Dennis Weaver, "McCloud" has died

[Lizavetta]

Just heard on the radio......

[dfwgator]

All three had one thing in common, their first names all started with the letter "D" (Don, Darren, Dennis)

[Liberty Valance]

uh-oh

[My Favorite Headache]

Hall of Fame ► CelebritiesDennis Weaver , 81 (bio) actor $5,075 Democrat Contributor Candidate or PAC Amount Date WEAVER, DENNIS RIDEWAY, CO 81432 ACTOR DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (D) $250 primary 05/16/05 Weaver, Dennis Mr. Ridgway, CO 81432 Self-Employed/Self Employed DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE (D) $500 primary 09/17/04 WEAVER, DENNIS RIDGWAY, CO 81432 ACTOR DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (D) $375 primary 10/06/03 WEAVER, DENNIS RIDGWAY, CO 81432 ACTOR BRADBURY, BILL (D) Senate - OR BRADBURY FOR US SENATE $1,000 general 10/21/02 WEAVER, DENNIS MALIBU, CA 90265 DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE (D) $1,000 primary 10/05/92 WEAVER, DENNIS BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212 BOXER, BARBARA (D) Senate - CA BARBARA BOXER FOR U S SENATE $200 primary 03/06/92 WEAVER, DENNIS MALIBU, CA 90265 HARKIN, TOM (D) President AMERICANS FOR HARKIN $250 primary 10/02/91 WEAVER, DENNIS BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212 ACTOR JACKSON, JESSE LOUIS (D) President JESSE JACKSON FOR PRESIDENT 88 COMMITTEE-CALIFORNIA $500 primary 05/18/88 WEAVER, DENNIS CALABASAS, CA 91302 ACTOR MCGOVERN, GEORGE (D) Senate - DC MCGOVERN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $1,000 general 09/09/80

[DCPatriot]

DUEL put Steven Spielburg on the Hollywood map, IMO.

Hate to tell you, but I will always remember him for "GUNSMOKE" when he played the role of Chester with James Arness.

[discostu]

They come in threes because people count them in groups of three. If somebody else dies later today or tomorrow you'll just start counting another group.

[My Favorite Headache]

Posted on Mon, Feb. 27, 2006

'Gunsmoke' actor Dennis Weaver diesBOB THOMASAssociated PressLOS ANGELES - Dennis Weaver, the slow-witted deputy Chester Goode in the TV classic western "Gunsmoke" and the New Mexico deputy solving New York crime in "McCloud," has died, his publicist said Monday. The actor was 81.
Weaver died of complications from cancer on Feb. 24 at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, publicist Julian Myers said.

A struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, Weaver was earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, "Gunsmoke." He learned that another actor had turned down the same role at $400 a week. Weaver summoned his courage and asked for and got $400. By the end of his nine years with "Gunsmoke," he was earning $9,000 a week.

When Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester "inane." He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, "All the World's a Stage," that he said to himself: "With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself."

The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, "Mis-ter Dil-lon."
At the end of seven hit seasons, Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to "Gunsmoke" on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season.
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[Revolting cat!]

Well, there's number three.

Ooph, thank heavens. The cat's safe for now!

[don-o]

That's it.

"Gunsmoke" and "Have Gun Will Travel" were two shows we always watched as a family back in the day.

[TChris]

They come in threes because people count them in groups of three. If somebody else dies later today or tomorrow you'll just start counting another group.

Now now... Don't go upsetting our numerologist friends. ;-)

[pollyannaish]

Just thinking about that movie scares the bejeebies out of me.

[Not A Snowbird]

Oh, wow. I never missed an episode of McCloud.

That's three.

[LS]

Really. Isn't that weird?

[don-o]

Your point??

[LS]

He was a huge lib, FWIW.

[i_dont_chat]

They come in threes because people count them in groups of three. If somebody else dies later today or tomorrow you'll just start counting another group.

Exactly.

[dfwgator]

Amazing how Spielberg really made you feel like you were experiencing what the Weaver character was going through, you could just feel the desperation. Spielberg owes his career to that movie.

[Not A Snowbird]

He may have donated to libs, but at least he was never a barking moonbat like George Clooney. (That I know of.)

[G Larry]

Ah!
Nobody seems to remember his show "Whirly Birds"!

That was a lot of fun!

[Borges]

Even before that he did the Joan Crawford segment of the Night Gallery pilot.

[pollyannaish]

Amen to that. Watched it the first time late at night, alone. Thought I was having some kind of horrible nightmare.

For Spielberg, it's all been downhill, albeit slowly, from there. That was truly an everyman kind of movie.

Anyway, Weaver was a good actor and will be missed. Prayers for his family.