<Archive Obituary> Warren Oates (April 3rd 1982)
Bill Schenley
By Katherine Keevil
Photo: http://www.geocities.jp/yasmina1969/oates2.jpg
Veteran television and film character actor Warren Oates,
who appeared most recently in "The Border" with Jack
Nicholson, has died of an apparent heart attack, officials
said Sunday. He was 52.
Phillip Shwartzberg of the Los Angeles County Cororner's
office said Oates died Saturday afternoon after suffering
an apparent heart attack at his home in Hollywood Hills.
Robert Ewert, a batallion chief with the Los Angeles City
Fire Department, said the actor's wife, Judith, tried to reach
other agencies for help first and did not call the fire
department for some time.
When paramedics arrived an estimated three minutes
after receiving the call, Oates had been dead for "at the
very minimum an hour," Ewert said. He said attempts to
revive him were unsuccessful.
Oates' body was taken first to Forest Lawn Memorial Park,
and on Sunday was moved to the coroner's office for an
autopsy, Shwartzberg said.
Oates, who began his professional career with a role in the
television series "Have Gun, Will Travel," appeared in many
films including "In the Heat of the Night" in 1967, "The
Wild Bunch" < http://highknee.4mg.com/warrenoates.jpg >
in 1969, "Two Lane Blacktop"
< http://jamestaylorweb.com/JTgraphics/jt52.jpg >
and "The Hired Hand" in 1971, "Badlands" in 1973 and in
"The Border" this year.
He played the bad guy in many of his early appearances, but
his characters retained separate identities. "Even when I did
the heavies I stayed away from stereotypes," he said in a 1980
interview.
Oates was a rodeo rider in the television series "Stoney
Burke," < http://www.midatlantic.net/8x10/warren-oates.jpg >
made in the early 1960s. In 1980 he appeared with Kristy
McNichol and Eileen Brennan in the television movie
"My Old Man." He also made several TV pilots, including
"True Grit" and "The African Queen," in which he starred with
Mariette Hartley. Neither sold, but a movie pilot, "And Baby
Makes Six," won high ratings.
He had great respect for Ben Johnson, another character
actor known for his Western roles. The two worked together in
the movie "Dillinger" in 1973.
< http://www.outlawlegends.freeservers.com/images/jdmovie.jpg >
"I want to be like Ben Johnson," Oates said. "Not just Ben
Johnson on the screen, but Ben Johnson in every aspect of
his life. He's a straight, wonderful, natural performer. He's a
purist."
Oates was born in Depoy, Ky., in a poor coal mining area,
and moved with his family to Louisville when he was 13. Five
years later he joined the Marines and served as an airplane
mechanic for two years.
He attended the University of Louisiana and developed an
interest in acting when he joined a student theater group there.
Later he went to New York City to study acting, and moved to
Hollywood in the 1950s.
A spokesman at Forest Lawn Memorial Park said Oates' family
was expected to begin making funeral arrangements on Monday.
S.
Just like J.T.Walsh, a wonderful actor taken from us far too early.
mpoco...@aol.com
S. wrote:
> Nice.
>
> Just like J.T.Walsh, a wonderful actor taken from us far too early.
The sad thing about Warren Oates is that he was in so many great films,
and was such an interesting character actor, but will probably be best
known as the Drill Instructor in Stripes. I would guess that happens
quite often, when a great character actor with a string of credits in
critically acclaimed movies is best remembered for a throwaway role in
a big commercial hit.
deb...@comcast.net
known for one big hit. It's kinda frustrating, but better to have a hit
than none at all, I guess! Cub Koda was asked one time if he resented
being known mostly for "Smokin' in the Boys Room" & he said, "No, that
song's been good to me!" He seemed to have a good attitude about it.
I'm sure Warren Oates didn't resent "Stripes" either!
Jed
<mpoco...@aol.com> wrote:
Alec Guiness bristled at the idea that he would be remembered as Obi
Wan Kanobi(sp., whatever) by most people born after 1965.
Yanking the thread drift mercilessly back on course, it amazes me that
Oates has been gone for so long.
King Daevid MacKenzie
...Glenn Miller always said the same thing about "In the Mood." It's only
the pure-bred jerks like Artie Shaw who want to dictate what examples of
their talents the audience should appreciate them for (for decades he openly
threatened anyone who complimented him about "Begin the Beguine"). I know
Arte Johnson has been long disappointed that "Laugh-In" has typed him ever
since as a comedian at the expense of his considerable _dramatic_ talents.
But he also respects that in many ways it's the audience's dance, and
whatever brings a performer to it has legitimate value...
--
King Daevid MacKenzie, WLSU-FM 88.9 La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
http://laxradio.blogspot.com http://wpr.org/music/
http://ultimajock.blogspot.com
"Why do people take drugs anymore, when reality has become a hallucination?"
LEWIS BLACK
The Kentucky Wizard
> FROM: The Associated Press (April 4th 1982) ~
> By Katherine Keevil
>
> Photo: http://www.geocities.jp/yasmina1969/oates2.jpg
>
> Veteran television and film character actor Warren Oates,
> who appeared most recently in "The Border" with Jack
> Nicholson, has died of an apparent heart attack, officials
> said Sunday. He was 52.
>
> Oates was born in Depoy, Ky., in a poor coal mining area,
> and moved with his family to Louisville when he was 13.
<snip>
Hey K.F. Razior, If I'm not mistaken, Oates used to live down on
Washington Street, just a few houses past the old Washington Street
Warehouse. I'm sure you know where that is, or was, I can't recall if it
is even still in existence.
--
© The Wiz ®
«¤»¥«¤»¥«¤»
jizzl...@intergate.com
He would have been remembered for Two Lane Blacktop if it didnt have
such a stupid ending.
jizzl...@intergate.com
He would have been remembered for Two Lane Blacktop if it didnt have
such a stupid ending.