Hal Holbrook is DEAD TO ME!

The reports of his death are NOT greatly exaggerated.

That’s the night the lights went out in Georgia.

I'll take "People I thought were already dead" for $400, Alex.

now he's in heaven with Dixie

It's largely forgotten now but Holbrook (along side Martin Sheen) played the first openly gay character ever on American television in a tv-movie entitled "That Certain Summer" in the late 60s or early 70s.

And Cloris.

In the Emmy spotlight with Cicely.

damn, Cicely looks great in that picture

He’s most famous role was as Mr. Dixie Carter for several years on the DL-hated television show Designing Women. A talented actor, Holbrook fought to be seen in the show, given that Delta Burke’s ass blocked everyone else’s shots.

Hal Holbrook was in my all time favorite made for TV movie, murder by natural causes

He starred in a short run show that was part of NBC "The Bold Ones". His show was called "The Senator" (1970 - 1971) and his character was Senator Hays Stowe. There were only 8 episodes as this show rotated with other shows from "The Bold Ones".

I believe the series came out of a TV movie called "A Clear and Present Danger" (1970) which featured the character before he was a Senator.

Some clips from "The Senator".

As a young actor he first achieved public notice portraying Mark Twain. Ultimately he didn't need the makeup.

Remarkable how this latest cluster of celebrity deaths were all well into their nineties.

He was absolutely devastating as Katey Sagals father on sons of Anarchy

Larry King's going to have a lot of people to interview up there.

There are a lot more on their way to keep Larry busy in the coming year........

R14 yes, who would ever expect so many nonagenarian to die in such great numbers.

There's a difference between nonagenarians and nonagenarian celebrities, R18. But you knew that.

He was great as Barney Miller.

R2 nailed it!

He was creepy as the computer in 2001.

[quote]He starred in a short run show that was part of NBC "The Bold Ones". His show was called "The Senator" (1970 - 1971) and his character was Senator Hays Stowe.

Begging for a reboot as "The Senatrice."

Just call me Billie! Everybody does!

Here he talks about playing gay in That Certain Summer in 1972 with Martin Sheen. He said that he almost didn't do the film because he read the script and thought nothing really happened in the story and it wasn't all that interesting. But his wife told him to take the role. It was 1972, and there hadn't been a TV movie like this before.

I’ve still never seen That Certain Summer. It needs a Blu ray, which I believe The People Next Door is getting. I actually didn’t realize Holbrook and Leachman were in it. I’ve been meaning to see it, as it’s director David Greene’s follow-up to his outstanding I Start Counting (1969, Jenny Agutter), which itself just received its long, long, long overdue home video debut.

Anyway, RIP Hal. To me he’ll always be the priest in John Carpenter’s The Fog. Though I know he was so much more than that.

R10 I love that movie! One of the best twist endings ever.

In this vid the writer of That Certain Summer talks about Hal Holbrook and other issues with the 1972 movie.

Martin Sheen wanted the script changed to show the men cured of their homosexuality by the end of the movie.

Cliff Robertson was offered the role that Hal Holbrook eventually played, but he turned it down and said that he'd rather play Hitler.

Writer William Link also explains the part Barry Diller played in getting this TV movie made.

Loved him in Creepshow, but then I loved everybody in Creepshow.

This was many, many years ago, but he was the most compassionate lover I have ever had,

An actor of awesomeness. Whenever I saw his name on an upcoming TV movie of the week I knew it was going to be a good one.

"Wilma? Wilma!"

I remember him playing the ineffectual, hen-pecked dad in the TV movie "Off The Minnesota Strip" (1980).

Another dead Republican.

Has Gerald McRaney sent his condolences?

[quote] now he's in heaven with Dixie

She's like "well, Darling, you sure took your sweet time getting here."

Hal was Deep Throat in "All the President's Men"

[quote] as it’s director

Oh, dear!

[quote]Hal Holbrook is DEAD TO ME!

So young!

He met and fell in love with Dixie on the set of "The Killing of Randi Webster" which also starred a young Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Penn.

Sean personally cast Holbrook for Into the Wild, which earned him his only oscar nomination.

Dixie often joked that looking at Hal's Emmys were the closest she was going to get to one.

Hal was a huge liberal, while Dixie was a Republican.

[quote] Martin Sheen wanted the script changed to show the men cured of their homosexuality by the end of the movie.

Jesus Christ, Martin. LOL. I expect no less from a big-time Catholic, however liberal he may be.

Years later, here's what Sheen said about the movie and his part in it:

[quote] In a 2007 interview with The Dallas Voice, Sheen reminisced on what a “huge hit” the film was, and discussed the thought process behind his acceptance of the role of Gary.

[quote] “I’d robbed banks and kidnapped children and raped women and murdered people, you know, in any number of shows. Now I was going to play a gay guy and that was like considered a career ender. Oh, for Christ’s sake! What kind of culture do we live in?”

Good for him! Love his hair there. It's like there's so much of it that his scalp can barely contain it.

Aww...it comes in threes. First Cloris Leachman, Cicely Tyson...now Hal Holbrook.

R34 Holbrook was not a Republican (Dixie was), he described himself as an independent but since the Bush era was basically a Democrat and supported both Obama and Bernie in 2016.

He played the Stage Manager in a PBS production of "Our Town" and he was perfect. I don't think I ever saw anybody play that role better than him.

I was in the land of Dixie before Hal.

OP, Are you sure that's not Angela Lansbury?

That Certain Summer.

I was sitting next to Hal at a restaurant one night. He was in town doing his Mark Twain show and he was having after-dinner drinks with a friend. He told the friend, with tears in his eyes, how in love he was with his wife Dixie and how he knew he’d marry her the day he saw her. I always wanted to tell her that story and I had tickets to see her at The Rrazz Room in San Francisco. Unfortunately, she passed away and I didn't get to tell her.

Link to That Certain Summer, Martin Sheen played his lover

R51 meet R49

Has Ray Don released a statement?

,,,,

[quote]He played the Stage Manager in a PBS production of "Our Town" and he was perfect.

That's the first thing I remember seeing him in.

[quote] Begging for a reboot as "The Senatrice."

Starring Leslie Jordan as Miss Lindsey!

Was he friends with Beth Howland ???

[quote]Hal Holbrook is DEAD TO ME!

Oh Thank God!

For a minute I thought it was that cunt Barbara Bush...

[quote]Aww...it comes in threes. First Cloris Leachman, Cicely Tyson...now Hal Holbrook.

Actually, Hal Holbrook died first, on Jan. 23, but we didn't hear about it until early today.

I was lucky enough to do a show with him back in the 90s and then a brief tour. He was not only a breathtaking actor to share a stage with, he was one of the nicest actors with whom I ever worked. When friends and family came to show, he was unfailingly gracious and met them, posed for pictures (before the days of cellphones), and was consummately gracious. The tour ended in LA, where he was visited by anybody and everybody. It was a star-studded parade every night. The night the tour closed, he and Dixie gave a party for cast, crew and friends at their home in Holmby Hills. When she and Hal remodeled the house, they built a separate suite so that her father could live with them. The night of the party we all ended up sitting on the floor in her father's room, listening to him share stories about Dixie and Hal. It was a memorable, highly enjoyable evening and I am deeply saddened by Hal's passing. He was the real deal.

[quote]He played the Stage Manager in a PBS production of "Our Town" and he was perfect.

It aired on NBC in 1977. The ill-fated young lovers were played by Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor, who, the previous year, played the ill-fated young lovers in "Ode to Billy Joe."

Here are the opening credits and Hal Holbrook's opening monologue as the Stage Manager.

This miniseries is really good, if you’ve never seen it. Stars Elizabeth Montgomery, HAl, and Jane Seymour in an early role. “The Awakening Land”

Hal, not HAI. Wtf, autocorrect.

[quote] and Jane Seymour in an early role. “The Awakening Land”

Not that early. She had starred in a major Hollywood film ("Live and Let Die") five years previously.

Linda Bloodworth Thomason remembers Hal - and Dixie.

MARY!

*sobs*

Has Dixie's fancy commented?

I really enjoyed Hal Holbrook's performances in 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 (1982) and in an outstanding made-for-tv movie, 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 (1979).

The latter can be seen here:

He was fantastic and absolutely heartbreaking in Into The Wild.

I don't have anything to add, but this thread is DL at its best.

Thanks, guys

Bookmaven - that was a wonderful story! I have always loved Hal Holbrook - I so enjoyed Dixie Carter's memoir 'Trying to get into Heaven.' She told stories of her growing up in the south. She talks about her father Hal moving in with her and her husband Hal. I believe she also had a brother named Hal! I loved when he played Julia's beau Reese on Designing Women and he would refer to her as "Sassy." ...... I enjoyed so much of his work The Group, The Soprano, All the President's Men. He and Wilfred Brimley made great bad guys in

My thumb hit send. He was a great bad guy in "The Firm."

R5 That movie is available on YouTube in its entirety. I watched it sometime last year, I think.