Saturday, May 29, 2010

RIP DENNIS HOPPER...

26 comments:

elmers brother said...

great actor

Anonymous said...

I was not very familiar with this Dennis Hopper's work, but I am sorry he died so young. Seventy-four is no great age anymore.

I suppose all the years of alcoholism and drug abuse eventually took their toll.

Wonderful that he saw the light and became a conservative before it was too late. How I wish others would imitate his example.

The Dennis Hopper I knew was the son of Hollywood Gossip Queen Heda Hopper. He was best known for his portrayal of Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency on the long-running series Perry Mason which starred Raymond Burr as Perry and Barbara Hale as his confidential secretary Della Street.

I LOVED that show, and wish it could be shown again in my area.

Heda Hopper's son Dennis died at a young age while the Perry Mason series was still being filmed as did ray Collins who originated the role of Perry's friendly antagonist Sergeant Tragg.

~ FreeThinke

Anonymous said...

Sorry Dennis. I'll miss him too. As an actor...period!
He was quirky, irreverent, hedonistic, narcissistic, self indulgent, spoiled, rich... and a true benefactor of the anti US politics and attitude of the 60's. He lead the march and projected an image of defiance and acceptance of "do your own thing" and to hell with the consequences. Even though his career suffered greatly because of his lack of self control.
I suspect he lived all his life trying to replace his idol...James Dean. He and Lindsey Lohan are / were... kindred spirits of self destruction and defiance...even as the US showered upon them it's blessings and abundance.

Now...if Hanoi jane would just follow him. She can serve her sentence in hell...or beneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.


Major

Anonymous said...

Now..what's really important on this Memorial Day.

"In the past week, the Obama administration and fellow Democrats have let their true feelings for America known more than ever before. Well, at least more blatantly. They aren’t even bothering to hide it now and have lost all shame. No longer content with merely worshipping at the altar of multiculturalism, they are now going out of their way to boast that they believe that practically any other country is actually superior to America, and that the men and women who have died fighting for our country aren’t worthy of honor and respect.


http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/05/27/obama-admin-and-democrats-kowtow-to-other-countries-while-scorning-those-who-have-died-for-ours/

Major

Anonymous said...

Obama is going down the crapper....with Carville first...Noonan next...and even " I can feel a tingle down my leg...Chrissy...the..????


"I like Peggy Noonan; she was wrong about Obama, and she’s starting to realize just how wrong she was. She also concludes with some first-class analysis:

"What continues to fascinate me is Mr. Obama’s standing with Democrats. They don’t love him. Half the party voted for Hillary Clinton, and her people have never fully reconciled themselves to him. But he is what they have. They are invested in him. In time—after the 2010 elections go badly—they are going to start to peel off. The political operative James Carville, the most vocal and influential of the president’s Gulf critics, signaled to Democrats this week that they can start to peel off. He did it through the passion of his denunciations.

The disaster in the Gulf may well spell the political end of the president and his administration, and that is no cause for joy. It’s not good to have a president in this position—weakened, polarizing and lacking broad public support—less than halfway through his term. That it is his fault is no comfort. It is not good for the stability of the world, or its safety, that the leader of “the indispensable nation” be so weakened. I never until the past 10 years understood the almost moral imperative that an American president maintain a high standing in the eyes of his countrymen.



Here's your "savior" your magic hopey changey voting present, inexperienced, military hating...socialist, commie, soros backed, Ayers friend...background unknown, education unknown, birth unknown, bowing to dictators, appeasement loving...America hating exceptionalism...."leader of the free world".

Think about what we've done...and what we should do.


I know..Alan West and Jan Brewer for President!


That is precisely why we shouldn’t have elected a man with no executive experience to the toughest executive job in the world. We need strong leadership, especially in times of crisis, not a man who prefers to vote present rather than lead. And we probably wouldn’t have elected Obama or even nominated him this time around if the national media had done half of the job vetting Obama that they did with Sarah Palin, an atrocious failure documented best by John Ziegler in his film Media Malpractice.

Major

Z said...

Major, you quote Noonan as having said "I never until the past 10 years understood the almost moral imperative that an American president maintain a high standing in the eyes of his countrymen."

Funny, it's the last few years she COMPLETELY LOST ME and won't ever win me back...and she had had a HUGE fan in me.
"Now you understand why a president out to maintain high standing in the eyes of his countrymen?...now that you can't BASH BUSH anymore like you did the last eight damned years? NOW you see why some of us Conservatives CRINGED when you started shilling for the 'oh, so intelligent and thoughtful' OBAMA??? Nice job, PEG"

#$(#@$&@*(#*(#@$

Z said...

Major, Hopper voted for Reagan and continued to be known in Hollywood Circles as a Conservative...why do you think we didn't see him in too many films the last 20 years, come to think of it?

Ducky's here said...

For a guy who studied painting with Thomas Hart Benton and acting with Lee Strasberg he sure threw his talent away.

That's what the drugs will do. A shame, he had talent but "Easy Rider", Hoosiers", "Waterworld" ... other than an interesting performance in "Blue Velvet" he didn't do much.

Anonymous said...

"why do you think we didn't see him in too many films the last 20 years, come to think of it?


Maybe because he was an unpredictable, undependable, out of control, egotistical...pain in the ass?

So...he voted for Reagan 20 years ago? I wonder who Jon Voight voted for...20 years ago?

Major

Anonymous said...

"I suppose all the years of alcoholism and drug abuse eventually took their toll."


FT...he died of prostrate cancer...which has zero to do with alcohol or drug use. And in this day and age...one of the most curable cancers with proper treatment. Ask Guliani or any other man whose been diagnosed with this disease and been cured...including me. It's as common and prevalent and mainly curable as breast cancer in a woman.

Major

Anonymous said...

BTW FT...the "talents" who have died of drugs, alcohol and other abuses usually die very young. Ask Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix...to name a few.

Major

Anonymous said...

Make EVERY DAY...Memorial Day...Ted Nugent

The commander in chief should remember how freedom has been achieved throughout history and let these trained warriors do their job. That's how I remember.


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/28/every-day-is-memorial-day/


Major

Ducky's here said...

.one of the most curable cancers with proper treatment.

---------
Ask Frank Zappa

Oh, have you ever tried to direct a drunk, major? Some directors just aren't into it.

Anonymous said...

The first time I saw Dennis Hopper was in Rebel Without a Cause. I was a teenager then but, all I could see was James Dean.

I was a female, and a teen and at that time James Dean was all the rage and handsome as can be.

Both Dean and Hopper were terrific actors. I think Dean, a bit of overacting to be accurate, but Brando set the standard in those days. You know "method acting" whatever that meant.

We don't know how James Dean would have fared over time but Dennis Hopper proved he knew his craft,and became a first class actor IMO.

He became a conservative, and if you didn't know, he said during the nineties, he'd back Newt Gingrich if he ran for President.

Having said all this, for the most part, putting any stock in actors' political opinions, is risky at best. Many of them spend much of their time in a pretend existence, with a sense of overblown self importance.

As far as I know, Hopper has been pretty quiet about politics, which shows he understood his limitations.

For his family, I express my condolences, and my enjoyment of his talent.
Pris

PS. Major, Jane Fonda did real damage IMO, and for a twit, had too much influence in the real world.

Z said...

Ducky, I had a book of my father's illustrated by Thomas Hart Benton..a first edition, and I can't find it ANYWHERE.
I didn't know that Hopper studied with him.

Major, is there any prostate cancer which can't be cured when caught early? I'm curious because these are people with excellent health care and it's so easy to screen for prostate...

Bloviating Zeppelin said...

I always enjoyed Dennis Hopper. He was much further to the right then he would ever have let on. Only in death do you discover what his final leanings were.

I enjoyed his acting because I never knew quite what to expect.

From "Apocalypse Now":

"[talking to Willard about Kurtz] Why? Why would a nice guy like you want to kill a genius? Feeling pretty good, huh? Why? Do you know that the man really likes you? He likes you. He really likes you. But he's got something in mind for you.

Aren't you curious about that? I'm curious. I'm very curious. Are you curious? There's something happening out here, man. You know something, man? I know something you that you don't know. That's right, Jack.

The man is clear in his mind, but his soul is mad. Oh, yeah. He's dying, I think. He hates all this. He hates it! But the man's a...He reads poetry out loud, all right.

And a voice...he likes you because you're still alive. He's got plans for you. No, I'm not gonna help you. You're gonna help him, man. You're gonna help him.

I mean, what are they gonna say when he's gone? 'Cause he dies when it dies, when it dies, he dies! What are they gonna say about him? He was a kind man? He was a wise man? He had plans? He had wisdom? Bullshit, man!

And am I gonna be the one that's gonna set them straight? Look at me! Look at me! Wrong! [points to Willard] You!"

BZ

sue said...

When I think of actors he is usually not on my list, but as I watched on the news as he was remembered, I knew that I would miss him. Hoosiers, Easy Rider,
Speed, and many more.

sue said...

I forgot about Waterworld.
That was a dumb movie.

Black Velvet was wierd.

Anonymous said...

Ms. Z:

"Major, is there any prostate cancer which can't be cured when caught early?"

Not to my knowledge Ms. Z. I was a full blown "stage 7" I believe. It happened fast ... even at the very serious level mine was at...I've so far managed to stay cancer free after the right therapy. 3 years now and PSA's are way down. Survival rate is now around 80% after 5 years free. But from what I've learned...you must act! Maybe Hopper didn't. Maybe he went "holistic" instead of seeking an oncologist / radiologist?
Still....it takes the lives of about 300,000 men a year.

Major

Z said...

Major, I'm very glad you're doing so well.
Don Imus has prostate cancer and is only doing a holistic diet and, believe it or not, he's doing very well, too. But, at his admission, he's only eating seeds and nuts and 'raw food'...ugh.

Anonymous said...

Cancer is never one disease. Cancer is an umbrella term.

Bill Bixby, if anyone remembers him, died of a highly aggressive, super-invasive form of prostate cancer. So did the husband of one of my friends. These were not stupid, careless people, nor were they living any kind of "alternative lifestyle."

I can feel nothing but sorrow and pity for victims of cancer.

~ FreeThinke

Z said...

Ft, that was my question; if there are forms which do not respond to therapy. I believe most can be caught early enough for good treatment results but you add another aspect, that some can come up so quickly and violently that there isn't much hope.
Thanks for the information.

I know there are very terrible breast cancers which come up very quickly, or don't get seen in mammograms, and they're harder to treat, too..Plus, there isn't a blood test as conclusive as the one for prostate cancer.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Easy Rider is probably my favorite Hopper film, although I enjoyed his performances in Blue Velvet, Apocalypse Now, and the Osterman Weekend are favorites as well.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

FT,

Bill Bixby was secretly the Hulk! Who could forget him?

Z said...

this blogging business is amazing...you can post a 20 paragraph thought-out piece you wrote and get 3 comments (from friends who never let you down!) and then you post 3 words and get 24 comments :-)

I love this!

Z said...

FreeThinker: a friend just emailed me this information ....I thought you were mistaken and she confirmed it "Pass on to Free Thinker that Hedda Hopper's son who played Paul Drake was William Hopper, not Dennis. I loved that show too.I went to high school with Dennis Hopper - he graduated the year before me. He used to come around to classrooms and do Shakespeare for us. It was great fun. He was voted Most Likely To Succeed in his senior year -- that was a good call.
From what I understand he was diagnosed with the cancer 8 or 10 years ago."