# Odd Trio of Obits: Ludlum, Downey, Lucas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 13, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801 "2001-03-13T14:25:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/1 "2001-03-13T14:25:50Z")
I was greeted by an odd trio in the obit section today, with something to depress or cheer everyone: mystery writer Robert Ludlum (73), talk-show host Morton Downey, Jr. (67) and particularly creepy serial killer Henry Lee Lucas (mid-60s). ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/2 "2001-03-13T15:01:08Z")
Odd to say that I’m relieved about your post, but there it is. I’d seen Morton Downey Jr. and Ludlum’s deaths, went to the Doctor’s office, came back checked the board, see your thread title, know that you keep us posted on all the news that **Hollywoood** has fit to print, and thought OHMYGOD!!! George Lucas too?!!! Imagine my relief that it was the serial killer/former Michigan resident (we like to keep this kind of stuff in the family - I think it had something to do with the PBB stuff in the cattle feed… ) Back to the OP, yes, that certainly is an odd grouping. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/3 "2001-03-13T15:18:13Z")
God said **"Zip it!!!"** ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/4 "2001-03-13T15:41:05Z")
Errr… _ahem_ This Lucas character, didn’t [sub][sup]Jerry Springer[/sup][/sub] visit him once in jail? If so, that was one scary creep indeed. Godspeed to the other two. [Edited by Coldfire on 03-13-2001 at 09:44 AM] ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/5 "2001-03-13T15:46:54Z")
Henry Lee Lucas really had to be the creepiest serial killer—unlike Ted Bundy, he looked like he came right out of Central Casting, with his one blank eye and all. I remember some female journalist interviewing him, and him telling her how he would wait to see some woman pulled over on the side of the road, and what he would do to her . . . You could see the journalist trying to control her panic. It seems, from his obits, that Downey had gotten considerably less jerky since his illness, that he left a “Smokers’ Rights” group and started doing public service ads against smoking; also he apologized for how incredibly trashy his old show was. P.S. he was the son of Barbara Bennett, who was the sister of movie stars Constance and Joan. Ludlum? never read 'im, but I hear he was quite a good writer if you like mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/6 "2001-03-13T15:48:11Z")
I too thought George Lucas and also Robert Downey Jr, probably of a drug overdose! IIRC, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to the murder of Adam Walsh, whose death inspired his father John Walsh to start American’s Most Wanted. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/7 "2001-03-13T16:07:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\*IIRC, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to the murder of Adam Walsh, whose death inspired his father John Walsh to start American’s Most Wanted. \*\* It seems a friend of Lucas’ confessed to that, tho there still seems to be some doubt if it was true or not. Ole’ Henry Lee loved to tell stories, claimed (at one point) to have killed scads of people, and law enforcement folks from around the country were clamoring to interview him. he thrived on the attention. [here](http://www.crimemagazine.com/lucas.htm) and [here](http://www.houseofhorrors.com/lucas.htm) ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/8 "2001-03-13T16:14:29Z")
This reminds me, who was it that was running the “SDMB Death Pool 2001” ? I don’t think anyone had Downey or Ludlum . . . ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/9 "2001-03-13T16:15:50Z")
(ironic sig huh ?) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/10 "2001-03-13T16:20:22Z")
I put a post on the Deathpool thread this morning. Drain Bead had Morton Downey Jr. and scored 32 points. ---
**Author:** ![don\_Jaime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@don\_Jaime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_Jaime)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/11 "2001-03-13T16:36:03Z")
As long as we’re doing a tally, may I add one? Richard Stone, 47, Emmy-winning composer of the themes to _Animaniacs_, _Pinky and the Brain_,and _Freakazoid!_, died March 8th of pancreatic cancer. Great musician and scholar, sorely missed. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/12 "2001-03-13T18:48:30Z")
Of interest locally: S. Dillon Ripley II, who helped expand the Smithsonian in DC, died today. He was the first director to put the carousel in front of the Castle. I remember riding on it for AGES when I was little… Story on him can be found [here.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59700-2001Mar12.html) ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/13 "2001-03-13T20:46:08Z")
Just a note on Ludlum: I’m not sure I’d categorize him as a Mystery novelist. He wrote “Thrillers” and “Spy Novels,” Ala Tom Clancy and John LeCarre. Their books do show up in the Mystery section at the bookstore. I haven’t read much from him lately. His Bourne Books are excellent (at least the first few). He also wrote 2 comedy novels called “The Road to Gandalfo” and “The Road to Omaha.” Both excellent work. As for Morton Downey Jr, I heard on the Radio that he wrote the surfer classic “Wipeout.” Could this possibly be true? Well according to [USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/life/lear.htm): > [@](#): > > Downey, who was the son of popular singer Morton Downey and his dancer-wife, Barbara Bennett, pursued a number of professions including businessman, author, radio host, singer and songwriter, **composing such hit surf-rock songs as Pipeline and Wipeout** in the 1960s. What a crazy world. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/14 "2001-03-13T22:57:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > **P.S. he was the son of Barbara Bennett, who was the sister of movie stars Constance and Joan.** Then why was he so damned ugly? Well, no tragedy losing him. GLAD to be rid of Henry. And the only loss from the death of Ludlum was that there are still three of his God-awful books in the pipeline. What tripe! and I LIKE the genre. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/15 "2001-03-13T23:50:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LateComer \* > \*\* > > As for Morton Downey Jr, I heard on the Radio that he wrote the surfer classic “Wipeout.” Could this possibly be true? Well according to [USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/life/lear.htm): > > > [@](#): > > > > Downey, who was the son of popular singer Morton Downey and his dancer-wife, Barbara Bennett, pursued a number of professions including businessman, author, radio host, singer and songwriter, **composing such hit surf-rock songs as Pipeline and Wipeout** in the 1960s. > > What a crazy world. \*\* I believe that Morton Downey Sr wrote _Wipeout_. ---
**Author:** ![Scotticher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scotticher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotticher)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/16 "2001-03-14T01:35:40Z")
**Eve,** I am hijacking yet ANOTHER thread…why don’t you just email me at [scotticher@earthlink.net](mailto:scotticher@earthlink.net) and we can talk about the record player? This way we can carry on without annoying all the good folks on this board? Scotti ---
**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:** [March 14, 2001, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/17 "2001-03-14T04:16:35Z")
As for the Dead Pool 2001. I would like to say that I got Anne Morrow Lindberg (Charles Lindberg’s wife) who died on Feb 7th, or thereabouts. I think I got a whopping 6 points for her. (I was going to pick Ray Walston, but eschewed him for someone else. He died Dec 31. Kinda weird.) ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2001, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/18 "2001-03-14T12:06:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > **Downey… was the son of Barbara Bennett, who was the sister of movie stars Constance and Joan.** Really? The Bennett girl’s father was a friend of my great-grandfather’s. Daddy Paul was a painter who lived in and around Hollywood from 1910 until his death. He actually did a watercolor portrait of Daddy Bennett (an old-time Hollywood director, IIRC). Bennett’s wife didn’t like the picture, so Daddy Paul kept it – it was my favorite. It moved out of our family a few years ago and I sure wish I had it back. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-trio-of-obits-ludlum-downey-lucas/57801/19 "2001-03-15T12:37:58Z")
Robert Ludlum died? I loved reading “The Road To Omaha” and “The Road To Gandolfo”. Do you have a link? i would really like to see it.