Whitmore

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Yesterday James "Miracle-Gro" Whitmore left the earth. He was 87, one year older than my dad when he passed last June. And to a marginal extent an angry or at least a brutally candid type, which I relate to. An actor who never seemed to really "act", which of course is the best way. My favorite Whitmore performances all happened in the early to mid '50s: William Welman's Battleground (with the constant wad of chewing tobacco), Them, John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 7, 2009 at 10:00 AM

comment #1

TheCahuengaKid says ...

Whitmore also excellent in WWII Marine Corps movie BATTLE CRY (1955) as the archetypal tough/tender Master Sgt "Mac"

Posted by TheCahuengaKid at February 7, 2009 10:30 AM

comment #2

Rich S. says ...

I remember as a kid being seriously depressed by what happens to him in Them!

And how can you forget him as Brooks in Shawshank?

Posted by Rich S. at February 7, 2009 10:42 AM

comment #3

George Prager says ...

R.I.P.
And he was the sad old man in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. And he played Ken Howard's dad in a two-part "White Shadow" episode that made me cry when I watched it as a yout.

Posted by George Prager at February 7, 2009 10:43 AM

comment #4

frankbooth says ...

The entire Twilight Zone episode "On Thursday, We Leave For Home" can be found on YouTube.

Posted by frankbooth at February 7, 2009 10:57 AM

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

Last thing I remember seeing him in was as Josh Brolin's dad in MR. STERLING on Tv, and he was wonderful. His performance in SHAWSHANK is something I've always cherished, especially the way he read that letter. GIVE 'EM HELL HARRY is kind of an awkward thing, but he's great in it.

Posted by BurmaShave at February 7, 2009 11:21 AM

comment #6

ScottMendelson says ...

I wrote about this briefly last night, but I felt bad that the only clip I could find from my era was the whole Brooks scene from Shawshank. It's a great role, but I felt awkward putting a YouTube clip about Whitmore's character killing himself right after I wrote about his passing. I would have much preferred a scene as Raymond Oz in The Practice, or the kooky scientist in The Relic.

Posted by ScottMendelson at February 7, 2009 11:38 AM

comment #7

Rod32303 says ...

Watch his work as the judge in Martin Ritts "Nuts" as he puts Streisand, Karl Malden, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Webber in their place. He was the real deal.

Posted by Rod32303 at February 7, 2009 11:47 AM

comment #8

scooterzz says ...

this is long but fun:
http://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2009/02/07/james-whitmore-interview/

Posted by scooterzz at February 7, 2009 6:06 PM

comment #9

lipranzer says ...

One of my father's favorite scenes in movies is the end of BATTLEGROUND, when Whitmore is leading the platoon on a march out past the new troops coming in and leading them in cadence. It's hard to believe now he was only 28, and that was only his second film - he has an authority of a veteran of the business.

He wasn't the first name you'd think of when it came to musicals, but he was quite good, I thought, in KISS ME KATE as a comic thug singing, with Keenan Wynn, "Brush Up Your Shakespeare," and in OKLAHOMA! as a farmer.

Posted by lipranzer at February 7, 2009 7:43 PM

comment #10

scooterzz says ...

in that linked interview, he talks about 'looking old at birth' and 'wanting to be fred astaire'...the guy knew his strengths.....

Posted by scooterzz at February 7, 2009 8:59 PM

comment #11

Edward says ...

Thank you, Mr. Whitmore.

Posted by Edward at February 8, 2009 9:49 AM

comment #12

Jean says ...

Arrgghhh! You beat me to it lipranzer: I loved that scene - as an actor, he had that gravitas to where I believed yeah, he could have frostbitten feet & still march the troops out on his own.

It is a sad day.

Posted by Jean at February 9, 2009 3:39 PM

comment #13