Richard Chamberlain died 2 days before he would have turned 91 on March 31st. I don’t know why but I just feel so very sad that he died even though he lived a nice long life ( unlike Val Kilmer, who just passed at only 65 from pneumonia but was dealing with Cancer for years although, I think, he was in remission). I think it’s because I had a crush on him when he became the King of the Miniseries back in the early 1980s. Strangely, I never saw him in his iconic TV series, “Dr. Kildare” when women, all over the U. S. And Canada swooned over the handsome actor, but, one day, I will watch some episodes. I also love him in the Musketeer films that were so much fun and star filled( I consider these Musketeer films the best). I am talking about his miniseries roles and tv movies that I love…
1. SHOGUN-1980
This miniseries made Chamberlain a megastar after his Dr. Kildare series. The miniseries became a force since this show was on regular TV( yes, regular, no cable). He plays the Captain of a ship that became shipwrecked near feudal Japan and becomes embroiled in the war between 2 lords, one played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune, and does his best to keep the peace while falling in love with a Japanese woman which is just not allowed. It is being remade now and getting huge accolades but this was the first.
2. THE THORNBIRDS-1983
This is an excellent miniseries with the legendary Barbara Stanwyck as a grande dame who owns a very large sheep ranch. Her brother and his family come to help run the ranch and this is when we meet a very young Maggie who doesn’t get much love from her mom, played by Jean Simmons. Maggie is so happy to meet and become friends with the priest, played by Chamberlain. When, one New Year’s, she comes down the stairs, the priest has some very impure thoughts. Over the years, we see how their love for each other grows and grows culminating on a hot and heavy week on a beach. This mini series created a huge stir over at the Vatican that condemned this series for its depiction of a priest who dares fall in love and have sex with a woman( all altar boys were safe with this priest). It’s such a well acted series and remains faithful to the book which I did read, many moons ago.
3. WALLENBERG: A HERO’S STORY-1985
When I watched this mini-series based on the heroism of this Swedish diplomat and a man with royal lineage, I had no idea who Wallenberg was. After watching this excellent tv movie ( thank God all the different cable channels and streaming didn’t exist) I had to learn more about Raoul Wallenberg and was sad to know that he was 5ake n by the Russians and ended up in one of their prisons. This man, working at the Swedish embassy, was able to save thousands of Jewish people during WW2 only to be treated in such abhorrent manner by the Russian government. The Russians took this man, placed him in prison until he died never admitting they took this hero.
4. THE BOURNE IDENTITY-1988
Who thought Matt Damon played the first Jason Bourne? Well, you are incorrect because Richard Chamberlain played him first and, I think, he does a really good job as the amnesiac assassin who is trying to find out who he is with the help of the beautiful Jacklyn Smith. Of course, the Damon films have a much bigger budget with great effects not to mention, car chases but this is an under-rated gem, in my humble opinion which held my attention all the way through.
Any Chamberlain films you can think of? What about Val Kilmer?
The third one I haven't seen.
ReplyDeleteYeah, some people you think will live forever. Sad when Betty White died, but she lived a very full and active life.
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThanks for highlighting the career of the fine actor Richard Chamberlain who passed away a few days ago in addition to Val Kilmer. I enjoyed the latter in Top Gun (1986), in the role of iconic glam rock star Jim Morrison in the Oliver Stone film The Doors (1991) and paired with the beautiful Mira Sorvino and playing a blind man in At First Sight (1999).
In my youth, I watched some episodes of Richard Chamberlain's TV series Dr. Kildare, but was more interested in another medical series, Ben Casey, starring Vince Edwards. it's interesting that Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey both premiered in the fall of 1961 and ran five seasons before being canceled in 1966. In the role of Dr. Kildare, Richard Chamberlain was referred to as “every mother’s dream, and every girl’s desire.” In a side by side comparison, Kildare got higher ratings than Casey and produced and aired 38 more episodes.
I watched and enjoyed the first two Richard Chamberlain miniseries, Shogun and Thornbirds, when they were originally broadcast. I have always been in awe of Barbara Stanwyck for being so utterly convincing in her roles as strong women. In the mid to late 1960s, as you might recall, Barbara owned another ranch as the star of the Western TV series The Big Valley. Barbara stirred controversy at the time for refusing to portray her character as a fragile female. As was the case with the two "dueling" doctor shows I mentioned, ABC's The Big Valley ran during roughly the same time span as another Western series set on a ranch, NBC's The High Chaparral. Do you remember all these series of the 1960s and early 70s? I have not yet seen Wallenberg or Bourne Identity, but they both look gripping.
Thanks again for remembering Richard Chamberlain and Val Kilmer, two accomplished actors who made significant contributions to screen and television. Take good care of yourself and my buddy Harley until we reconnect at the end of the month, dear friend BB!
Hi Birgit…I just adored Richard Chamberlain and remember having posters of him on my bedroom walls…I enjoyed everything he did and watched shogun again not long ago….a sad loss xxx
ReplyDeleteI loved Val Kilmer in "Tombstone." IMO, he was, hands down, the best Doc Holliday in film. Also liked him in "Top Gun" (that's probably predictable, right) and I thought he was okay as Batman. Sure, he was no Michael Keaon, but he was no George Clooney, either (in fact I would prefer Adam West over Clooney).
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you're curious about the whole "BCE/CE" thing (especially my opinion of it), here's the link to the column I wrote:
ReplyDeletehttps://penwasser.blogspot.com/2021/12/
The link contains several posts, but the one specifically about the aforementioned nonsense is called "What's In a Name?"
The more I think of it, the more I think the fact a lot of people call it "BCE/CE" may be just an American thing.
If that's the case, it's as every bit as silly as "Gulf of America."
The Thornbirds have been on my list FOREVER because of Barbara Stanwyck, but I still haven't watched it. @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
My wife really liked Chamberlain since she saw Thornbirds when she was still living in Ecuador. I can't really name off his roles as he was an actor that I knew about but didn't really pay much attention to.
ReplyDeleteKilmer was good. I recall liking Salton Sea and The Doors. He left a good body of work I guess.
Lee
My mother loved him and The Thorn Birds. I hope she was there to greet him when he passed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Chamberlain, I think of The Slipper and the Rose. I think that's my favorite of his. I did like Shogun (and will one of these days watch the new one, but not yet).
Val Kilmer? Real Genius has been on my mind since I heard of his passing. I may have to find where it's streaming this weekend to watch in tribute.
Hi Birgit!
ReplyDeleteThough he had some measured success in films TV fit Chamberlain's personality much better (strange how that works, a very few can move seamlessly between-Angela Lansbury and Barbara Stanwyck come to mind-but most performers impact is usually suited to one medium more than the other.
Long ago I saw a few isolated episodes of Dr. Kildare but my main TV memory of him is as a titan of the miniseries (along with Peter Strauss).
Of the ones you named I like everyone else LIVED for "The Thornbirds" when it ran (loved the book!) but the spotlight performances there were Missy Stanwyck and Jean Simmons.
I saw bits and pieces of "Shogun" but it was such a huge commitment of time and I was working crazy hours at the time so I never got into it.
I somehow missed the other two when they ran and I've been chasing "The Bourne Identity" for years, I'd love to compare it to the Matt Damon version.
When I think of him first thing that comes to mind is his weaselly son-in-law in "The Towering Inferno" (married to one of the Queens of minis and TV movies-Susan Blakely). Love that film and he was properly hissable in it.
He was fun in The Three/Four Musketeers but the other film that came to mind is 1976's "The Slipper and the Rose" (a version of Cinderella of course) that I saw at Radio City Music Hall as part of their Christmas show (yes with the Rockettes!!!) on its original release.
My last is a television film for 1974 with a cast of rising stars at the time and Chamberlain the biggest name at the time-"The Last of the Belles" based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story. His costars were Susan Sarandon, Blythe Danner, James Naughton and Brooke Adams, unsurprisingly it was beautifully performed.
I can relate to how some performer's passing hit you harder than others. I think it's about, at least somewhat, where you encountered them in your life. It's always sad to see favorites go but Golden Age stars such as Cary Grant, Garbo or Ida Lupino were from a previous time so there was that remove but someone that you watched growing up while they were adults they still were young so that is going affect you in a different way. The double whammy of Raquel Welch and Stella Stevens in early 2023 hit me really hard, particularly Raquel since I knew Stella had been ill.
Chamberlain's version of The Bourne Identity is quite different from the Matt Damon version. If you ever read the book, Chamberlain's version is a mostly faithful retelling of it, while Matt Damon's Bourne Identity is a very loose one - more of an "inspired by" rather than an actual retelling of the book's story. And Matt Damon's sequels have nearly nothing to do with the novels at all. Not that that's a hit on them - they're entertaining movies, but with little (first movie) to nothing (sequels) do do with the novels.
DeleteIf you get a chance to see Chamerlain's version of The Bourne Identity, it's made-for-TV production values are a limitation, but his portrayal of the character as a much more fragile and mortal character lend it a great deal of depth.
I pasted this here because it makes it easier for you. Like I promised, I did a little research…Boudicca's daughters were reportedly raped by Roman soldiers, which was one of the key events that incited Boudicca's rebellion against the Romans. While popular tradition suggests they fought alongside their mother and died in battle, some accounts indicate they may have been sent away to safety before the conflict.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any of these but I loved the Shogun remake that aired on FX last year. It was so great.
ReplyDeleteIronically, I just began rewatching his 1980 version of Shogun, just a couple of days before he died, which is an odd coincidence. I want to finish it before I watch the remake.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to hear he died. He was a fantastic actor. I know what you mean about it hitting you, even though he led a long and fulfilling life/career. It's difficult to see the icons of our younger days, falling away like this.
There are two more DVD's for me to watch, but I think the last one is Special Features, so I'm nearing the last episode. It may have been 1980, but the production values are simply amazing, as is the acting from all involved.
I did not know Richard Chamberlain played Jason Bourne. Who'd a thought. I admit to being a faithful watcher of Dr. Kildare:)
ReplyDeleteHave a pain free day. Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Oh dear, I hadn't heard the news of Richard passing but gracious he lived a long life! I remember watching Shogun and The Thorn Bird but honestly I can't recall too much about the movies. I thought he was a handsome fella back in the day. I was really surprised to learn that he was played Jason Bourne, though. Thanks for sharing this little tidbit. I had no idea the one with Matt Damon was remake. Have a good week! xo
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. People die -- it's part of life, but it always makes us pause and consider reality when they're someone we care about/feel connected to. I think that's intentional, so we have regularly moments of reflection to make sure our lives are on track -- something of value.
ReplyDeleteSad to hear about how horrific Wallenberg was treated.
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com