Ben Gazzara dies at 81

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Ben Gazzara died Friday of pancreatic cancer, the New York Times reported.
The star of award-winning films and plays such as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was 81 years old.



Gazzara employed his distinctive, gravel-specked voice and powerful stare most memorably in a series of film collaborations with the director John Cassavetes.
For the maverick director, Gazzara played a collection of bitter spouses and down-on-their heels gamblers and theater directors in films such as "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" and "Opening Night."



Like Peter Falk, his co-star in Cassavetes' "Husbands," Gazzara was perfect for director's signature examinations of bruised men who struggle to articulate and come to grips with their emotions, fears and hopes in a rapidly changing world.



Among his other notable film roles were an accused rapist in "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), the smooth-talking pornographer Jackie Treehorn in the Coen Brothers' "The Big Lebowski" (1998), and a grandfather separating from his wife of 40 years in Todd Solondz's "Happiness"(1998).



Less successful was his starring role opposite his then-lover Audrey Hepburn in Peter Bogdanovich's "They All Laughed" (1981). The romantic comedy was a box office and critical disaster.



On stage, Gazzara originated the role of the alcoholic, sexually confused Brick in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." It helped make his name, but he saw the role go to Paul Newman in the 1958 film adaptation.



Some might Also remember him in Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze



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There's no such thing as leftover crack
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When I think of Ben Gazzara I'm reminded of this scene (portraying pornographer Jackie Treehorn) from this classic. The stuff at around the 2:30 mark always cracks me up.

Edit: I hate clips that have embedding disabled.

 

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Gotta watch that movie again. I only watched it once years ago when it came out and I think I didn't care for it too much.
 

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I loved " Run For Your Life "


Gazzara plays lawyer Paul Bryan. When his doctor tells him he will die in no less than nine months, but in no more than eighteen months[1], he decides to do all the things he had never had time for. Much like Route 66, each episode features the main character on the move, encountering new people in new situations. Gazzara first originated the character of Paul Bryan on Kraft Suspense Theatre, in the episode "Rapture at Two-Forty", which aired on April 15, 1965 and served as the series' pilot. Well received, the show became a series that September. Near the beginning of that episode, the audience sees the conversation between Bryan and his doctor, which is heard only in voice-over in episodes of Run For Your Life.

Although the Bryan character was given no more than eighteen months to live, the series ran for three seasons.
 

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"ROADHOUSE" love that flic ..... Gazzara plays a classic guy you love to hate, Swayze & Elliot the lethal hard asses, the music of Jeff Healy and the real reason to love this baby Kelly Lynch & Julie Michaels.

Now Ben Gazzara joins Patrick Swayze & Jeff Healy in passing makes you wonder was that movie somehow ......... 'Cursed!'
 

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