Paul Mazursky died yesterday June 30 at the age of 84. As a writer and director, he never ventured into genre work at all, but he was also an actor and he appeared in supporting roles in three different episodes of the original
Twilight Zone, which is always worth a mention on this blog. He was in
The Purple Testament, starring Dick York as an officer who could see a glow off of the soldiers that were about to die,
The Gift, about a humanoid alien getting a chilly reception in a small Mexican town and the best remembered work in
He's Alive, supporting Dennis Hopper as an aspiring but incompetent American Nazi leader who gets help from an unexpected corner. (Actually, once you get used to
Twilight Zone endings, it's a completely expected corner.)
It is a testament to
The Twilight Zone that it was not thought of as slumming to take a role on the show, which is in stark contrast to most of the sci-fi films of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Instead, some of the best supporting actors in the movies and many aspiring actors from Broadway were glad to have parts on Rod Serling's landmark show, Mazursky included.
Best wishes to the family and friends of Paul Mazursky, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.
Great call Prof! Not only for Mr. Mazursky, who was very talented, but the T-Zone
ReplyDeleteadmiration as well. I grew up with that show and to say it influenced me like no other would be a huge understatement! Props to you and what drives you, PH!
Thank you, Michael. Commenters like you are a big part of the reason I keep this thing going.
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