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Carl Kolchak Stalks No More... Darren McGavin 1922-2006

They Always Come In Threes by Saluki	Feb 25th, 2006 06:08:05 PM

Say it with me folks... by Shawn F.	Feb 25th, 2006 06:09:01 PM
Fra-geee-layyyy.... RIP, Mr. McGavin. And thanks.
A bit of trivia by Shawn F.	Feb 25th, 2006 06:10:42 PM
The 1976 film "No Deposit, No Return" starred Darren McGavin and Don Knotts.
Wow, two in one day. by filmicdrummer17	Feb 25th, 2006 06:12:28 PM

Oh Man by Johnny Anarchy	Feb 25th, 2006 06:14:06 PM
I never saw Kolchak but I am he was omnipresent in most good TV stuff of the time period...as well as an appearance on The X-Files later. This Double Gut Punch of Don Knotts and Darren McGavin is the result of a cruel, cruel god's night of binge drinking. R.I.P. fellas.
"Sons of Bitches!" by Shermdawg	Feb 25th, 2006 06:18:26 PM
What is going on? Two of my favorites pass away in one weekend. Next you'll tell me Leonard Nimoy has kicked the bucket. A Christmas Story is the greatest holiday movie of alltime My dad always quotes him cussing out the neighbor's dogs. Rest in peace, and let there be many leg lamp awards to light the path to the pearly gates.
In his honor.. by Tal111	Feb 25th, 2006 06:19:36 PM
I am going to watch the original Night Stalker movie tonight. Great stuff.
Awe... by Darth Melkor	Feb 25th, 2006 06:19:50 PM
I don't usually find celebrity deaths all that sad. But this one bums me out.
The first shows I was ever allowed to stay up late.. by MGTHEDJ	Feb 25th, 2006 06:30:49 PM
for were "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Night Stalker." Back to back on the ABC Network on Friday Nights. The man was a great actor who made the show work, as demonstrated in this past season's fiasco of a remake/continuation which did not have the great supporting actors, a convincing lead, nor the writers the original had: Gang, David Chase AND Robert Zemenkis & Bob Gale were credited on the same episode. RIP dear sir. From a fan-----m
I liked the Martian Chronicles by Manos	Feb 25th, 2006 06:33:26 PM
Granted it wasn't the best adaptation, but McGavin's character was unforgettable. Anyone who opens a diner at a crossroads on Mars will live forever. He will be missed.
Oh man... by DocPazuzu	Feb 25th, 2006 06:37:22 PM
...Truly sad. A few months ago I bought the Kolchak DVD box and spent a couple of blissful and creepy days reliving the magic of the Night Stalker. Most of the episodes I hadn't seen since I was a kid in the 1970s when they had had a huge impact on me. I remember many sleepless nights cowering in the dark, fearful of the supernatural horror which I had a few hours previously witnessed running rampant in a seemingly normal, modern Chicago environment. Somehow, though, the bumbling yet reassuring presence of American everyman and intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak made me feel that there was still a point in fending off the hordes of darkness, as hopeless as it may have seemed at the time. McGavin
What does the BOND movie franchise by Cheif Brody	Feb 25th, 2006 06:45:50 PM
have to do with this sad loss? Are you lost or something. I have fond memories of watching Night Stalker. Mr. McGavin took pages on a paper, and transformed them into a living, breathing person in Carl Kolchak. Something alot of TV actors fail to do even today. His gruff but lovable charcters will be sorely missed. RIP Kolchak!
He also was "Frank Black's" dad on MillenniuM. by ProzacMorris	Feb 25th, 2006 06:51:16 PM
Just thought I would throw that in the ring.
Night Stalker is still the best show theme out there. by Rolling_Stone	Feb 25th, 2006 06:59:33 PM
I still remember cold nights in Canada in the earl seventies. Standing outside the house twisting the tv antenna pole one inch at a time, then going in to see if the tv reception was any better, all the better to catch Night Stalker on whatever damn night or time ABC had stuck the show in that week.
Kolchak Checks Out by newc0253	Feb 25th, 2006 07:12:38 PM
sorry, but i got nothing...
The Natural by Miami Mofo	Feb 25th, 2006 07:19:46 PM
He was great in The Natural, and I hope he was happy that Jon Favreau and Peter Billingsley brought the A Christmas Story leg lamp back to life in Zathura. R.I.P.
Droppin' like flies... by Chief Redcock	Feb 25th, 2006 07:21:54 PM
...sucks.
Stalking the Reaper by deadboy1313	Feb 25th, 2006 07:38:13 PM
OK, now I'm Pssed! First Don Knotts, now Darren McGavin. Both of these guys were the best in their craft. In honor of the passing of Mr. McGavin, I am now stalking the Grim Reaper.......and when I find him, I'm going to take take his scythe and shove it so far up his ss it's going to split his bones right in two. I will then proceed to the pearly gates, where I will drop what is left of him in front of St. Peter, and tell him he'll have to find someone else to do the dirty work. Of course, my editor, Tony Vincenzo, will never believe the story, and it will never see print, but I'll just adjust my hat, whistle a familiar tune, and stroll out of the office to the nearest bar. Adios Kolchak. You'll be missed. What a crappy day. Since these things come in threes, I nominate the following for the third spot. 1)Margaret Thatcher 2)Justin Timberlake 3)the Shrub and Dick (it's a package deal)
Bacci40: Nice fumble. by Some Dude	Feb 25th, 2006 07:42:37 PM
"The Old Man" is the dad.
Having a Beer in your memory.... by Lain Of The Net	Feb 25th, 2006 07:58:42 PM
Darren McGavin is probably why I like the scary stuff so much. I was lucky to have seen Night Stalker the first time around. Bye.
Carl by twitaman	Feb 25th, 2006 08:06:37 PM
Kolchak the Nightstalker was a great show. Too bad it didn't last very long. I wish the remake had done McGavin justice.
Oh the dad from a Christmas Story. by Orionsangels	Feb 25th, 2006 08:07:14 PM
Thats where I know him from, so sad. will have him in that holiday classic for all time. "SONS A BITCHES!!!"" after the neighbors dogs eat the turkey. leg lamps rule!!!
Well, at least Don and Darren can hang out by oisin5199	Feb 25th, 2006 08:15:29 PM
in heaven's pub and raise a glass to cheesy 70s Disney movies. Those films were just classic - they just don't make them like that anymore. Damn, what geniuses these two were. McGavin's range was a bit wider than Knotts', but hell, they were a great team. So many memorable roles besides Kolchak, too. I hope when people visit his grave, someone puts the leg lamp there as a shrine. Or better yet, a coffin that says 'Fragile.' It's Italian, you know. Wow, he'll be missed. I'll have to pour myself a single malt to toast the memory of Don and Darren. Cheers!
Oh Fuuuuuuuuuudge by Farging Bastige	Feb 25th, 2006 08:20:19 PM
Only I didn't say fudge. RIP.
Does this mean they'll be showen on theOscar Memoriam? by Orionsangels	Feb 25th, 2006 08:20:41 PM
Or is it only actors who passed in 2005 or since the last Oscars?
SON OF A ____ Just... Damn. by ckane123	Feb 25th, 2006 08:31:10 PM
After a great day playing games with my sons and watching funny videos (thanks Mori for the Electric Company review, the DVDs are as good as I remembered them) I get this sucker punch. Damn it. I called my friend who is one of the biggest DMcG fans out there and he was speecheless. We are losing the best and brightest talent in the entertainment world, folks, drip by drip, inch by inch. Darren was a great actor, and he had a reassuring presence that a lot of the best actors bring. Remember, he also was one of the voices who wanted to end the Night Stalker show before the quality slipped too far. He wasn't just in it for the paycheck. We will not see such accessible and enjoyable acting again, from any of the generation we now have to "entertain" us. Hell, Tom Hanks or Colin Farrell or Russell Crowe are not good enough to shine this man's shoes. God bless you Darren and thanks - You did good. Once again, another favorite I will not have the chance to thank in person. Fuck.
They Come in Threes by Farging Bastige	Feb 25th, 2006 08:34:48 PM
Don Knotts, Darren McGavin, and last week Richard Bright (Al Neri in the Godfather series) was killed by a bus in NYC last week.
Double D saddness... by new alien	Feb 25th, 2006 08:44:14 PM
I am bummed out seeing these posting although I heard of the Don Knotts passing on tv today. Both gentlemen left fond memories of their work on film and television. Most of you have covered are shared memories, feelings, and moods of their work very well. Funny how the NIGHT STALKER remake did not get what made the original work. Sure some remakes you have to totally change, but others you have to really capture the orignal spirit. Here is to Don and Darren and their work we can enjoy for many years to come. Peace out.
God... by Purgatori	Feb 25th, 2006 09:03:31 PM
this just...I have no words. Just tears.
This kind of news is always more shocking... by UncleSam	Feb 25th, 2006 09:25:09 PM
... when you already thought he was dead.
You used up all the glue ON PURPOSE!!! by TheKeenGuy	Feb 25th, 2006 09:32:04 PM
Greatest line reading ever.
Damn -- this one really HURTS by Admiral Nelson	Feb 25th, 2006 09:47:31 PM
Oh man -- Carl Kolchak -- one of the greatest TV characters ever. When I first saw "The Night Stalker" ABC TV Movie of the Week back in 1972 (I was 11 at the time), it was one of the scariest things I'd ever seen. I had nightmares when I went to bed, and the next day, EVERY SINGLE kid in my sixth-grade class had watched it, and had gotten the shit scared out of them as well. If ANY Talkbackers here still haven't seen it, watch it now. It's still a damn near perfect mixture of horror and humor, and Carl Kolchak was, and is, the model of an utterly dedicated reporter. Good night, Mr. McGavin -- you will be missed.
'Fraaaa-geeee-lay' by Det. John Kimble	Feb 25th, 2006 09:53:03 PM
Goodbye, sir. Thanks for the laughter.
i'm sorry to say that i'm more saddened... by jig98	Feb 25th, 2006 09:58:50 PM
by don knotts' passing than darrin mcgavin's because i only knew darrin mcgavin from billy madison and a christmas story and i know those are comedy classics, but i never really got into any of those two films. i wish my sympthony to darrin mcgavin's friends and family by saving "frag-il-ay, hey! it must be italian!" godspeed to two recent comedy childhood greats who gave many inspiration. i hope that jonathan winters or ricardo montalbon aren't the next ones to go. every time i hear some great talent's passing ON THE INTERNET, i don't have a nice feeling inside because everyone else who grew up watching these greats and having been inspired with their own stuff, has to feel the same way. and it sucks. big time. but as the late great johnny carson put it on his final show in memory of his brother,"life does what it's supposed to do and you accept it" that's all.
What I have said in jest before by Ingeld	Feb 25th, 2006 10:09:23 PM
on other obit talkbacks, I now say sincerely about Don Knotts and Darren McGavin. They were legends. RIP
A Sad Day. The Man Was A Classic by skoobyx	Feb 25th, 2006 10:10:33 PM

he was also really good in "The Natural" by calami-shami	Feb 25th, 2006 10:16:13 PM
with that creepy eye and all. In fact he was good in everything hes done. bummer. they better pay tribute at the oscars, those fuckers better stand up.
yeah i still say Sons of Bitches...Poppa says! by calami-shami	Feb 25th, 2006 10:17:58 PM
when i get pissed off
How incredibly sad by Manatee	Feb 25th, 2006 10:22:35 PM
I can't say how sad this news makes me. My chest hurts.
Sad coincidence... by solongyoubastard	Feb 25th, 2006 10:26:43 PM
That these two men appeared together in one of my favorite films growing up, Disney's Hot Lead and Cold Feet. Each give one of his greatest performances as the "Denver Kid" and Mayor Ragsdale. What a depressing oddity...
Night Stalker by brinkeguthrie	Feb 25th, 2006 10:43:56 PM
I remember watching that show- summer of '74? It was creepy before the XFiles and Millenium made creepy "cool." Favorite line from Christmas Story: "Ah, thanks honey. A can of SIMONIZE.." Darren will live on every Christmas Day on TBS.
Passing of another great actor .... by Shadowss	Feb 25th, 2006 10:46:02 PM
Being a child of the late 60's and early '70, I can still remember watching the two original 'Night Stalker' movies, and the feeling of being so excited when I heard they were making a weekly series based on Kolchak's character. He was also in a number of TV pilots, He was the orginal Oscar Goldman, he was the original cammanding officer for the pilot of 'The Rookies' ( a '70 cop show), classic as Murphy Brown's father, and god, so many other roles ... Rest Well and Peaceful, you leave behind a multitude of fan who admire and respect your body of work .... and will be missed ...
PS by brinkeguthrie	Feb 25th, 2006 10:46:48 PM
and I think I just noticed he was Frank Black's dad on Millenium? How totally appropriate. Scariest TV show ever.
Why didn't anyone SAY he was in a Christmas Story? by Cotton McKnight	Feb 25th, 2006 10:47:19 PM
I have heard the news all this evening, but I never placed the name until now. I have really, REALLY enjoyed his work over the years and he will be sorely missed. God bless him.
Darren McGavin as Travis McGee by psychedelic	Feb 25th, 2006 10:57:25 PM
McGavin did many wonderful audiobook recordings of the Travis McGee novels. I heard these on long family road trips when I was in my pre-teens. He captured the spirit of McGee beautifully. Rest in peace.
WTF! by Jellylover	Feb 25th, 2006 11:04:51 PM
What the hell is going on today! Badb day for the old favs. Will be missed.
How about that long lost treasure Hanger 18? by acroyear77	Feb 25th, 2006 11:11:52 PM

"He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny." by Walterego	Feb 25th, 2006 11:16:52 PM
"He does too, he looks like a pink nightmare." I remember Darren McGavin for so many roles in addition to Christmas Story. Hanger 18 was one of the coolest sci-fi films I saw as a kid.
I can remember seeing him in "Riverboat." by kabong	Feb 25th, 2006 11:23:03 PM
Vaguely. He wore black, like Paladin in "Have Gun, Will Travel." Black must have been the new black back in 1959. In my memory it's a good show. Maybe not as good as Clint Walker's "Cheyenne" or -- well, uh, what was I saying . . .
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! by Bumpasses Dawg	Feb 25th, 2006 11:38:49 PM
McGavin was great. No one could hold a candle to his performances as Kolchak and in A Christmas Story. I can't think of another actor from my youth that I gave fonder memories of. Thanks Mr McGavin... you made a young geekie kid very happy between the laughs and the scares.
Collect your major award in the sky, amigo. by InspectorDoppler	Feb 25th, 2006 11:56:00 PM
RIP.
You'll shoot your eye out! by Bean_	Feb 26th, 2006 12:03:35 AM
Great movie, great actor, he'll be missed.
Requiem for Henry Black by Johnny Smith	Feb 26th, 2006 12:12:57 AM
See that star? The gold star? That was hung in windows by a family who had lost a loved one in the service overseas. Your mother hung that for her brother, Joe, your Uncle Joe. You didn't know that, did you?Yeah, Joe was stationed in England and we all knew that he was going to be a part of the Allied invasion. We didn't know, of course, nobody knew for sure -guessed. It was a big secret, maybe the biggest secret in the 20th century -- what date that D-Day would begin. It was June 5, 1944, about 8.30 at night, we were all sitting around here listening to the radio; when suddenly, your mother jumped up and blurted out, "The Allies are attacking!" Well, we all looked at her like she had gone nuts, then suddenly, she burst into tears -- huge, weeping tears -- and ran upstairs to that room. Well, she was right, she was right. Joe died in the first wave on the beachhead at Normandy...Yeah, yeah, but I didn't know that for a long time. After that night, she took to that room; she moved out of our bedroom, out of my bed, and she started drawing those little angels. She told me about Joe -- that she had had a vision that he was going to die on D-Day. Well, I believed her, but it, uh, scared me to death. Because in those days, people who saw things, who had visions, that was the first ticket right down to the nuthouse. So I was afraid, I was afraid for both of us, I was afraid for you. You didn't see things quite the way your mother did, but it was clear there was a difference -- in the different sense that you had that others didn't. So there was this ability that your mother had -- that you had -- and that she couldn't turn away from. And I understood that, I sympathized with that, but it was taking my family away. It was taking my wife away: a woman I loved more than anything else in this whole world. I loved her so much, so much...I don't know, Frank, if you can understand how that can happen between a man and a wife...So she told me, no, she had been told, no, she had seen -- that she was about to die. Well, that was the last straw. "You don't see nothin', Linda! Nothing! It's in your mind! You don't see a damn thing!" I told that to you, too! "You saw nothing!" Do you remember Blue Rose Tea?...They used to have those little angel things that you could send away for. Your mother wanted one in the worst way and I wouldn't have the damn things in the house. Fifty-one years ago tonight, she gave in, to ease my mind I now know, but she gave in. She said that she wasn't seeing angels any more. Any more. The last picture she made was with you. And that scared me. That scared me, Frank. That scared me enough that I gave in. I wanted to find one of those little Blue Rose angels. I looked high and low for the damn thing and I finally found one down at the Woolworths...When I gave it to her, she was so touched. We made a pact over that, your mother and I. I told her that I would love her for ever and she said that she would move the figurine to show that she was waiting for me on the other side where I, too, could see the angels and where we could be finally forever together. Fifty-one years ago tonight, Tchaikovsky on the radio, she kissed me goodbye and then moved to you kinds, hugged you, kissed you...Then she rose, and with the most serene smile on her face, she walked up to that room alone, as she wanted. It was the only way it could have been, Frank...And that figurine didn't move an inch in fifty-one years. ______________________________ ___ Rest in peace, Mr. McGavin.
"Not a finger!!! by Shakes	Feb 26th, 2006 12:16:35 AM
my favorite line from that movie
Not a finger by BrandLoyalist	Feb 26th, 2006 12:20:32 AM
Real bummer.
eerie by BrandLoyalist	Feb 26th, 2006 12:21:09 AM

A great sadness by indie_DP	Feb 26th, 2006 12:21:27 AM
I will miss the man. He sold the Night Stalker series, the good with the bad. I caught him on an old Mission Impossible and he was great. To the other fan of his reading of the Travis McGee books, you're right in the money. My wife worked for 1013 Productions (producers of "The X-Files" and "Millennium") and she got him to sign one of the Travis McGee books on tapes for me. He was caught by surprise because he expected it to be a Night Stalker thing. He said he had been stopped by people who had missed or been late to business meeting because they had to hear him finish off a Travis audio book. She said he was a very nice man. RIP Darren. Indie_DP
thanks Johnny Smith by Silver Shamrock	Feb 26th, 2006 12:41:03 AM
His monologue in "Midnight of the Century" always gives me chills. He gave a performance better than most of whats in the theaters these days.
Fra-gee-lay by fyrie	Feb 26th, 2006 12:53:58 AM
nt
So sad by VitaminJ	Feb 26th, 2006 01:26:42 AM
Sorry to see him go...
Christmas just became a little less Merry by slder78	Feb 26th, 2006 01:36:00 AM
thanks for your work Mr. McGavin.
thanks Darren by Carl's hat	Feb 26th, 2006 01:42:06 AM
As a long time lurker on this site I"ve never really felt the need to post...until now. I could go on and on about McGavin and the legacy he's left behind but in a way that wouldn't fit with the guy. McGavin was a true tv legend. A guy who was the real deal, not some bullshit, full of himself asshole. He influenced my life in many ways and today I feel like I"ve lost a friend. Thank you Mr Darren McGavin.
Mike Hammer TV series from the fifties. by Uncapie	Feb 26th, 2006 02:42:42 AM
This has been a terrible, terrible day. Two legends are gone but, they each left a legacy to remember them by forever. Mc Gavin's Hammer was funny, a ladies man and when it came to action, he delivered the goods. Not only would he throw a gun down the stairs but, he'd drag him back up and throw him down a second time. He was a man's man. Sadly, a classy actor like him will never come our way again.
Mike Hammer TV series from the fifties. by Uncapie	Feb 26th, 2006 02:43:20 AM
This has been a terrible, terrible day. Two legends are gone but, they each left a legacy to remember them by forever. Mc Gavin's Hammer was funny, a ladies man and when it came to action, he delivered the goods. Not only would he throw a guy down the stairs but, he'd drag him back up and throw him down a second time. He was a man's man. Sadly, a classy actor like him will never come our way again.
YEAH by gravitasone	Feb 26th, 2006 04:06:09 AM
One of the first DVDs that I brought when it came on the market was Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Darren McGavin was perfect in it. To this day it is still one of the best vampire tales I have ever seen.
YEAH by gravitasone	Feb 26th, 2006 04:07:21 AM
Sorry, it is early, I meant bought
Exactly what don't you like about this hat? by reni	Feb 26th, 2006 05:23:35 AM
Very sorry to hear this. I sent Darren an email last summer. His webmaster acknowledged it so hopefully Darren got it along with many other fans' messages. God bless Darren, say hi to Vincenzo for me.
Wasn't he in that crummy Captain America movie? by Agent sith	Feb 26th, 2006 05:23:45 AM
Y'know the one with the "Italian" Red skull and a ugly ass actor who donned the red,white and blue costume? (with plastic ears). darren starred as a corupt general who worked for the skull.the acting wasn't half bad especially from darren,Ned beatty,scott Paulin and ronny cox. Anyways god bless yo Kolshack and R.I.P. (damn it's been almost a year since Ed Bisho passed and i'm just now hearing about it.) geekesque tear
Sorry to see him go by optimus122	Feb 26th, 2006 05:27:45 AM
Thanks for the memorys , rest in peace.
Try to tell yourself...it couldn't happen here... by Master Bruce	Feb 26th, 2006 06:41:23 AM
But, sadly, it has. Words can't express...was in Kindergarten when I first saw The Night Stalker & I've been a fan of the show & Darren McGavin's ever since...followed the reruns wherever they took me...CBS Late Night, syndication, Sci-Fi Channel, VHS & now DVD. Dan Curtis had a reunion TV Movie script written back in '90 & they never did it...I waited ever since for some network to get McGavin back & produce the damn thing...now, sadly, it'll never happen...Sonsabitches...RIP Darren, you will be missed.
BUMPESSES!!! by durhay	Feb 26th, 2006 06:52:29 AM

First good reason to post... by tomthumbstallywhacker	Feb 26th, 2006 07:16:30 AM
"KOLCHAK! GET BACK HERE, KOLCHAK!" I have been "stalking" this site for the past few years and managed to resist posting... until now. As a long time champion of the original night Stalker to anyone who'd listen, I just wanted to leave a tribute to a great actor on a site populated with like-minded people. RIP Mr McGavin, you made a lot of people happy.
To Echo Carl's hat's Sentiment.... by Mission Code Z	Feb 26th, 2006 08:04:51 AM
I felt like I lost a friend yesterday also. Not only did Darren McGavin make the Carl Kolchak character so memorable and lasting, but he respected the show and the fans till the very end. Like wazzamazza, Carl's hat, and others here, I have been a longtime lurker, but felt the need to finally post to pay the proper respect. Another great one leaves us for that soundstage in the sky. R.I.P. Mr. McGavin.
Where is the SIX MILLION DOLLAR DVD? by brezzel	Feb 26th, 2006 09:13:31 AM
R.I.P. Mr. McGavin. Herc's mention of your involvement in THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN project makes me wonder yet again - Where the hell are the DVDs?
"Fragile, must be Italian..." by Billyeveryteen	Feb 26th, 2006 09:39:46 AM
"You use up all the glue...ON PURPOSE!" ...sigh.
A Consummate Professional by barboo	Feb 26th, 2006 09:41:46 AM
I echo the sentiment of the other posters.... Thanks for the memories, the performances, the laughs, and the example of what it means to be a professional at one's craft. I pray that you've entered into His rest.
Outsider. by Napoleon Park	Feb 26th, 2006 09:55:49 AM
Mike Hammer and Riverboat were a bit before my time, but I loved McGavin as private eye David Ross in "The Outsider", a wonderful, amusing, exciting, entertaining series that had the unfortunately luck to be on Wednesday night at 10:00 and debut opposite the first episode of Hawaii Five-0, which went on to be one of the years biggest new hits. "The Outsider", unfortunately, failed for low ratings back in the days when there were only three commercial networks plus PBS to choose from. Iit was a great show, sort of pre-Rockford with a similar vibe. * McGavin was also terrific in the made for Tv film "Tribes" as the tough as nails Hawk drill sergeant who comes to respect the viewpoint of the pacifist draftee he's trying to break. Those were my favorite McGavin roles, not to diminish Kolchak or The Old Man from "A Christmas Story", both of which were classic.
This is too much for me... by SouthSide_2010	Feb 26th, 2006 10:36:43 AM
First Don Knotts passes on and now Darren McGaven. The man who is the ONLY embodiement of Carl Kolchak and Ralphie's Old Man from "A Christmas Story" will always live on in the hearts and minds of people who truly respected and revered this wonderful man. My head hangs low at this news. He will truly be missed as he was a terrific actor.
Carl Kolchak has joined Tony and Miss Emily by Dark Knight Lite	Feb 26th, 2006 10:44:10 AM
... in that great newsroom in the sky. It's hard to describe the impact the first TV movie had on me and the kids in my 3rd grade class. I remember one of the girls couldn't sleep that night, and went home sick from school. Kolchak: The Night Stalker has been in constant play in our house since the dawn of video. We had taped combo episodes off CBS called "Crackle of Death", then graduated to the Columbia House VHS tapes. Then in the 90's we laid out over $800 for the laserdisc set from Japan. Of course I was at the WalMart at 12am to get the dvd set out of the box a couple of months ago. My wife is even more upset than I am - we love that show and Darren McGavin will surely be missed. If you've never seen, "The Night Stalker" or "The Night Strangler", do yourself a favor, and track them down, then watch the series - it's time well spent.
Item ... by JCOTC64	Feb 26th, 2006 10:53:38 AM
Though I had watched them many, many times before, I was in the mood to have the Night Stalker DVDs playing in the background while I worked last night. RIP Carl, Old Man, Darrin McGavin.
G'bye. by riskebiz	Feb 26th, 2006 10:59:58 AM
Wow. Him and Don Knotts in one fell swoop. Kolchak was the best. I hope gets ample reward in the hereafter just for that, but he has the Christmas Story under his belt, so one hopes he gets paradise x 2.
Turk 182, The Natural by Dasher	Feb 26th, 2006 11:04:52 AM
He gave his characters such neat little quirks. In Turk, he nailed the part of a NYC detective who was sarcastic, yet kind-hearted. And he was so compelling to watch in The Natural as the man with the glass eye. I loved the scene when he guessed how much money Redford had in his pocket. Thanks for the memories, sir. You will be missed.
Rest Carl by cagirl	Feb 26th, 2006 11:04:54 AM
Damn, this was a show I loved in sindication during my childhood.
What about his great performace in "The Challenge?" by Uncapie	Feb 26th, 2006 11:30:25 AM
Just got through watching that this morning. What an underated movie that was!
I knew that shitty remake would kill him.... by fiester	Feb 26th, 2006 11:42:49 AM
Now he can truly be spinning in his grave in response to that abomination they tried to pass off as "The Night Stalker." RIP Darren McGavin. You will be missed.
I've seen Christmas Story a billion times by cromulent	Feb 26th, 2006 12:36:12 PM
and that fragile line always cracks me up, and it's because the way Darren delivers that line. Perfection. RIP
Greatest TV Show of my childhood... by KurosawaDisciple	Feb 26th, 2006 12:39:41 PM
..."The Night Stalker" would mess with my young mind week in and week out...and I couldn't wait to talk about it at school. McGavin remained a fave character actor for me ever since. Damn...first Barney, now Kolchak...what a morning.
Carl Kolchak: Greatest TV Character Ever by Blanket-Man	Feb 26th, 2006 03:26:43 PM
My son had to interview me last week for a school assignment, and one of the questions was "What is your favorite TV show?" My answer then, as it has been since the fall of 1975, was "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Perfect marriage of character and actor. Rest in peace, Mr. McGavin. You brought a LOT of joy to a lot of people... :(
you will be missed, Mr. McGavin... by lynxpro	Feb 26th, 2006 03:55:31 PM
This is indeed sad news. I wish it would have been a bogus news story, just like the SciFi Wire's news story a few months back that I caught and brought to their attention. Sad. What is really sad is that actors like McGavin - who have/had so much talent - rarely are monetarily compensated in comparison to hacks like the Tom Cruises of Tinseltown. That is the true injustice of the trade. Perhaps now ABC, NBC Universal, and Dan Curtis and Jeff Rice will hammer out their disputed rights to the Kolchak property and us fans might get a proper Kolchak film on the silver screen...with some actor who has the gravitas and moxy to take over the mantle. Call me a fanboy but I still think only Bruce Campbell has that moxy to wear that straw hat and deliberately cheap blue suit. Paging Mr. Fincher.
oh man... talk about painful news by antonphd	Feb 26th, 2006 03:56:25 PM
this really sucks. i just keep thinking of how I was only 8 when A Christmas Story released and how old Gavin looks after only 2/3 of my lifetime. man. where does the time go. he was 81, so, that's good. man. i'm 31. will 50 years pass as quickly for me too? i hope he enjoyed his life. every year I watch A Christmas Story. it's my It's a Wonderful Life. man. this does gut you.
One of my favorites... by Alonzo Mosely	Feb 26th, 2006 05:06:49 PM
Truely an actor I would have watched in anything... I was a huge Kolchak fan, but others have mined that, so I will turn to one of my favorite 'bad movies' of all-time, the zombie buddy cop flick 'Dead Heat' in which he shared scenes with not only Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo, but got to ham along as joint bad-guy with Vincent Price. God bless ya man, my life was better for your work...
Major Award!! by brinkeguthrie	Feb 26th, 2006 06:12:09 PM
dana elcar was his boss in KTNS. Think he died recently too. Fragile'! That's Italian! This is a MAJOR AWARD!! Classic.
Anyone else by Purgatori	Feb 26th, 2006 08:16:53 PM
remember that great episode of Tales From The Darkside he was in, where the aliens who were watching the old detective show via long range tv waves came to earth to finish it? They got the writer back and hunted him down and got him back up to health and off the booze so he looked like he did back in the day? Lenny Von Dohlen played the alien, the guy from Electric Dreams. I thought that was just neat. Went back to his days as Mike Hammer, so I perfect casting. Never be another like him.
Knotts and McGavin-- both great by Nachokoolaid	Feb 26th, 2006 08:37:08 PM
Did the Rapture perhaps come, and we missed the boat? Seems like all the good ones are going.
Tough weekend... by Darth Thoth	Feb 26th, 2006 09:19:30 PM
But I thank God for their lives and the way they impacted us all. They will live forever. God bless them and may they RIP.
Goodbye to my favorite actor from my favorite show. by Ivan_Mtl	Feb 26th, 2006 09:30:31 PM
This one really hurts. When I think about my favorite television shows from my childhood, there are really only two that still hold the same fascination for me to this day. One of them is THE WILD, WILD, WEST, starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, and the other is KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER. Darren McGavin's portrayal of reporter Carl Kolchak was (in my opinion) one of the greatest characters ever created for television. He was the unlikely hero... the original "every man" that we average television viewers could relate to. And, of course, he was "one helluva reporter!" I just have to share a particularly memorable Kolchak experience from my past. I remember watching the episode entitled HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS one late night at my friend's house. This particularly creepy episode featured a creature called a rakshasa(sp?) which would assume the shape of someone who the victims knew and trusted before it killed them. After the show, I made my way home in the night, and braved a shortcut along the railroad tracks which ran through my neighborhood. I saw a figure in the distance approaching and was a little startled to discover that it was someone that I knew but had not see for years. Needless to say, I was pretty freaked out. The really funny thing is that when I explained the situation to him, he told me that he had just seen the episode himself, so he was similarly spooked. You can't make stuff up like that. lol Anyway, the show was great, and was made even greater by the actors in it. The greatest of these was Darren McGavin.
FREAKY! - last night I was telling a friend of mine... by workshed	Feb 26th, 2006 09:33:34 PM
...what a great movie 'The Night Stalker' is. I just think it's got one of the sharpest scripts ever written for a 'TV movie'. McGavin is a legend in Horror circles for Kolchak alone and I know we'll all miss the cool bastard.
Goodnight Mr. McGavin. by Red Ned Lynch	Feb 26th, 2006 10:38:47 PM
Yeah, this one hurts a lot. You must have been pretty good at your job, Darren. Can't picture my childhood without Kolchak in it, or the weird little glee I always got afterward when I saw you in something else. Years before I could name the whole cast of the House on Haunted Hill remake, I knew you. By name, by face, when I barely registered most performers at all. And it was because of the thrill and fun and excitement you generated in Kolchak that I became, for better or worse, the kind of person who can name all the cast to The House on Haunted Hill. Thanks, Darren. I will never forget you.
thats a good ep of Alfred Hitchcock... by chickychow	Feb 26th, 2006 11:41:49 PM
I also just saw it. He and this other dude are in a saloon, both have got their hands on their guns and are waiting for the other guy to draw first. It last for about 20 minutes this showdown is pretty friggin funny. But of course, love The Old Man. "Its a Clinkerrrr!!"
And to think by Farging Bastige	Feb 27th, 2006 12:07:38 AM
Ernest Borgnine is 89 and still working (G-d bless him). I have no idea why this came to my mind.
There was a sequel to "A Christmas Story" by Col. Klink	Feb 27th, 2006 01:32:01 AM
It was called "My Summer Story" and had an all different cast following the further adventures of Ralphie Parker. The father part in the sequel was played by Charles Grodin! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt01 10168/
Damn... by Bumpasses Dawg	Feb 27th, 2006 03:56:15 AM
Heartsick over this :( I just lost someone in my family ecently, and this feels so similar you'd think Darren McGavin was family as well. It's a rare, rare thing that an actor can be so well liked, and his characters so identifiable that it feels like you've lost family when they pass. I was very sad to hear of Don Knott's passing as well. I always liked him and admired his work. But I agree with Quint, and think his word were perfect. This one gutted me. It's a great tribute to the effectiveness of his work, this large hole in my heart. I just ordered the Night Stalker DVD, and will attempt to fill the hole with fond memories (damned AP called the series The Night Prowler in it's obit!). By the way, the X-Files episode he's on will air Weds the 1st at 2am, so set your TIVO if you want to catch it and some ZZZs at the same time. Speaking of which... rest in peace Mr. McGavin. And thanks again.
THE OLD MAN was a classic McGavin character! by The PimpDragon	Feb 27th, 2006 04:36:15 AM
The entire incident with the leg lamp is one of the funniest things I've ever seen still to this day! From "Frajeelay" to through gritted teeth "You used all the glue....on purpose!" to the ultimate "NOT A FINGAH!", I can't think of a funnier scene in any holiday film (and most comedies in general for that matter). But the heart he shows when he's watching Ralphie load his Red Ryder always makes my eyes moist. He HAD to get Ralphie that gift and you see it in his face and in his eyes in that scene. Darren McGavin was a true Hollywood treasure in every sense of the word and his passing leaves an emptiness that cannot and will not be filled. Rest in Peace, good sir.
The other wake I almost missed..... by ChickenGeorgeVII	Feb 27th, 2006 05:58:57 AM
I learned of the news of Darrin McGavin the same time I learned of Don Knotts, a day too late. I feel like the heel who missed a great wake. A give my words for Don in his thread. For McGavin, little more can be said outside what has already been told. A great actor. A fine man. Didn
Another? by radio1_mike	Feb 27th, 2006 08:42:56 AM
Aww Christ. Some more childhood memories... Sheer genius in Christmas Story and Kolchak... RIP Darren.
Original THE NIGHT STALKER Airing - #1 In Ratings by Sam Bones	Feb 27th, 2006 12:40:55 PM
Just so you know. The original airing of THE NIGHT STALKER TV movie on ABC-TV was THE highest rated showing of a TV movie at that time (and was on the top ten list for many years). A fact that blew television executives and news critics away (which led to another TV film, THE NIGHT STRANGLER, and series). The TV series was never as good as that first TV movie. Darren McGavin made loser reporter Carl Kolchack (and make no mistake he's busted, down and out at the end of the story) seem achingly real, sad, cynical, an opportunist and yet an unabashed idealist looking for more than a story while dressed in a shabby suit. The film somehow took a vampire story, set it in Vegas and made it about a reporter exposing corruption and cover-ups along with delivering some of the best damn creepy scenes ever done on TV at the time. Darren McGavin as an actor was a revelation to me back in high school when I first saw THE NIGHT STALKER. Every kid in my school watched that movie and every kid thought it was the best thing they'd ever seen. I still think it's one of the best vampire movies ever done. But you had Richard Matheson, a god among genre writers, creating the screenplay based on Jeff Rice's book (actually I don't think Rice's book got published until AFTER the film aired). And look at that incredible cast! Simon Oakland. Ralph Meeker. Claude Akins. Kent Smith. Hell, they even have Elisha Cook, Jr.! And Barry Atwater as the vampire. There was something so weird and REAL about his vampire. That's it. It was just a vampire story but...it seemed like if there really WAS a vampire operating in the world, this is how it would do things. Kill in Vegas where victims AT NIGHT are plenty. Rob blood banks and keep a captive victim alive with that stolen blood to feast upon. Shit, I can never forget that riot with the cops at the hospital, guns blasting and that motorcycle going out of control as the vampire sidesteps it like its playing touch football and runs into the night. If you've never seen the ORIGINAL TV movie, THE NIGHT STALKER, go buy or rent it NOW. Thanks for everything, Mr. McGavin. You made a difference in my life and the art I aspire to.
Check out NIGHT STALKER Comments on IMDB... by Sam Bones	Feb 27th, 2006 12:54:55 PM
See how the "thinking" fans rate the original TV movie of THE NIGHT STALKER at the imdb. Some terrific insightful comments are posted and a great read as a remembrance of McGavin. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00 67490/usercomments
who said they come in 3's? by sigma957	Feb 27th, 2006 02:07:32 PM
Dennis Weaver just died as well....a depressing trifecta....
Can this all stop now? by sundancekeed	Feb 27th, 2006 02:21:13 PM
Three of the people responsible for countless hours of joy I had as a kid have been taken in the past three days. Enough already! Don, Darren and Dennis. RIP, good gentlemen. Already missed dearly.
not another... by VictorFranko74	Feb 27th, 2006 02:44:57 PM
Did Dennis Weaver just die today?
News, Vincenzo! News!! by gernblanston67	Feb 27th, 2006 03:13:48 PM
And this is truly sad news.
fragile....must be italian by cornstalkwalker	Feb 27th, 2006 08:02:00 PM
you will be missed Darren McGavin.
"Shouldn't you be getting to bed?..." by nyjet	Feb 28th, 2006 01:17:23 AM
"...you've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow...filled with daquiris, nintendos, jack-off magazines...." Rest In Peace Mr. McGavin.
Who? Jeez, everyone wants to be a star! by BilboRing	Feb 28th, 2006 09:10:23 AM
Who are these people? Hey, I heard the guy who mixed the fake blood for Fight Club died yesterday. He was a true genius. His work will live forever. Man!
BilboRing, if you have no idea who... by Alonzo Mosely	Feb 28th, 2006 09:48:21 PM
Darren McGavin and Don Knotts are, I suggets you get an sort of historical film and TV knowledge before ever opening your mouth on the subject again...
Night Stalker T.V. Movie by wilbur gray	Feb 28th, 2006 10:20:57 PM
I wonder if ABC still has the broadcast rights to the original 1971 film?It would be a nice tribute to McGavin if the film were televised in prime time again after all these years.While they're at it,they could also schedule Duel in honor of Dennis Weaver.Maybe on a Wednesday instead of Lost & Invasion reruns.With the right promotion,they're sure to get a big audience.
Darren McGavin trivia by stacilayne	Mar 1st, 2006 12:56:01 AM
That's amazing, Hercules. I didn't realize that Don Knotts and Darren McGavin had acted together twice... any idea if those two ever acted with Dennis Weaver? That would have been strange. I spent a couple of days putting together a pretty comprehensive (though mostly Kolchak-related) tribute to Darren. If anyone here would like to see it, please feel free to check it out: http://www.horror.com/php/arti cle-1166-1.html I'm glad to see that AICN liked the DVD -- I think it was one of the best of 2005. Thanks, Staci

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Carl Kolchak Stalks No More... Darren McGavin 1922-2006

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