# R.I.P. Peter Ustinov **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056 "2004-03-29T10:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/1 "2004-03-29T10:36:52Z")
Peter Ustinov died Sunday night, aged 82, of heart failure in a Swiss clinic, news services are reporting. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/2 "2004-03-29T11:20:11Z")
Sadly, [it’s true.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3578597.stm) ☹ A grand man, a fine actor. > [@](#): > > Director Michael Winner led the tributes, describing him as “a man of the world”. > > “Peter Ustinov will be remembered for being Peter Ustinov - and that’s good enough for anyone,” Winner said. 'Nuff said. Yes. And damn. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/3 "2004-03-29T11:21:45Z")
What a remarkable career. A performer for 60 years. Although it was a slight little film, I loved him in _Romanoff and Juliet_. And didn’t he get an Oscar for BSA in _Spartacus_? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/4 "2004-03-29T11:29:22Z")
Yes, he did, in 1960, and again in 1964 for _Topkapi_. [Details here.](http://www.movieactors.com/winsm/sm60.htm) ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/5 "2004-03-29T11:46:46Z")
> [@](#): > > He also said he had decided on the epitaph for his gravestone - “Keep off the grass”. 😃 ☹ I’m very sad about this. He was a class act in every respect. I loved any interview with him. Such wit and intelligence. It is a huge regret of mine never seeing his one man show. _Sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/6 "2004-03-29T11:52:47Z")
I just loved him pronouncing all those Russian names on The Discovery Channel’s **Wings of the Red Star**. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/7 "2004-03-29T12:20:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I just loved him pronouncing all those Russian names on The Discovery Channel’s Wings of the Red Star. One of his great stories was about going to Russia and trying to clear the inspection. The Russian clerk would be struggling with all of the Western names: “Smm…smmmit…Smith? B…Brrrr…Brrrowwwnnn?” And then, with confidence, a name he could pronounce: “Ustinov!”, and he’d jerk his thumb, indicating he could go ahead. Ustinov claimed he got through the libnes quicker than anyone else in the company. He was a playwright as well as an actor. Very talented guy. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/8 "2004-03-29T13:45:12Z")
He’s one of those actors I never really thought about until he’s gone. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/9 "2004-03-29T13:56:29Z")
The very epitome of a raconteur. > [@](#): > > **I’m not a Frenchie! I’m a Belgie!** \* --Murder by Death\* The world is just a little more boring for his passing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-i-p-peter-ustinov/237056/10 "2004-03-29T15:50:25Z")
> [@](#): > > The very epitome of a raconteur. > > Quote: > I’m not a Frenchie! I’m a Belgie! --Murder by Death > > The world is just a little more boring for his passing. Just a note – that was **James Coco** in **Murder by Death** , not Peter Ustinov.