“Forgotten Hollywood”- Walk of Fame to Honor Toshiro Mifune
Manny P. here…
Toshiro Mifune is the legendary Japanese actor who starred in such Akira Kurosawa classics as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Throne of Blood. Now, count him as the posthumous recipient of his own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Almost all of the 16 Kurosawa–Mifune collaborations are considered cinematic classics. The Magnificent Seven attributes its script to the Seven Samurai story. Clint Eastwood was among the first of many actors to adopt a wandering warrior persona attributed to Mifune, which he used to great effect in his roles; especially playing the man with no name character in Spaghetti Westerns made with Sergio Leone.
When he traveled to Tinsel Town, he was cast in Grand Prix, Midway, Hell in the Pacific, and Steven Spielberg’s 1979 comedy flop, 1941. On television, he appeared on the NBC’s Shōgun. Yet, Kurosawa didn’t rejoice in his estranged friend’s success, and publicly made derisive remarks about his friend and the mini-series. After his comments, the relationship between Kurosawa and Mifune remained ambivalent. They never fully reconciled, and they died within a year of each other in the 1990s.
A date for the Walk of Fame ceremony will be set later this year.
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The father of a high school friend has died. DICK VAN PATTEN —> was best known as the patrician of a large family in Eight is Enough on television. He also appeared in several Mel Brooks feature films: High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
His motion picture resume also includes Soylent Green, Charly, and Westworld. Plus, Dick Van Patten guest-starred on Naked City, Rawhide, I Dream of Jeannie, Love American Style, Cannon, Medical Center, Maude, Adam-12, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, Banacek, Phyllis, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baywatch, The Love Boat television movies, and most recently, Hot in Cleveland.
Dick’s sister is actress Joyce Van Patten. And, my friend… actor, former tennis professional, and television host of World Poker Tour events: Vince Van Patten. Let me offer my personal condolences to the entire Van Patten family
The likeable Dick Van Patten was 86.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 at 12:01 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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