Father Geek here again with another note of an end of the year Hollywood death. This time it is my sad duty to inform you of the passing of long time B-movie heavy-writer-director LEO GORDON. This evening I received several E-mails alerting me to this.
Gordon played tough guys and heavys in a long list of motion pictures and television shows starting in the early 1950's and continuing thru the mid-90's. Some of Father Geek's favorites include: Devil's Angels (1967),St. Valentine's Day Massacre(1967)with Jason Robards, Tobruk (1967), Kitten with a Whip (1964), Haunted Palace(1963) with Vincent Price, McLintock! (1963)with John Wayne, Tarzan Goes to India (1962), Quantrill's Raiders (1958)as the lead bad guy William Clarke Quantrill, Cry Baby Killer(1958), Baby Face Nelson (1957)as John Dillinger, Johnny Concho (1956)with Frank Sinatra, Man Who Knew Too Much(1956) for Hitchcock, The Conqueror(1956), Soldier of Fortune (1955), Sign of the Pagan (1955),Bamboo Prison(1954)for Sam Fuller, Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), and Hondo (1953) a 3-D flick with John Wayne.
But what Father Geek remembers LEO GORDON for the most was his B-movie screenwriting. He turned out some of the real genre classics of the Drive-in era. Films like Boris Karloff's The Terror(1963), Vincent Price's Tower of London (1962), Attack of the Giant Leeches (1960), the phantastic The Wasp Woman(1960), the exceptional Cry Baby Killer(1958), and one of the all time great hot rod flicks... Hot Car Girl (1958).
This week has taken a heavy toll in Hollywood, a group of men who gave us alot to remember them for... and sadly LEO GORDON was one. Farewell Leo, you will be missed here at Geek Headquarters!
Here's a couple of the E-mails I received earlier...
Hey Guys, I just wanted to pass on some info that I originally read at the MST3K Satellite News at Their Site (actually, I received it through e-mail because I am part of the site's mailing list).
Brutish and burly character actor Leo Gordon has died. He was 78 years old. An ex-convict, he largely played villains and bad guys in five decades of westerns and television shows.
He was best known for his roles as Ed Lowe in "Hondo (1953)" and as Big Mike McComb in the TV series "Maverick." He also starred in such movies as "Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)" as Carnie, "McLintock! (1963)" as Jones, and "Tobruk (1967)" as Sgt. Krug. Younger movie viewers may remember him as Joe the Blacksmith from "Big Top Pee-Wee (1988)," and Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans may remember him from episode 406- "Attack of the Giant Leeches" and as Sgt. Enders from! episode 615- "Kitten With A Whip."
He also had many screenwriting credits to his name, including such movies as the previously mentioned "Tobruk" and "Attack of the Giant Leeches," along with episodes from such TV series as "Bonanza" and "Adam-12."
He also made many, many other various television appearances. Some of the shows that he made appearances in include "The Untouchables," "Little House on the Prairie," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Gunsmoke," The Virginian," "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "The Rifleman," and "Lassie."
-- Miracleman
Father Geek back again with another one...
[you've probably already heard about this, but just in case...]
I've never tried contributing before -- always just a visitor to the site. But I just saw on the CNN site that one of my favorite "bad guy" actors has passed on, and thought I'd forward that to you. Leo Gorden (a.k.a. Leo V. Gordon) was always a scary persona on screen -- I best remember him from the Seattle arc of the WISEGUY tv series, in which he played a mob boss who gleefully whacked people to death with his custom golf clubs.
I had no idea, until I visited the IMDB credits for him, that he was also an accomplished screenwriter (even if of only schlock). Sheesh, with Borge, Barty and Robards also going this week, how many more are we going to have to say goodbye to before we hit 2001?
call me SiDiC
