TV monitors as a tribute whenever a famous actor died. So it is in that spirit that I will continue noting the passing of favorite film stars on this blog. Red Buttons surprised many with his Oscar-winning turn in the 1957 film, Sayonara . Originally a "Borscht Belt" comedian he had much success on TV as the star of his own show on NBC from 1952 to 1955. After receiving his Oscar he continued to work in films and TV never fully giving up his stand-up comedy career. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in 1969's They Shoot Horses Don't They. One of my own favorites was his role of "Mr. Martin" in the original Poseidon Adventure (1972.) (See Disaster in the making! post from June 12th) At the store one of the staff's all-time guilty favorites was Viva Knievel, from 1977. Red Buttons plays a shifty promoter to the legendary motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel, who appears as himself. A true campy classic from the 70s which also stars Gene Kelly as Knievel's drug-addicted mechanic. I'll have more to say about the film at a later time for it deserves it's own posting. Buttons went on to be nominated for an Emmy and two more Golden Globes during his career. A true Hollywood original and the last of dying breed of comedians.

Red Buttons Movies