# James Coburn Has Died **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468 "2002-11-19T05:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/1 "2002-11-19T05:03:41Z")
Apparently, of a heart attack. I can’t say that he was in any really great films, but I enjoyed his work. RIP, Mr. Coburn. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/2 "2002-11-19T05:10:10Z")
Damn. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/3 "2002-11-19T05:10:59Z")
What? No way! No way! No way! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/4 "2002-11-19T05:16:36Z")
Just googled it cause no offence but I wanted to make sure. Sad. The guy was so good at playing funny tough guys. His skit of gong music on the muppet show was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/5 "2002-11-19T05:18:09Z")
And does anyone else find it strange how him and Richard Harris just died in their mid 70’s while Christopher Lee seems like he’ll be around forever and is in his 80’s? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/6 "2002-11-19T05:18:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yosemitebabe \* > \*\*What? No way! No way! No way! \*\* [Way.](http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/18/obit.coburn.ap/index.html)☹ We’re losing too many of the greats, and none to replace them, sad to say. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/7 "2002-11-19T05:55:00Z")
Damn. He was one hell of an actor. I always mentally categorized movie badasses onto a scale in my head: Anthony Edwards and Richard Gere=1, James Coburn and Lee Marvin=10. R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/8 "2002-11-19T07:06:25Z")
Saw this on the news about half an hour ago. I wasn’t able to mourn, though, because – you know what movie the station chose to use a clip from as they were reading the item? _Snow Dogs._ I shit you not. A more egregious example of “The _Betsy_ Syndrome” I have rarely seen. I mean, how about a clip from _The Magnificent Seven_, you turkeys? Or _Charade_, or his Oscar-winning turn in _Affliction_, or, I dunno, one of the Flint pictures maybe. Christ, even his hilarious but underseen deadpan cameo as military stooge Manley Battle in _Mastergate_ would have been acceptable. Nope. Fuckin’ _Snow Dogs_, where he collected a paycheck for playing meaningless comedy opposite the Mantan of our age. They might as well have gone down to the funeral home and shoveled shit into his casket. I know, I know. But the man deserved better. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/9 "2002-11-19T07:12:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*Saw this on the news about half an hour ago. I wasn’t able to mourn, though, because – you know what movie the station chose to use a clip from as they were reading the item? _Snow Dogs._ I shit you not. > > A more egregious example of “The _Betsy_ Syndrome” I have rarely seen. I mean, how about a clip from _The Magnificent Seven_, you turkeys? Or _Charade_, or his Oscar-winning turn in _Affliction_, or, I dunno, one of the Flint pictures maybe. Christ, even his hilarious but underseen deadpan cameo as military stooge Manley Battle in _Mastergate_ would have been acceptable. > > Nope. Fuckin’ _Snow Dogs_, where he collected a paycheck for playing meaningless comedy opposite the Mantan of our age. They might as well have gone down to the funeral home and shoveled shit into his casket. > > I know, I know. But the man deserved better. \*\* Or hell, even _Payback_ where he played a tough but funny Mob guy. That was recent and popular, why couldn’t they use that? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/10 "2002-11-19T07:49:09Z")
No, they shoulda used \* Flint \* clips! I was gonna start a thread and call it “Our Man Flint is Gone…” He was one cool dude… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/11 "2002-11-19T11:38:41Z")
I thought his best (and most subversive) film was _The President’s Analyst_. Real damn shame he’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/12 "2002-11-19T12:12:17Z")
Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/13 "2002-11-19T12:23:46Z")
There is a rule in Hollywood that when you die your worst work (or the work you whored for to buy a new house) will be used in your TV obit. Subsequently, when nominated for an Oscar, the scene that every one is buzzing about that got you the nod will not be shown in a clip during the awards. James Coburn, thanks for your gruff, tough guy funniness. RIP ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/14 "2002-11-19T12:29:38Z")
I used to wince when I saw how gnarled his hands had become. Looked like arthritis. Also looked painful as hell. He did do some pretty good stuff. (Ok forget Snow Dogs,… and Duck, You Sucka,… ). Seems like an era has passed. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/15 "2002-11-19T12:57:08Z")
Oh, that sucks. I loved that guy (and his Muppet skit _was_ funny) … but so many good films over the years. Hell, I’ll even miss hearing his gravvely voice in commercials. Poopola. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/16 "2002-11-19T12:59:15Z")
Aww, man. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/17 "2002-11-19T13:18:33Z")
Looking over his credits at IMDb, it strikes me how few of his movies I’ve seen, and yet I’ll miss him greatly. > [@](#): > > I’ll kidnap a thousand children before I let this company die and I’ll silence anyone who gets in my way! ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/18 "2002-11-19T13:26:54Z")
Does anyone remember when he did the Schlitz Light commercials? Crappy beer, but he was way cool in the ads! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/19 "2002-11-19T14:41:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yojimboguy \* > **I thought his best (and most subversive) film was _The President’s Analyst_.** If I ever get a cell phone, I’m going to find some way to program his phone chimes as the cell phone ring tones. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Derfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lord\_Derfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Derfel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468/20 "2002-11-19T15:19:18Z")
It’s a sad fact that when I think of James Coburn, I think of _Winning Strategies for Slot Machines_ or whatever it’s called. He did so much great work, and that’s the first thing that pops into my head. I get a Troy McClure vibe from that commercial, too: “Hi, I’m James Coburn. You may remember me from such gambling videos as _Poker in the rear_ and _Oh, Craps!_. Your odds just got better!” I can’t help it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-coburn-has-died/137468.md?page=2)