Richard Todd Passes Away

[Garry Russell]

Sad news of the passing of a long term British actor perhaps best known for playing Guy Gibson in the original Dambusters film.

Condolences to his family

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8394812.stm

Garry

[Filonian]

Second that Garry, very sad.




Graham

[Nigel H-J]

Very sad indeed, a wonderful actor.

Nigel.

[Garry Russell]

I had a few Videos back a while ago......recorded off the tele' and two I remember was one on the Nimrod and another on the Shackleton.

He narrated those

Garry

[delticbob]

Sad indeed, but he was 90.

Here http://www.dragonhelicopters.co.uk/richard-todd.html (if it works for you) is a short video of him answering some miltary based questions - if you click on the question link on the right, he will give you an answer.

Bob

[nigelb]

What a marvellous actor he was, sad to hear this news. Bob, thanks for that link - very interesting to hear his answers to those questions including the current controversy over the dog's name. I hope he is right about thinking the current generation would probably respond as his generation did to a crisis.

Nigel²

[Garry Russell]

Hi Nigel

As to the comments about the modern generation it has been shown in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the Falklands and in fact any situation the forces have been in, that the guys up front on the job give it their all..and more, despite the lack of official support and equipment they get the job done, and in a way the country can be proud of.

No doubt..there are a lot of brave personel at the ready.

If that happened today they would prevail

Garry

[markw]

Sad news, one of those actors who could play that kind of role with conviction having been there.

To reach 90 is a very good innings (and a long life well deserved, although it's sad to see it was cancer that finally caused his death).

[Jon.M]

Sad news.

I didn't know he was in the paras and dropped in Normandy on D day. I like the thought that he didn't tell anyone in the army that he was an actor for fear of being put in charge of the ENSA unit.

Jon

[hobby]

Richard Todd was a real life member of an airborne infantry unit, commanded by a Major Howard, which landed by glider adjacent to what became known as 'Pegasus' bridge in the early hours of D-Day, so he really knew what it was like to go into action. A fine example of precision night flying without engines and a great feat of airmanship by the oft forgotten NCO glider pilots.

It has been written elsewhere that most of the immediate post war actors knew how to make their military film or stage characters look realistic simply because they knew how to wear a uniform properly - they had all had to that a short time previously in real life.