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Actor Mickey Hargitay dies at age 80
Yahoo - AP ^ | 9/18/06 | SANDY COHEN

Posted on 09/18/2006 7:50:16 PM PDT by Borges

LOS ANGELES - Mickey Hargitay, the actor and world champion bodybuilder who was married to 1950s sex siren Jayne Mansfield and whose daughter is Emmy-winning winning actress Mariska Hargitay, has died. He was 80.

Hargitay died Thursday in Los Angeles, according to a family statement issued Monday through publicist Gary Mantoosh. The cause of death was not released.

"Words cannot express how saddened we are by the loss of Mickey," the statement said. "At the same time, we are so grateful for who he was and is to all of us, and for the love he gave us in our lives. He will continue to be our source of inspiration and strength."

Born Miklos Hargitay in 1926, he emigrated from his native Hungary to the United States after World War II. He became interested in bodybuilding in the 1950s and was named Mr. Universe, Mr. America and Mr. Olympia in 1955.

"My dad's a bit of a superhero," Mariska Hargitay told the National Public Radio show "Fresh Air" last year.

He parlayed his perfect physique into a performing career when Mae West tapped him to be one of the musclemen in her stage show.

It was there that Hargitay met Mansfield, whom he married in 1957. That same year, he made his big-screen debut in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: "The Loves of Hercules," "Promises! Promises!" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"

The couple had three children together, including Mariska, before divorcing in 1964. Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story," offered his condolences and called Hargitay "a magnificent individual."

"Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams."

Hargitay's career continued after his divorce with appearances in a half-dozen Italian films and horror flicks. He even guest-starred in a 2003 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the show in which his daughter Mariska plays a leading role.

When she won an Emmy for her work last month, Mariska tearfully thanked her father, "because he is the reason I'm standing here today."

Besides Mariska, survivors include his wife, Ellen, sons Mickey Jr. and Zoltan, and another daughter, Tina.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: hollywoodpinglist; jaynemansfield; mariskahargitay; mickeyhargitay; obituary
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To: Borges

He certainly still looked good for his age. My prayers for the comfort of his family.


41 posted on 09/18/2006 9:59:30 PM PDT by ladyinred
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To: Borges

An in-law who knew Mickey Hargitay claims that he told everyone to pronounce his name "Haggerty".


42 posted on 09/18/2006 10:02:49 PM PDT by wideminded
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To: COEXERJ145

I was in the ER at Charity Hospital of NO the night they brought the three children in after the wreck. It was very very sad.


43 posted on 09/18/2006 10:04:09 PM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: DJ MacWoW

What kind of a dunce would tear down the house and savage the beautiful gardens and pool? I know. Money man.


44 posted on 09/18/2006 10:09:16 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: onyx
What kind of a dunce would tear down the house and savage the beautiful gardens and pool? I know. Money man.

Yup. To build mini-mansions on the 10 acres he bought (including 2 other houses). I almost despise Humperdink for selling it to a developer. He had to know what the guy was going to do.

45 posted on 09/18/2006 10:12:47 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If you think you know what's coming next....You don't know Jack.)
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To: DJ MacWoW


Of course he knew. Damn.


46 posted on 09/18/2006 10:13:26 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: onyx
Did you see the inside pics?

Mansfield home interior

47 posted on 09/18/2006 10:16:12 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If you think you know what's coming next....You don't know Jack.)
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To: DJ MacWoW


No I hadn't, but now I have. Thanks.


48 posted on 09/18/2006 10:19:32 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: DJ MacWoW

Thanks for the link.


49 posted on 09/18/2006 10:31:28 PM PDT by peggybac (Tolerance is the virtue of believing in nothing)
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To: cajungirl

I knew a co-worker many years ago who was decapitated in a similar accident. We bumped into each other in the grocery store and chatted and the next morning I found out he was killed on his way home. He was a cheerful, well-liked guy and he died at a very young age. Haven't thought of him in years.


50 posted on 09/18/2006 10:41:05 PM PDT by Kirkwood
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To: onyx; peggybac

You're welcome. :)


51 posted on 09/18/2006 10:49:18 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If you think you know what's coming next....You don't know Jack.)
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To: El Sordo

it sounds Armenian. Big Armenian community in the LA area.


52 posted on 09/18/2006 10:56:39 PM PDT by kms61
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To: DJ MacWoW

Just goes to show that no amount of money confers taste. And that's coming from someone who's seen Graceland.


53 posted on 09/18/2006 11:01:16 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: Borges
Actually I heard that Mansfield being decapitated was an urban legend.

It is an urban legend, and a false one. Mansfield's wig was thrown clear of the crash, and someone -- either in person or seeing the photos of the crash site, I don't recall -- thought it was still attached to her head.

Actually, I misremembered. She was not decapitated, but did suffer severe head trauma. Snopes.com says "scalped" would be the more accurate term.

(A note on the term urban legend: It does not always equate to "false." Some are completely true, and many more have a nugget of truth but become less and less accurate as they're passed around, like any form of folklore.)

54 posted on 09/18/2006 11:08:51 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: ReignOfError

There were elements of the Mansfield house that were lovely.


55 posted on 09/18/2006 11:13:59 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If you think you know what's coming next....You don't know Jack.)
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To: SuziQ
Mariska favors her mother, though I think she's prettier than Jayne.

Prettier and a better actress, though I admit that I'm biased on both counts by generational differences. I'm a big Law & Order fan, and Mariska's certainly part of the reason, not just because she's easy on the eyes. She's also shown a lot of range in the run of the show.

56 posted on 09/18/2006 11:15:13 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: ReignOfError

Btw, when those interior pics were taken, Englebert Humperdink owned it. It was his furniture etc.


57 posted on 09/18/2006 11:15:41 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (If you think you know what's coming next....You don't know Jack.)
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To: DJ MacWoW
There were elements of the Mansfield house that were lovely.

I'm sure, and I was too harsh based on a few old and grainy photos. Every era has its design atrocities -- I'd hate to be judged forever by what I wore and hung on the walls in the 1970s.

That said, Graceland is still appalling.

58 posted on 09/18/2006 11:18:47 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: DJ MacWoW
Btw, when those interior pics were taken, Englebert Humperdink owned it. It was his furniture etc.

Then, never mind.

And to elaborate on what I said in the last post, it isn't fair to be too harsh on whoever picked the pieces. We don't know if the owner/decorator chose entirely garish stuff, or if the photographer focused on those because he didn't know better.

59 posted on 09/18/2006 11:21:59 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: peggybac; DJ MacWoW

It's in the really curvy part of Sunset Blvd just about a mile east of Brentwood but not as far as UCLA. I went to school at Marymount right close by. The house is white now.

I work in Brentwood and usually take the freeway home. Next time I take surface streets I'll look for a cross street ... but, as you know, they are far and few between.


60 posted on 09/19/2006 4:49:51 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (Never Forget)
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