# Farewell, George Kennedy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 29, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572 "2016-02-29T22:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/1 "2016-02-29T22:58:32Z")
Just posted in the Death Pool thread [George Kennedy has died.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19141454&postcount=863) [He](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001421/?ref_=nv_sr_4) was one of those guys who made any movie he was in a better one. This thread is to acknowledge George and his roles as well as to compare the type of character he excelled in playing to those of other actors (like [Roy Jenson (1927–2007)](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0421772/?ref_=tt_cl_t11)) who also helped Paul Newman look good in at least one movie. Name others who share the spotlight with Kennedy as embodying either the Gentle Giant or the Sympathetic Heavy. Links would be nice but not required. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/2 "2016-02-29T23:11:07Z")
He also did Deadpan Comedy as well as, well, as well as Leslie Nielsen did. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/3 "2016-02-29T23:12:22Z")
“Oh I’m sorry, I thought you’d draw the line on haulin’ ice.” RIP Big George ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/4 "2016-02-29T23:22:43Z")
When I saw the news I said ‘crap, I hope Leslie Nielsen is still alive’. Nope, he died in 2010. Damn, fuck. ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/5 "2016-02-29T23:26:48Z")
They must have had a [Patroni](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065377/quotes?item=qt2451938) on the other side. While I loved Kennedy’s characterization of Patroni in _Airport_, every time I think of him I remember his MAJ Armbruster getting knocked off the truck in _The Dirty Dozen_ during the war games as the Dozen go to capture COL Breed’s ([Robert Ryan](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0752813/?ref_=tt_cl_t10), another of those “hey, it’s that guy” types) HQ during the field exercise. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/6 "2016-02-29T23:26:52Z")
“That’s one nice thing about the 707. It can do everything BUT read.” RIP, George. First Class, all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/7 "2016-02-29T23:27:13Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > [He](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001421/?ref_=nv_sr_4) was one of those guys who made any movie he was in a better one. I agree; he had a much more commanding presence than most supporting actors and he did indeed make everything a little bit better. Judging by his credits, many people feel the same way about him. RIP Mr. Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/8 "2016-02-29T23:29:49Z")
One of his roles that allowed him to surprise the audience by shifting from good guy to bad guy was the Eastwood vehicle [The Eiger Sanction (1975)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072926/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_87) where (at least for me) he surprised us by being the villain in a real adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/9 "2016-02-29T23:34:53Z")
“That’s no way for a man to die.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/10 "2016-02-29T23:41:20Z")
An real iconic actor. I can remember a lot of his roles but wouldn’t remember the name of the character just because it was played by George. He was big, bold, and often playing the heavy but still personable in those roles. He was notable not just for starring roles but lesser parts as well, Cool Hand Luke wouldn’t have been as good without him, neither would Naked Gun or the Airport movies be either. Good night George, you earned a long rest. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/11 "2016-02-29T23:54:32Z")
“If my boy say he can eat 50 eggs, he can eat 50 eggs!” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/12 "2016-03-01T00:15:53Z")
I always enjoyed movies that featured George Kennedy. He found ways to make his supporting roles stand out without distracting from the lead actors. I had assumed he died years ago. But its good to know he lived a long and full life. He was a pilot just like his friend Jimmy Stewart. > [@](#): > > Kennedy was a licensed pilot who enjoyed flying and owned a Cessna 210 and Beechcraft Bonanza. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/13 "2016-03-01T00:53:21Z")
Flight of the Phoenix was another good showing for him. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/14 "2016-03-01T01:06:19Z")
I also thought he’d died some years ago. Farewell, Dragline. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/15 "2016-03-01T01:28:50Z")
I didn’t even know he was still alive. Bad timing Hope they remember him next year. RIP, George. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/16 "2016-03-01T01:45:30Z")
> [@txtumbleweed](#): > > They must have had a [Patroni](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065377/quotes?item=qt2451938) on the other side. That’s always the first film that comes to mind when I think of Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/17 "2016-03-01T02:00:16Z")
Saw him recently in LONELY ARE THE BRAVE, a mostly-forgotten Western from 1962 starring Kirk Douglas and written by Dalton Trumbo. Brilliant film – it was Douglas’s personal favorite – and I don’t particularly like Westerns. George played a supporting role as a sadistic sheriff. He was damn good. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/18 "2016-03-01T02:51:25Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > “If my boy say he can eat 50 eggs, he can eat 50 eggs!” My favorite. I was just looking over his list of credits, he worked a lot. RIP Mr. Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/19 "2016-03-01T02:54:25Z")
Count me as another who had him gone before his time. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572/20 "2016-03-01T07:24:39Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > “Oh I’m sorry, I thought you’d draw the line on haulin’ ice.” > > RIP Big George That’s one of the two scenes that I always think of when I think of George Kennedy. The other is from Sons of Katie Elder, when John Wayne SMACKS him in the face with an axe handle. RIP George! You are (not “were”) one of the greats. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/farewell-george-kennedy/747572.md?page=2)