UNCONFIRMED: Actor Bruce Watson, d. July 11
Chuck
someone who claims to be a step-child, actor Bruce Watson died on July
11th following a long illness. Watson has appeared on such TV shows as
"Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," and
"Charlie's Angels." He also starred in the 1975 film The Swinging
Barmaids and made appearances in films like This Property Is Condemned
(1966) and Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Can anyone confirm his death? I
can find no reports on it whatsoever.
Kris Baker
news:57fc3de0-37dc-4189...@x5g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
His imdb page reports he died in New Mexico, June (not July) 11th.
The "New Mexico" clue helped filter out extraneous common names
and leads to a blog....where several others have commented:
http://lizardcamp.blogspot.com/2009/06/in-memoranda-bruce-watson-professional.html
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
In memoriam
Bruce Watson
Professional Expendable
We lost a favorite, and our only, uncle, last week. After a long, hard
fought, and tragic struggle with mental illness, Bruce took his own life in
a horrific act of self violence. He died in his little unfinished house on
the foothills of the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque New Mexico. It
was an impulsive act in a fit of pain and rage. As such, it comes as a shock
to us few surviving relatives. The incident has created pause for a lot of
reflection. Both along the lines of what we did not do enough of, and along
the lines of what we have lost. Bruce had fascinating life and there are
aspects to it that take me in many different directions. But today I am
thinking about his life as one of Hollywood's professional expendables.
Bruce was an actor. He was a member of the actors guild and there is a huge
portion of his life that was devoted to this endeavor. Bruce, an extremely
bright and capable person, worked at odd jobs scratching out a living in
order to be available for the phone call. You know, that call from the agent
that would launch the career he really wanted. What his efforts amounted to
was a string of appearances on TV shows in which he was the expendable. That's
the person you pull up from the hull of the ship, or out of the western
town, or off the side of the road when the plot requires a sacrificial
death. Not a main character, but someone, well, expendable. As a result,
Bruce's appearances on shows were, by necessity, limited. The list is
impressive. Charlie's Angles, Bonanza, Mission Impossible, Adam 12, Mannix,
The Mod Squad, Gun Smoke, Dragnet, My Three Sons, and the one we most
treasure, Star Trek. Bruce also did voices for The Banana Splits Adventure
Hour. He had a tallent for voices, and employed this skill later on as a
professional book on tape reader. Bruce's career as an actor never took of.
It strung him along and he couldn't let go. It got ugly in the way a
horribly lopsided football game gets ugly. There is a point at which it is
painfully obvious to everyone that it isn't gona happen. Acting was Bruce's
soul. That is what he was. He could have been a success in any thing he
wanted to. Even acting, in some other venue. In Hollywood, Bruce was
expendable. Bruce's dream was expendable. It's the kind of dream you pull up
when the plot line requires a dreamer and a tragedy.
Kris Baker
news:7cm4fuF...@mid.individual.net...
> "Chuck" <trekke...@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:57fc3de0-37dc-4189...@x5g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>> http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914531/board/thread/142705962 According to
>> someone who claims to be a step-child, actor Bruce Watson died on July
>> 11th following a long illness. Watson has appeared on such TV shows as
>> "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," and
>> "Charlie's Angels." He also starred in the 1975 film The Swinging
>> Barmaids and made appearances in films like This Property Is Condemned
>> (1966) and Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Can anyone confirm his death? I
>> can find no reports on it whatsoever.
>
>
> His imdb page reports he died in New Mexico, June (not July) 11th.
I forgot to mention: that same imdb page mentions that he was the
nephew of Gene Lockhart (who was the father of June Lockhart).
Kris.
Thriceshy
> "Chuck" <trekker1al...@verizon.net> wrote in message
>
> news:57fc3de0-37dc-4189...@x5g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> >http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914531/board/thread/142705962According to
> > someone who claims to be a step-child, actor Bruce Watson died on July
> > 11th following a long illness. Watson has appeared on such TV shows as
> > "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," and
> > "Charlie's Angels." He also starred in the 1975 film The Swinging
> > Barmaids and made appearances in films like This Property Is Condemned
> > (1966) and Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Can anyone confirm his death? I
> > can find no reports on it whatsoever.
>
> His imdb page reports he died in New Mexico, June (not July) 11th.
>
> The "New Mexico" clue helped filter out extraneous common names
> and leads to a blog....where several others have commented:
>
That was painful to read.
K
Kris Baker
news:e392b002-e1c6-4d54...@g31g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
K
------------------------------------------------------
It almost reads like something someone would write for themselves.
It's sad that he couldn't attain his dream, but perhaps the mental illness
caused him to not realize what the real problem was?
Kris
Jed
<paralle...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Wednesday, June 17, 2009
>In memoriam
>Bruce Watson
>Professional Expendable
Photo from Star Trek Appearance:
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Bruce_Watson
I remember the face.
John Fartlington Poopnagle
La N
It was indeed painful to read. I believe it was written by loved ones
expressing the typical sentiments of those who have lived with and loved a
mentally ill person who has suicided - anger, frustration, love, pain,
sadness, blame - trying to make sense of it all.
- nilita
Kris Baker
news:Dsn9m.37575$PH1.14601@edtnps82...
>>
>> It's sad that he couldn't attain his dream, but perhaps the mental
>> illness
>> caused him to not realize what the real problem was?
>>
>
> It was indeed painful to read. I believe it was written by loved ones
> expressing the typical sentiments of those who have lived with and loved a
> mentally ill person who has suicided - anger, frustration, love, pain,
> sadness, blame - trying to make sense of it all.
>
> - nilita
That, and listening to the mentally ill person constantly rail on
certain subjects and disappointments.
Kris
La N
No doubt. And, of course, mental illness no doubt *did* play a major role
in his inability to achieve superstardom, or whatever it was he thought he
needed to be happy.
- nilita
BobF
<paralle...@gmail.com> magnanimously proffered:
>> It was indeed painful to read. I believe it was written by loved ones
>> expressing the typical sentiments of those who have lived with and loved a
>> mentally ill person who has suicided - anger, frustration, love, pain,
>> sadness, blame - trying to make sense of it all.
>>
>> - nilita
>
>That, and listening to the mentally ill person constantly rail on
>certain subjects and disappointments.
Amen ...
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rwalker
<perry...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Confirmed, nobody here gives a shit about Bruce "Who'm I?" Watson ...
And even less about you.
Chuck
> "Chuck" <trekker1al...@verizon.net> wrote in message
>
> news:57fc3de0-37dc-4189...@x5g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> >http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914531/board/thread/142705962According to
> > someone who claims to be a step-child, actor Bruce Watson died on July
> > 11th following a long illness. Watson has appeared on such TV shows as
> > "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," and
> > "Charlie's Angels." He also starred in the 1975 film The Swinging
> > Barmaids and made appearances in films like This Property Is Condemned
> > (1966) and Johnny Got His Gun (1971). Can anyone confirm his death? I
> > can find no reports on it whatsoever.
>
> His imdb page reports he died in New Mexico, June (not July) 11th.
>
> The "New Mexico" clue helped filter out extraneous common names
> and leads to a blog....where several others have commented:
>
Wow. That's awful. Thanks for finding and posting this.
Kris Baker
>
> Wow. That's awful. Thanks for finding and posting this.
You're welcome. But now I'm depressed.
Kris