Albert Popwell - AP report

[Matthew Kruk]

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Character actor Albert ``Poppy'' Popwell, who
played various thugs in Clint Eastwood's ``Dirty Harry'' films, died
April 9 of complications from open-heart surgery. He was 72.
Popwell appeared as heavies in ``Dirty Harry'' and its sequels
``Magnum Force'' and ``The Enforcer'' before graduating to a police
detective in the series' fourth installment ``Sudden Impact.''
Eastwood, as Dirty Harry, trained his magnum on Popwell's
character and challenged him to ``Go ahead, make my day.''
Popwell's career in entertainment spanned six decades on the
stage and in film. The New York City native grew up during the Harlem
Renaissance and danced in Broadway shows as a teen-ager.
Popwell also had roles in the films ``Cleopatra Jones,''
``Coogan's Bluff'' and ``The Buddy Holly Story.'' He made appearances
on such TV series as ``The A-Team,'' ``Wonder Woman,'' and ``Night
Gallery.''

[DESSCRIBE1]

I'm curious about AP's claim that Popwell was the target of Eastwood's "make my
day" line--that came in "Sudden Impact," and they state that in that one
Popwell was playing a detective, not a criminal. (Also, I haven't seen the
movie in years, but I seem to recall that Eastwood made that comment to a
younger, white thug.)

I do vividly remember Popwell's role in "Magnum Force," as the pimp who kills
Margaret Avery and later becomes the victim of the vigilante squad.

Erich

Below is his filmography from the IMDB.

Actor filmography
(1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s)

1.Scissors (1991) (uncredited) .... Officer
2.Wild at Heart (1990) (scenes deleted) .... Barkeeper at Zanzibar

3.Siege of Firebase Gloria, The (1989) .... Jones
4.Who's That Girl? (1987) .... Parole Chairman
5.Sudden Impact (1983) .... Horace King
6.Sister, Sister (1982) (TV) .... The Drunk

7.Buddy Holly Story, The (1978) .... Eddie Foster
8.Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid (1977) (TV)
... aka Ghetto Child (1977) (TV)
9.Enforcer, The (1976) .... Mustapha
10.Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975) .... Matthew Johnson
... aka Nu jin gang dou kuang long nu (1975) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
11.Columbo: A Friend in Deed (1974) (TV) .... Al Como
12.Lost in the Stars (1974)
13.Magnum Force (1973) .... Pimp
14.Cleopatra Jones (1973) .... Matthew
... aka Cleopatra Jones (1973)
15.Charley Varrick (1973) .... Randolph
16.Single Girls, The (1973) .... Morris
... aka Bloody Friday (1973)
... aka Private School (1973)
17.Fuzz (1972) .... Lewis
18.Probe (1972) (TV) .... Griffin
... aka Search (1972) (TV)
19.Dirty Harry (1971) (uncredited) .... Bank Robber
20.Peace Killers, The (1971) .... Blackjack

21.McCloud: Who Killed Miss U.S.A.? (1969) (TV) .... Guard
22.Coogan's Bluff (1968) .... Wonderful Digby
23.Journey to Shiloh (1968) .... Samuel

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filmography as: Actor, Notable TV guest appearances
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notable TV guest appearances

1."A-Team, The" (1983) playing "Digger" in episode: "Out-of-Towners, The"
(episode # 1.8) 3/15/1983
2."Wonder Woman" (1976) in episode: "Deadly Dolphin, The" (episode # 3.8)
12/1/1978
3."Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The" (1977) playing "Keino" in episode:
"Mystery Of The African Safari, The" (episode # 2.6) 10/16/1977
4."Emergency!" (1972) in episode: "905-Wild" (episode # 4.23) 3/1/1975
5."Streets of San Francisco, The" (1972) playing "Nappy" in episode: "Poisoned
Snow" (episode # 4.1) 1975
6."Night Gallery" (1970) playing "Sergeant Imo" in episode: "Logoda's Heads"
(episode # 2.42) 12/29/1971
7."Night Gallery" (1970) playing "Reporter" in episode: "Nature of the Enemy,
The" (episode # 1.5) 12/23/1970
8."Cowboy in Africa" (1967/II) in episode: "Lake Sinclair" (episode # 1.10)
11/13/1967

[G I L L I G A N]

Popwell was the driver of the getaway car when Eastwood was across the
street getting a hotdog
at a diner. Clint walked up to him and said he didn't know how many bullets
were left in the gun and did he (Popwell) feel lucky?

Popwell asked (in jive talk) 'Hey, I gots to know?'
Clint points the gun at him, smiles, and click and empty round.

DESSCRIBE1 wrote in message
<19990418230146...@ng-ft1.aol.com>...

[DESSCRIBE1]

>Popwell was the driver of the getaway car when Eastwood was across the
>street getting a hotdog
>at a diner. Clint walked up to him and said he didn't know how many bullets
>were left in the gun and did he (Popwell) feel lucky?
>
>Popwell asked (in jive talk) 'Hey, I gots to know?'
>Clint points the gun at him, smiles, and click and empty round.

Okay, so the AP got it wrong when they mentioned the "make my day"...different
movie, different threat, but Popwell was still the recipient of one of Dirty
Harry's most famous lines.

Erich