'Longest Day' Actor Richard Todd Dies

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Dec 4th 2009 07:37AM

Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film 'The Longest Day' and was Ian Fleming's choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday. Todd, who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1949 film 'A Hasty Heart' and starred as U.S. Senate chaplain Peter Marshall in 'A Man Called Peter' (1954), died Thursday at his home in Lincolnshire in central England, according to his agent, the Richard Stone Partnership. Watch Some Career Highlights:

'The Longest Day'

'The Dam Busters'

In Britain, one of his best-known roles was playing Royal Air Force pilot Guy Gibson in 'The Dam Busters.'

"He had been suffering from cancer, an illness that he bore with his habitual courage and dignity," the family said in a statement.

Fleming had preferred Todd to take the lead in 'Dr. No' in 1962, The Daily Telegraph said in its obituary, but a schedule clash opened the way for Sean Connery to define the part. Instead, Todd took the role of role of Inspector Harry Sanders in "Death Drums Along the River," released in 1963.

Born Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Todd at first hoped to become a playwright but discovered a love for acting after helping found the Dundee Repertory Company in Scotland in 1939.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=790918&pid=790917&uts=1259935556

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Recent Losses in Tinseltown

Comic actor Lou Jacobi passed away October 25, 2009 at the age of 95.

Ray Fisher, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Deaths in Hollywood

Comic actor Lou Jacobi passed away October 25, 2009 at the age of 95.

Ray Fisher, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Joseph Wiseman, Oct. 19: The actor who played the sinister scientist and title character of Dr. No in the first James Bond film died in New York of natural causes. He was 91.

Eileen Darby, Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Vic Mizzy, Oct. 17: The songwriter who composed the catchy themes for the 1960s sit-coms 'The Addams Family' and 'Green Acres,' has died at age 93. His manager Jonathan Wolfson said he didn't know the cause of death. Mizzy is survived by a brother, daughter and two grandchildren.

Mathew Imaging / WireImage

Henry Gibson, Sept. 14: The actor known for roles in 'Blues Brothers,' 'The Burbs' and 'Laugh-In' died at his home in Malibu after battling cancer. He was 73.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Army Archerd, Sept. 8: The iconic entertainment columnist (right) who wrote for Daily Variety for more than 50 years died at the age of 87.

Getty Images

Patrick Swayze, Sept. 14: The 'Dirty Dancing' star passed away at the age of 57. The actor fought nearly a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Susan Sterner, AP

John Hughes, August 6: The filmmaker responsible for iconic '80s movies like 'Pretty in Pink,' 'Sixteen Candles' and 'The Breakfast Club,' suffered a fatal heart attack while visiting New York City.

Paul Natkin, WireImage

Brenda Joyce, July 4: The actress, who played Jane in several 'Tarzan' films with Johnny Weissmuller (pictured in 'Tarzan and the Amazons') and later Lex Barker, died at age 92. Joyce quit showbiz after completing 1949's 'Tarzan's Magic Fountain.' She went on to work for the government.

Everett Collection

Harve Presnell, June 30: The 'Fargo' star succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 75.

Jim Smeal, WireImage

Karl Malden, July 1: The Academy Award-winning actor, known for roles in cinematic milestones 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'On the Waterfront' and for his jump to TV in the 1970s with 'The Streets of San Francisco,' died of natural causes at his home in California. He was 97.

Barry King, WireImage

He volunteered for the British Army, and was among the first paratroopers dropped into Normandy in the D-Day invasion. He was also one of the first paratroopers to meet the glider force commanded by Maj. John Howard at Pegasus Bridge; he played Howard in "The Longest Day." After being discharged in 1946, he returned to Dundee. His role as male lead in "Claudia" led to romance and then marriage to his leading lady, Catherine Grant-Bogle.

A Scottish accent mastered while preparing for his role in "The Hasty Heart" proved a useful skill in his later film career.

He won praise for his performance in the film of "The Hasty Heart," which included Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal in the cast. The New York World-Telegram hailed Todd as "a vivid and vigorous actor" and the New York Herald Tribune said his performance "combined lofty stature with deep feeling, attracting enormous sympathy without an ounce of sentiment."

In "A Man Called Peter," Marshall's widow Catherine said Todd "was just about the only film actor whose Scottish syllables would have met (her husband's) standards."

Other film roles included Sir Walter Raleigh in "The Virgin Queen" (1955), costarring Bette Davis; a lead role in Alfred Hitchcock's "Stage Fright" (1949), with Jane Wyman and Marlene Dietrich; and the lead in Disney's "Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue" (1953).

Todd had a son and a daughter from his first marriage, and two sons from his marriage to Virginia Mailer. Both marriages ended in divorce.

His son Seamus from the second marriage killed himself in 1997, and his eldest son also killed himself in 2005 following the breakdown of his marriage.

Todd said dealing with those tragedies was like his experience of war.

"You don't consciously set out to do something gallant. You just do it because that is what you are there for," he said.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.

Tags: Richard Todd, RichardTodd

Comments

(36)

Friday 04 December

By Bryan

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Mr. Todd was a very fortunate man to have lived and worked during the golden era of the cinema.
Working with Davis and Dietrich could only have been a fabulous experience. In "Dam Busters" his justification for the dangerous mission and the loss of airmen was
memorable as he turns and walks away. A truely fine actor he was.

By dd

My favorite love story,, A Man Called Peter,, wonderful movie,, great actor,,,

By Jo Anne

A fine man and a fine actor. To lose two sons in that manner is tragic.

By hello asca

rest in peace Mr. Todd

By robert

Vote down Vote up Report this

The movie "The Longest Day" was not made in 1962 it came out in 1968. Please correct this.

By ksrocker

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

If it came out in 1968, why was it nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture in 1962?

By Chris

According to Mr Tood's biography and wikipedia "The Longest Day" came out in 1962. Maby you should pull your head out of your forth point of contact BOB.

By John F. C. Taylor

Robert, you are mistaken in your belief that it came out in 1968. I know for sure that it was 1962. I was 12 and my father allowed me to see it at the drive in where he was working. Seems to me that Mr. Todd was one of the last survivors of the cast. Anyone else still going besides Robert Wagner, Longest Day is one of my top 10 all time war movies.

By Thea

You're wrong about the year when "The Longest Day" came out.....It was 1962 not 1968....

By Rick W

Wrong robert...it was made in 1962 The movie won two Oscars One for special effects...one for Cinenatography!

By RainBowRyder

I saw it in the theater in 1962.

By James - Los Angeles

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

People die EVERY DAY!

He was 90! Get over it already,

And he wasn't a very good actor either.

By Steven Mark Pilling

Have just a little respect, James. Todd was the product of an era of filmmaking whose standards far surpassed the insipid depravity that the present era is noted for. His screen roles speak for themselves. He'll be remembered longer than the present day crop of so-called A-listers are liable to be.

By cannotbelievethis

James- you are probably too young to remember the hayday of Hollywood when actors actually had values, talent, and scruples. Ye she lived a long life, probably a more exciting life than you'll ever experience with your snot-nosed ways.

RIP Mr. Todd, you were worth your weight in gold!

By mdiermeier

What a class act you must be. Maybe someone took your pablum.

By costa

the man made it to 90,saw more and did more than i did..bravo to his spirit.god bless.

By IRMA PEVAR

I AM GOING TO CELEBRATE MY 80TH BIRTHDAY.AS LONG AS I AM CLEAR OF MIND.I WANT TO LIVE FOREVER.

Saturday 05 December

By BARBARA

WHAT A WONDERFUL UNDERRATED ACTOR. EVEN AS A CHILD WHEN I SAW HIM IN THE HASTY HEART IT GAVE ME GREAT ENJOYMENT TO SEE HIM ACT, ONE THAT I REMEMBER WITH GREAT FONDNESS. HE JOINS SO MANY REALLY GREAT ACTORS THAT WILL NEVER BE REPLACED.

By lonnie

Arguing at the time of a great actor is sad. He was a great actor and get over the arguing, how shameful

By Tolchocks

Farewell Mr. Todd.
My condolences to your family.

David Niven was Ian Fleming's choice to play James Bond,though.

Page 1 of 2