Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Thursday Thirteen # 27 - Thirteen Actors Who Died Before The Premiere Of Their Final Film


I went to see the latest Batman movie "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger’s performance was superb. His death puts him in a class occupied by an elite few, artists who died before the release of their last film. Their deaths caused most of these artists’ to remain forever young and some of them still make us wonder what might have been if they had lived. Here are thirteen stars that died before their final film was released. Can you think of actors that missed their premieres because of their untimely passing?


1. Aaliyah – Died in a 2001 plane crash before the release of vampire film “Queen of the Damned”

2.James Dean – “Rebel Without a Cause” was released one month after Dean was killed in a 1955 automobile accident.

3.Clark Gable – died at the age of 59 before the release of the 1960 film “The Misfits”

4.River Phoenix - died of a drug-induced heart attack four months before the film “Silent Tongue” was slated for release.

5.Jean Harlow – She was just 26 years old when she died of kidney failure just a month before the release of her 1937 film “Saratoga”

6.Marilyn Monroe – died of an alleged drug overdose (I have never quite believe this theory as an adult) while still filming “Something’s Got To Give”, which was later redone as “Move Over Darling”

7.Bruce Lee – Died at the age 32 from a cerebral edema, one month before the release of “Enter the Dragon”.

8.Brandon Lee – Son of Bruce Lee also died on the filming of “The Crow” in an on set mishap

9.Natalie Wood- drowned in 1981 just before the completion of the science fiction thriller “Brainstorm”

10.John Candy – Died during the filming of the motion picture “Wagons East”

11.. Tupac Shakur – The 25 year old rapper was killed in a 1996 Las Vegas drive by shooting after filming two films “Gridlock’d” and “Gang Related”, both of which were released the following year.

12.Phil Hartman – SNL star was shoot and killed by his wife in a 1998 murder-suicide, just two months before the release of “Small Soldiers”

13.Chris Farley – Died of a drug overdose in 1997 just a month before the release of “Beverly Hills Ninja”


32 comments:

Anonymous said...

I forgot just how beautiful Natalie Wood was.

I think you'll find that Something's Got To Give was actually abandoned before Marilyn Monroe died, though I may be wrong.

Hootin Anni said...

Excellent choice for T-13.

I LOVED Heath Ledger as the Joker. He made the movie. Rumor has it that he'll be nominated posthumously for an academy award! Let's hope so.

Mine's posted. Come by if you can find time.

SandyCarlson said...

How sad they would never enjoy their legacy. All such big talents, too.

Anonymous said...

Boy.... what a list! We can only hope they are in a better place.

Editor said...

that's a pretty distinguished list and very comprehensive. i've seen most of those actors im my lifetime and i never really thought about how many of them passed before their time or their last film was released.

very thorough...

Anonymous said...

Interesting and Sad. I didn't know Jean Harlowe died at such a young age!

Lori said...

Great list, even though it made me sad...Happy TT:)

Carol said...

No kidding? Wow!

Excellent T13!

X. Dell said...

"Queen of the Damned" is not an auspicious title for a posthumous movie appearance.

Juliana RW said...

EXCELLENT post.... i love it :D

Visit my T13 too : 13 things that happened...... Thanks

Anonymous said...

very sad, i cried during the crow, i think i knew which scene he died filming.. so i'm a bit scared to go watch heath

anthonynorth said...

In many ways, this is also a list of tragedy.
Truly tragic.

She Became a Butterfly said...

very interesting tt. i miss phil.

please visit my tt!
http://www.shebecameabutterfly.net/?p=495

Janet said...

Phil Hartman...that really was a shock :-(

I didn't realize Clark Gable was so young when he passed.

Michelle said...

Great list. It's so sad that these people passed away at a young age and never got to finish what they set out to do. I remember when Aaliyah passed away. I guess it stuck out in my mind because she was from my home state Michigan.

Candy Minx said...

I can't believe there are that many...and I thought of one...

William Holden or Peter Finch for "Network". I'll have to go look it up...

Amazing list and sad. Haven't seen "The Dark Knight " yet...looking forward to it...

Here is my TT list:

http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2008/07/13-things-about-knoxville.html

marcia@joyismygoal said...

boy i knew of all these ...but when you put them all together that is sooo sad

Anonymous said...

I guess I never realized how many had died prior to their last movie being released. Interesting list...

Crystal's Elite Dance Studio said...

Wow, what a list. The loss of talent is just sad...Thanks for reminding of us of these great actors! Happy t13!

The Gal Herself said...

Wow! Ten years since Phil Hartman's death! It seems more recent than that.

And both you and Nicholas are right about Something Got to Give. Virtually the same script and sets were used to make Move Over, Darling, but it had a completely different cast.

pussreboots said...

What a sad but interesting list. Happy TT.

~RaenWa~ said...

Great T-13 list I have seen a few of those movies I think alot of people me included agree with you about the whole Marylin Monroe "drug Overdose

Lori Watson said...

Aw, what a bittersweet TT.

I saw The Dark Knight and Heath Ledgers performance was amazing. It is definetly Oscar worthy, and being his last performance I do hope it is given as a posthumous award. His portrayal of the Joker was perfect, IMO, very scary in how realistically it was done. Excellent.

And so sad to have lost such a great talent.

Chelle Y. said...

I just read an article about this very subject the other day.

It is a sad thing.

Lilibeth said...

It is sad. I wonder how many of the movies contributed to the deaths...as in suicide or accidents.

SJ Reidhead said...

So very sad. I think Dean's last role was in Giant. Have you seen it?

SJR
The Pink Flamingo
http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog

Robin said...

I hadn't realized there were so many. How sad.

Joy Renee said...

so tragic for so many.

thanx for visiting

Malcolm said...

I remember that American Movie Classics showed a segment of the unfinished "Something's Got To Give". It wasn't until then that I realized that "Move Over Darling" was a new version of the film with a different cast. I remember that Channel 50 used to show "Move Over Darling" quite a bit when I was younger.

Another actor whose final film was released after their death was John Ritter. He died a couple of months before "Bad Santa" hit theaters in 2003.

Anonymous said...

i saw 'the dark knight' the other day and i will admit that watching it was very bittersweet. while i was thoroughly impressed with heath ledgers performance, i was also deeply saddened by the fact that he is no longer here to share in the fruits of his talents. may he r.i.p.

:::Marcus LANGFORD:::

boukman70 said...

OK, I know this is an old post, but I liked it. Very interesting. My little contribution would have to be Vic Morrow, who died on the set of _Twilight Zone: The Movie_, when a helicopter crashed on top of him and two children.

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