News
Dabney Coleman, Actor Who Specialized In Curmudgeons, Dies At 92
NEW YORK — Dabney Coleman, the mustachioed character actor who played smarmy villains like the chauvinist boss in “9 to 5” and the cruel TV director in “Tootsie,” has died. He was 92.
Coleman died Thursday at his Santa Monica home, according to his daughter, Quincy Coleman, who spoke with The Associated Press. She stated that he “took his last earthly breath peacefully and exquisitely.”
“The great Dabney Coleman developed, or defined, in a unique way, an archetype as a character actor. “He was so good at what he did that it’s difficult to imagine movies and television in the last 40 years without him,” Ben Stiller wrote on X.
Dabney Coleman: Image CBS
Dabney Coleman, Actor Who Specialized In Curmudgeons, Dies At 92
Coleman worked as a talented but underappreciated actor in films and television shows for two decades. That changed dramatically in 1976 when he was cast as the incorrigibly corrupt mayor of Fernwood’s Hamlet in “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” a satire soap opera so outrageous that no network would air it.
Producer Norman Lear was ultimately able to syndicate the show, which starred Louise Lasser in the titular character. It rapidly became a cult favorite. Coleman’s role, Mayor Merle Jeeter, was particularly popular, and film and television executives noted his brilliant, humorous deadpan delivery.
Coleman, a six-footer with an enormous black mustache, went on to make his mark in other blockbuster films, including roles as a stressed-out computer scientist in “War Games,” Tom Hanks’ father in “You’ve Got Mail,” and a firefighting official in “The Towering Inferno.
He received a Golden Globe for “The Slap Maxwell Story” and an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in Peter Levin’s 1987 small-screen legal thriller “Sworn to Silence.” Some of his most recent credits include “Ray Donovan” and a regular part in “Boardwalk Empire,” for which he received two Screen Actors Guild Awards
In the revolutionary 1980 smash “9 to 5,” he played the “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” employer who harassed his underappreciated female subordinates — Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton — until they turned the tables on him.
In 1981, he played Fonda’s kind, well-mannered lover, who asked her father (played by her real-life father, Henry Fonda) whether he could sleep with her during a visit to her parents’ holiday house in “On Golden Pond.”
In Tootsie, opposite Dustin Hoffman, Coleman played the unpleasant director of a daytime soap opera that Hoffman’s character joins by pretending to be female. Coleman’s other films included North Dallas Forty, Cloak and Dagger, Dragnet, Meet the Applegates, Inspector Gadget, and Stuart Little. He reconnected with Hoffman as a land developer in Brad Silberling’s Moonlight Mile, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Coleman’s arrogant roles didn’t transition so well to television, where he appeared in a few network comedies. Although some became cult favorites, just one lasted more than two seasons, and some critics questioned if a show with a lead character with no redeeming characteristics could appeal to a large audience.
“Buffalo Bill” (1983-84) was an excellent example. Coleman played “Buffalo Bill” Bittinger, the smarmy, arrogant, dimwitted daytime talk show presenter who, dissatisfied with his relegation to the small-time market of Buffalo, New York, takes it out on everyone else. Despite being cleverly written and containing a strong ensemble cast, it only lasted two seasons.
Another was 1987’s “The Slap Maxwell Story,” in which Coleman played an unsuccessful small-town columnist attempting to repair his marriage while also wooing a gorgeous young reporter.
Dabney Coleman: Image CBS
Dabney Coleman, Actor Who Specialized In Curmudgeons, Dies At 92
Other failed attempts to get a large TV audience were “Apple Pie,” “Drexell’s Class” (in which he portrayed an inside trader), and “Madman of the People,” a newspaper show in which he clashed with his younger employer, who was also his daughter.
He performed better in a co-starring role in The Guardian (2001-2004), when he played the father of a corrupt lawyer. He also liked his part as Principal Prickly in the Disney cartoon series Recess from 1997 to 2003.
Underneath all the bravado was a quiet individual. Coleman stated he was quite shy. “I’ve been shy my whole life. Perhaps it derives from being the last of four gorgeous children, including a sibling who resembled Tyrone Power. “Maybe it’s because my father died when I was four,” he told the Associated Press in 1984. “I was incredibly little, a little man there, the youngster who never caused trouble. I was drawn to fantasy; therefore, I made games for myself.”
As he grew older, he began to leave his stamp on pompous authority figures, most notably in 1998’s “My Date With the President’s Daughter,” in which he played not only an egotistical, self-absorbed president of the United States but also a dumb father to a teenage girl.
Dabney Coleman—his real name—was born in 1932 in Austin, Texas. After two years at the Virginia Military Academy, two at the University of Texas, and two in the Army, he was a 26-year-old law student when he met Zachry Scott, an Austin resident who appeared in “Mildred Pierce” and other films.
Dabney Coleman: Image AP
Dabney Coleman, Actor Who Specialized In Curmudgeons, Dies At 92
“He was the most vibrant guy I had ever met. He convinced me to become an actress, and I went to study in New York the next day. “He didn’t think that was very wise, but I made my decision,” Coleman told The Associated Press in 1984
Early credits include television shows like Ben Casey, Dr Kildare, The Outer Limits, Bonanza, The Mod Squad, and The Towering Inferno. He made his Broadway debut in 1961 with the play A Call on Kuprin. He played Kevin Costner’s father in the film Yellowstone.
The four children Coleman had—Meghan, Kelly, Randy, and Quincy—as well as his grandchildren Hale and Gabe Torrance, Luie Freundl, and Kai and Coleman Biancaniello—survived him. Coleman had two divorces.
“My father crafted his time here on earth with a curious mind, a generous heart, and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” Quincy Coleman wrote in his memory.
SOURCE – (AP)
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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