In Memoriam

Maccabee · Post by **Maccabee** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 12:50 pm

British comedian Dudley Moore has lost his long battle with his brain ailment.

For those of you not familiar with his work, Moore was part of the amazing explosion of creativity in British comedy in the late 60s, along with Peter Cook, Marty Feldman, the Pythons, and many others I'm too young and too American to discuss properly.

Moore's most direct contribution to sf was the original version of Bedazzled, with Peter Cook as Satan. It's directed by the great Stanley Donen (Charade, Damn Yankees, Funny Face, The Little Prince, Singin' In the Rain, etc.).

We'll miss you, Dudley.

Maccabee

SteveB · Post by **SteveB** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 1:05 pm

He was also Mr. A. Square in an animated "Flatland" and the Dormouse in a British production of "Alice in Wonderland" in the 70s.

I can't say it is a shock, since he's been fighting a terminal illness for quite some time now, but it's a shame.

Steve Bolhafner

LordNicodareus · Post by **LordNicodareus** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 1:57 pm

First Douglas Adams, now Dudley Moore...If Eric Idle passes away any time soon, it will be an even darker day for british comedy...
This Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster's for you, Dudley

FrustratedPilot · Post by **FrustratedPilot** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 2:05 pm

If you can find it, check out The Best of What's Left of Not Only...But Also...! Lot's of great comedy in that video. If you want a sci-fi angle, there's an over-the-top parody of the Supermarionation shows in it.

Dudley also made a classic episode of the PBS show Nova titled "It's About Time".

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 3:39 pm

First Douglas Adams, now Dudley Moore...If Eric Idle passes away any time soon, it will be an even darker day for british comedy...

Is Eric Idle living in the US, because it seems being over here is dangerous to famous Brits. Alfred Hitchcock, John Lennon, Terry Nation, Patrick Troughton, Douglas Adams, George Harrison, and now Dudley Moore all died in the U.S. There are probably others I'm forgetting.

Hmmm, 2 out of 3 deceased Beatles died in the U.S.... Paul, Ringo, stay in the UK! (Former Beatles Bassist Stu Sutcliff died in Germany.)

KingLeon · Post by **KingLeon** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 4:46 pm

I sure am glad Pratchett lives in Britain then...
(Pauses)
Oh, nuts. What if dies on one of his book tours in the US?

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 5:20 pm

Ah, I hadn't spotted that item of news yet. A shame; however, I did always see him as the "straight man" to Peter Cook in Not Only - But Also and, too, in Bedazzled. For me, he never really shone as a solo comic.

He was an outstanding jazz pianist, and I sometimes wonder what drove him from a successful musical career on to the stage. Pet 'n' Dud were part of the satire boom, springing out of TW3 and including At Last the 1948 show, but not, really Monty Python. Python was something else; and in my opinion at least, a dumbing down of the sharp edge of the satirists.

So long Dudley; may your piano always be in tune, and I hope you find your perfect 10.

Muttley

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Wed Mar 27, 2002 7:56 pm

Word's just gotten out of Milton Berle's death as well. He did next to no genre work, but two enetrtainment deaths in one day is worth noting.

Still an hour left til midnight on the east coast. And they say deaths always come in threes....

(Now if someone else does die I'm gonna feel really bad.)

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Thu Mar 28, 2002 3:25 pm

I am not responsible for Billy Wilder dying yesterday to complete the three.

Maccabee · Post by **Maccabee** » Thu Mar 28, 2002 9:17 pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I didn't much care for Some Like it Hot (Tony Curtis gives me the dry heaves), but The Apartment was one of the best comedies of its generation. Wilder did a lot of great work. He will be missed.

Oh, and for a direct Uncle Milty contribution to fandom -- he played "Louie the Lilac" on the Batman TV series. Not the most memorable villain, but at least he was there.

a very bummed Maccabee

Tom the Fanboy · Post by **Tom the Fanboy** » Thu Mar 28, 2002 11:01 pm

Why Louis the Lilac is memorable to me.

Moltar:Hey, this guy dresses like the Joker from the old Adam West Batman show.

Zorak: Nahhhhh, it's Louis the Lilac.

The Joker!

Lous the Lilac!

The Joker!

Louie the Lilac!

20 bucks says it's the Joker!

You're on!

*seconds later*

Guest:I actually based my fashion on several sources, kind of a mix between *pop culture reference* and the Joker from tthe old batman show.

Zorak in costume: What's this!? Has Batmantis been gypped out of twenty bucks!??

Strangeone · Post by **Strangeone** » Fri Mar 29, 2002 1:47 am

That was just freaky. I went onto imdb.com and saw obituaries for Moore, Wilder and Berle all on the front page. I'm especially a fan of Wilder's work. He was a brilliant director and deserved all the recognition that people gave him.

Blondlot · Post by **Blondlot** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 11:48 am

and now the Queen of England is dead.

The deaths of renown people come in violent spurts, it seems.

Ex animo,
m.d

LordNicodareus · Post by **LordNicodareus** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 11:52 am

Almost reminds me of that year when all the celebs (the only one I can remember is Sonny Bono) were killed in skiing accidents. Kinda sad, really.

Muttley · Post by **Muttley** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 12:32 pm

Blondlot wrote:
and now the Queen of England is dead.

Well, nearly: it's actually the Queen Mother who has died (at the age of 101). She had been getting quite frail recently, and we more or less expected this news soon. BBC news has more details
( http://news.bbc.co.uk )

Muttley

[ This Message was edited by: Muttley on 2002-03-30 13:30 ]

Tom the Fanboy · Post by **Tom the Fanboy** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 1:46 pm

Ooops...mispost....

[ This Message was edited by: Tom the Fanboy on 2002-03-30 13:52 ]

Strangeone · Post by **Strangeone** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 2:39 pm

Counting the Queen Mum and Chuck Jones, that makes five famous deaths in a matter of a couple of weeks. If famous people usually go in threes, that means that another one may go any day now!

Ray Radlein · Post by **Ray Radlein** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 3:08 pm

On 2002-03-30 14:39, Strangeone wrote:
Counting the Queen Mum and Chuck Jones, that makes five famous deaths in a matter of a couple of weeks. If famous people usually go in threes, that means that another one may go any day now!

The reason famous people die in threes, of course, is that once the third one dies, people start counting over again.

Blondlot · Post by **Blondlot** » Sat Mar 30, 2002 6:21 pm

On 2002-03-30 12:32, Muttley wrote:
Blondlot wrote:
and now the Queen of England is dead.

Well, nearly: it's actually the Queen Mother who has died (at the age of 101). She had been getting quite frail recently, and we more or less expected this news soon. BBC news has more details
( http://news.bbc.co.uk )

Muttley

[ This Message was edited by: Muttley on 2002-03-30 13:30 ]

whoops. Thanks for the correction.

Ex animo,
m.d

Gormenghastly · Post by **Gormenghastly** » Sun Mar 31, 2002 1:49 am

Someone who is way more bored than I ever get should check celebrity bithdays to see if celebrity births also happen in threes.

I doubt they do because I think as Ray Radlein kind of implied, celebrity deaths happen in threes because we expect them to. Since celebrity births lack any such expectation, they probably won't follow it.

Now watch three celebrities give birth to triplets just as a way of the Universe going "neaner neaner neaner!"