Celebrity Death: Richard Chamberlain at 90 years old

[Jussi]

Richard Chamberlain, Dr Kildare and Shogun, dies aged 90

Chamberlain earned the title "king of the mini-series" for his leading roles in Shogun and The Thorn Birds.

www.bbc.com

Richard Chamberlain, TV’s Dr. Kildare, ‘Shogun,’ ‘Thorn Birds’ Star, Dies at 90

Richard Chamberlain, star of TV's 'Dr. Kildare,” 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds,' has died. He was 90.

variety.com

"Shogun" and "The Thorn Birds" were shown on Finnish tv in the early 80's and I have only vague memories from the former, some more from the the latter.

I remember the 1973 film "The Three Musketeers" better as it aired on tv here in the mid-to-late 80's and I enjoyed that very much.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Most familiar with him from The Towering Inferno and The Swarm

RIP

 

[Osprey]

Other than the aforementioned, I recognize him from King Solomon's Mines and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, his two failed Indiana Jones rip-offs. I barely remember watching them, but really remember seeing their VHS boxes at the rental stores.

 

[Nakatomi]

Richard Chamberlain, Dr Kildare and Shogun, dies aged 90

Chamberlain earned the title "king of the mini-series" for his leading roles in Shogun and The Thorn Birds.

www.bbc.com

Richard Chamberlain, TV’s Dr. Kildare, ‘Shogun,’ ‘Thorn Birds’ Star, Dies at 90

Richard Chamberlain, star of TV's 'Dr. Kildare,” 'Shogun' and 'The Thorn Birds,' has died. He was 90.

variety.com

"Shogun" and "The Thorn Birds" were shown on Finnish tv in the early 80's and I have only vague memories from the former, some more from the the latter.

I remember the 1973 film "The Three Musketeers" better as it aired on tv here in the mid-to-late 80's and I enjoyed that very much.

I may need to bump up his Shogun higher on the to-watch list.

 

[Jussi]

I may need to bump up his Shogun higher on the to-watch list.

I've heard it doesn't quite stand the test of time. IIRC the Japanese language parts weren't even translated.

 

[Nakatomi]

I've heard it doesn't quite stand the test of time. IIRC the Japanese language parts weren't even translated.

Interesting. Pretty rave reviews on IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/reviews/?ref_

I've watched worse, I am sure.

 

[Jussi]

Interesting. Pretty rave reviews on IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/reviews/?ref_

I've watched worse, I am sure.

Most , if not all, of those are before the new one.

 

[Nakatomi]

Most , if not all, of those are before the new one.

1. I am not sure why that would be relevant. A remake being better does not seem like it would take away from the original telling. It is possible to prefer one but enjoy both, no?

2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/reviews/?ref_=&sort=submission_date,desc
Sorted by most recent, I scrolled the first 10 and only one score was below 8/10. Though the 11th is a 1 start review complain about the subtitles.

3. A quick google tells me the lack of subtitles of the Japanese was a purposeful directorial choice in the original so the audience feels just as lost as the main (western) character and that more is translated/shared by a narrator as the story progresses and the protagonist learns some Japanese. Seems reasonable enough to me.

 

[Jussi]

1. I am not sure why that would be relevant. A remake being better does not seem like it would take away from the original telling. It is possible to prefer one but enjoy both, no?

2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080274/reviews/?ref_=&sort=submission_date,desc
Sorted by most recent, I scrolled the first 10 and only one score was below 8/10. Though the 11th is a 1 start review complain about the subtitles.

3. A quick google tells me the lack of subtitles of the Japanese was a purposeful directorial choice in the original so the audience feels just as lost as the main (western) character and that more is translated/shared by a narrator as the story progresses and the protagonist learns some Japanese. Seems reasonable enough to me.

By outdated, I meant that in some clips that have been shown of the original, it's clear they shot indoors in a studio, just based on the lighting. It sort of sticks out.

 

[kihei]

I think the first Hamlet that I ever saw in any form was a two-hour TV adaptation of the play that starred Chamberlain, this, if memory serves, just after he left his very successful TV series Dr. Kildare. Somewhat surprisingly, he was an excellent Hamlet, playing him as a privileged young prince of the realm suddenly thrown into deep water. He had help from a great cast that included Michael Redgrave, John Gielgud and Richard Johnson. But he certainly wasn't the least overshadowed by the august company.

In addition to one of his most famous turns in The Three Musketeers, I also really liked his performances in Peter Weir's The Last Wave and his evil turn in Richard Lester's highly problematic Petulia. He had a lot more range than most critics wanted to admit.