In appreciation of Ernest Borgnine

Or, at least we’ll live into our 90’s.

For some reason, I thought that happened on The View.

There’s an obscure little video called Ernest Borgnine on the Bus. Actually, it’s not a bus, but his motorhome. No plot to the video, more of a documentary-style video showing that Borgnine earned enough money that he doesn’t have to work, and when he’s not working he just hits the road in his motorhome and travels around meeting people and just enjoying the hell out of himself in what for a lot of people would be quiet retirement. Well, also the fact that his wife has done quite well with her cosmetics line ensures that he doesn’t have to work.

I met him at the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee in 1993 - I was in Navy boot camp at the time and my unit was there to march in the parade carrying state flags.

Borgnine was the Grand Clown of the parade, and made a beeline for us. He made sure he shook every sailor’s hand, and explained how he had been in the Navy for ten years right through WWII.

We didn’t realize until afterward it was him - this was before the parade started and he had full clown makeup on.

He said in his book that he’s marched in this clown parade every year.

I wonder if the reason his character on Spongebob is called Mermaid Man is because he wouldn’t do the voice of Mer-Man due to his 12 minute marriage to Ethel.

Bruce Campbell glows about Borgnine in his book If Chins Could Kill. Campbell got to know him on the set of the horrible McHale’s Navy movie with Tom Arnold.

He often played the character who would turn against the good guys and do something selfish that would result in his death. He was not a bad guy, but a selfish good guy who turned against his friends when he went yellow.

Also, his daughter with Ethel Merman, Varla Jean Merman, is one of my favorite drag queens!

Possibly NSFW.

Was there some show that hyped up the fact he was a regular there and always had a seat reserved for him or something like that? It’s in my mind… but only vaguely.

He was a real asshole in Bad Day at Black Rock with Spencer Tracy or, in other words, yet again he played the part to perfection.

LOVE Varla Jean! In or out of makeup. (Actually, Jeffery Roberson is HAWT!)

TCM is advertising that he is going to be on their Classic Movie Cruise.

“My mother always said ‘Our feelings are like our treasures, so bury them!’”

:eek: OMG, I thought, WHAT daughter with Ethen Merman??? I thought you were serious!!! Beautiful drag queen, though, looks a lot like Evan Rachel Wood.

If you have a taste for campy, filthy humor, rent “Girls Will Be Girls” from Netflix or somewhere and enjoy. Varla Jean is in it, along with Coco Peru and Evie Harris. It is fabulous!

If you’re like me your days are too jam packedto watch it.

I just watched Red. Good flick (Mary Louise Parker is so incredibly hot!)

I can’t believe Ernest Borgnine is his age; he looks like he’s in his 70s, tops, and still has that sparkle to his eyes. And I see he has 2 movies coming up on IMDb. I still think permanent retirement just kills you. Stay working and your body keeps living.

And keep spanking it, Ernie.

I jump up and down on the dead bodies of this thread!