# Oh, that guy! Dick Miller has passed on. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708 "2019-01-31T03:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/1 "2019-01-31T03:56:50Z")
Character actor most famous for his appearances in Roger Corman films, Dick Miller has died at 90. > **[Dick Miller, ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Terminator’ Actor, Dies at 90](https://variety.com/2019/film/news/dick-miller-dead-dies-gremlins-terminator-1203124265/)** > > Dick Miller, a prolific screen actor best known for his role as Murray Futterman in the 1984 classic horror film “Gremlins,” has died. He was 90. With a career spanning more than 60 yea… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/2 "2019-01-31T05:01:35Z")
Probably more famous for his appearance in Joe Dante films. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/3 "2019-01-31T13:57:24Z")
The best “that guy” actor, I loved his work. My movie critic homie wrote a fine tribute to the man: > **[Dick Miller: 1928-2019 | Features | Roger Ebert](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/dick-miller-1930-2019)** > > A tribute to the late, great Dick Miller from his biggest fan. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/4 "2019-01-31T14:00:35Z")
IMDb [link](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0588241/). He seems to have tapered off after 2000. An astonishing career. All those wonderful B movies including the B-est of them all: _The Little Shop of Horrors_. He was offered the role of Seymour but took a smaller role instead. Throw in _Big Bad Mama_ and he’s going to bad movie heaven. (I was going to mention some other movies of note but I realized that there’s just so many.) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/5 "2019-01-31T14:18:48Z")
In addition to Miller, we also just lost another B-movie great: [Louisa Moritz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605770/). A quick check shows they appeared in at least one movie together: [_Cannonball!_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074279/) with a fine set of other such actors. (Not to be confused with _Cannonball Run_.) Sadly, the articles on her death focus more on the Cosby thing than her career. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/6 "2019-01-31T18:21:28Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > [Dick Miller Dead: The 'Gremlins' Actor Was 90](https://variety.com/2019/film/news/dick-miller-dead-dies-gremlins-terminator-1203124265/) ‘\*\*est known for his role as Murray Futterman in the 1984 classic horror film “Gremlins”…’? No, he’s best known for _A Bucket Of Blood_, in which he played ‘Walter Paisley’ – a character name he would use in other films. I’m sad to hear he died. I always looked for him when watching a film he’s in. I pointed him out to Mrs. L.A. a few weeks (or so) ago when he was on an episode of _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_, and we saw him fairly recently in _Gremlins_. But to me, he’ll always be Walter Paisley. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/7 "2019-01-31T20:33:49Z")
In a book concerning horror movie character actors, the author called him “the archetypal smart ass.” (A role he played _ **very** _ well!) I think his best role was as the bookstore owner in “The Howling” (1981). He is telling a customer about all the occult items for sale in his shop. The customer then asks “you believe in all this”? Dick Miller’s reply: “What am I, an idiot? I’m makin’ a buck here. You want books, I got books. I got chicken blood, I got dog embryos, I got black candles, I got wolf-bane. Look at this: Silver bullets. Some joker ordered them. Thirty-ought-six. Never picked 'em up. I take Bank AmeriCard, American Express, Visa. You gonna buy that or what?” Yes, that was the typical Dick Miller role. Granted, he was no Laurence Olivier, but whenever he showed up in a movie, you _knew_ it was going to be fun. RIP Dick Miller ---
**Author:** ![Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reindeer_flotilla/32/3024_2.png) [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reindeer_Flotilla)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/8 "2019-01-31T21:53:01Z")
There’s a lot of great references from his career. Anything else? “Phased plasma rifle in the 40 Watt range.” “Hey, just what you see pal.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/9 "2019-01-31T21:56:48Z")
> [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](#): > > There’s a lot of great references from his career. Anything else? ‘Be a nose!’ ‘Didn’t you see me wave my zen stick?’ ---
**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:** [January 31, 2019, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/10 "2019-01-31T23:00:44Z")
He was a semi-regular on the old Flash series, playing a cop. Also did a couple of ST episodes. And, of course Evil Toons. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/11 "2019-01-31T23:14:01Z")
Apparently there’s a 2014 documentary about him: > [@](#): > > The film had its world premiere on March 7, 2014 at South by Southwest and looks into the life and career of character actor Dick Miller.[2] Funding for the film was raised through a successful Kickstarter campaign > **[That Guy Dick Miller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Guy_Dick_Miller)** > > That Guy Dick Miller is a 2014 documentary directed by Elijah Drenner. The film had its world premiere on March 7, 2014 at South by Southwest and looks into the life and career of character actor Dick Miller. Funding for the film was raised through a Kickstarter campaign. > The documentary surveys the life and acting career of Dick Miller, who has performed in over 170 roles in various films and television shows as a character actor. It features several interviews, as well as footage from many of ... Maybe it will get some airplay, now. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/12 "2019-02-01T07:16:56Z")
Dick Miller was in yet another Roger Corman movie - “the Terror” (1963), which also starred Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson. I found it unusual that he was billed as Richard Miller in this film. It takes place in France in the early 1800’s. No doubt, since Dick Miller was in this “historical drama”, he wanted to use a more sophisticated stage name. It has been a long time since I had seen this film and I can’t remember any exact quotes, but it is quite unusual to hear Mr. Miller deliver lines such as “the Baron would forbiddeth your taking such action”, with his thick Brooklyn accent! And yet his accent does _not_ destroy this movie, and if it weren’t for Dick Miller, I wouldn’t have remembered this movie at all. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/13 "2019-02-01T14:22:28Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > In addition to Miller, we also just lost another B-movie great: [Louisa Moritz](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605770/). > > A quick check shows they appeared in at least one movie together: [_Cannonball!_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074279/) with a fine set of other such actors. (Not to be confused with _Cannonball Run_.) > > Sadly, the articles on her death focus more on the Cosby thing than her career. My take-away from your first IMDB link is that there were 13 episodes of a Joe Namath show in 1969:eek: ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/14 "2019-02-01T20:08:32Z")
It seems there was another Dick Miller / Louisa Moritz cinematic pairing - 1975’s [Death Race 2000](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072856/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/15 "2019-02-01T21:32:34Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > IMDb [link](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0588241/). He seems to have tapered off after 2000. > > An astonishing career. All those wonderful B movies including the B-est of them all: _The Little Shop of Horrors_. He was offered the role of Seymour but took a smaller role instead. > > Throw in _Big Bad Mama_ and he’s going to bad movie heaven. > > (I was going to mention some other movies of note but I realized that there’s just so many.) Whenever I think of him _Little Shop of Horrors_ – the original non-musical version – is the first film I think of. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-that-guy-dick-miller-has-passed-on/828708/16 "2019-02-01T22:45:31Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > It seems there was another Dick Miller / Louisa Moritz cinematic pairing - 1975’s [Death Race 2000](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072856/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1) Yeah, you gotta scroll down to the uncredited folk to find Miller.\* Lots of similarities and differences between the two: 2 Caradines vs. 1. Both have Mary Woronov. One has a cameo by John Landis, the other has Martin Scorsese. Etc. And of course stupid plots about cross country car races. - Similarly Sylvester Stallone is in both, uncredited in 1.