I think his aging is more from the sun damage than anything else. Love is a many splendor things one of his greatest accomplishment.but he could not find The Greatest love all ! He was in a car accident wherein a person was killed. He also had the habit of disappearing for many days, without notice. If I ever run into any of you bums on a street corner, just lets pretend weve never met before. Didn't your mother teach you anything? His biggest contribution is towards wildlife conservation, which Stephanie Powers is managing. From then on, he made more than 50 movies; most but not all were successful, and he tried to set certain standards both for himself and for the movies in which he agreed to appear. haha. which was his last movie and by that time he, unfortunately, had aged a lot. He was regarded as cooperative with the press and with the studios where he worked, although he was on occasion suspended for refusing scripts he believed to be below his standards. The family moved to California when he was very young, and he attended public schools in Monrovia and Pasadena. Hassan If you were raised in the 1950s, you know the well-defined dating etiquette between men and woman. The years of his drinking started taking its toll on Holdens chiseled looks by the 1960s. Now I'm obsessed with him. Of the seven full baths, the master suite has a spa bathroom with Jacuzzi, sauna and his and her separate showers. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? This account has been disabled. Wish somebody had been with him when he had a fall. For his contribution to the film industry, William Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. He was obviously still becoming intoxicated from alcohol. He based his comments on an autopsy and preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Says something about him! WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -President Reagan expressed shock today over the death of Mr. Holden, who was the best man at his wedding to Nancy Davis. During the investigation of Natalie Wood's last days, I have uncovered new evidence that implicates Stephanie Powers' significant involvement in the hollywood legend's demise. (1950), for which Holden earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. I have most of his movies on my iPad but I take advantage when either TCM or Encore's western channel show one of his movies. Heartwarming and so meaningful a film!! Wow. Year should not be greater than current year. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. NASA shouldve used Billy Wilder for the Apollo landing rather than Kubrick. By the 1960s, Holdens drinking had already started to detrimentally affect his physical appearance. And he would hardly ever give anyone notice before vanishing for weeks at a time. He had everything, and didn't realize it. No matter what the world thinks you were a good actor and man. Died a sad man. But that really shouldnt be cause for any judgment. He burst onto the scene with his role in Golden Boy in 1939. VentureCapital | Corporate Services | Venture Opportunities | Resources | Contact Us | Island Extras | Home. After his discharge, there was a 17-month hiatus when he had no parts, but he then appeared in 13 movies in three years. The truth is every illegal drug could be left lying around and only those with the addiction bug are going to abuse them. God Bless you Bill. How could an actor like Wm.Holden be such an alcoholic and be able to be selected to act in so many movies. If you want to see a gripper, check him out in "Union Station" of 1950. It was then that he took the name William Holden, which he made his legal name in 1943. They spoke. WOW! This is a carousel with slides. I always loved Bill Holden in every picture he was in. Watch the movies above. So, it shouldnt really be that big of a surprise that, with numbers like those, celebrities would face the same risk of dying [] More, Inside William Holdens Frightening Final Moments, Scientists Discovered Evidence That Exposes An Ancient Lie About Woolly Mammoths, Handlers Thought This Owl Was Male For 23 Years Then He Laid An Egg, This Baby Elephant Decided To Spend His Last Days Alongside This Creature, Woman Adpots Tiny, Adorable Puppy. I read his biography, "Golden Boy"---what else?---and learned that the root cause of his drinking was guilt. His earnings on this Hollywood blockbuster not only set the standards for a new era of negotiations between the studios and actors, but also allowed him to be much more selective in his future film work. If you write screenplays that are Westerns, period pieces, serious drama--you will never get hired. You would be thrilled to know that Stef brought your conservation dreams to life by creating the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in your honor - an enormous achievement. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Agreed! We danced to that song in Picnic and then I saw the movie with Holden and Novak and it amplified those same feelings for the first time in my life. It was a shock to see just how old he really looked, 15 years beyond his actual age would be my guess. Nothing more nothing less. Interesting. ALL MATERIALS, CONTENTS, AND ARTICLES ARE THE COPYRIGHT OF DAVID LOBOSCO (unless otherwise stated). Dan, Dan, have you watched Born Yesterday where he starred with Judy Holliday and Broderick Crawford? His doc told him to quit drinking alcohol and coffee, no more advil and no more smoking. I remember his name, but a little too young to remember anything else. Glad to see so many agree what a wonderful actors, conservationist he was. Ronald Reagan was his immediate supervisor. O'Fallon, St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Several people telephoned, the majority were greeted by the answering machine. I saw the movie because I liked Betty Hutton. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Santa Monica police said Holden was discovered on the floor of his bedroom by his apartment manager and that he may have been dead several days. Will still remember Bill as the handsome, sexy guy in his prime. Then he made a comeback in 1969 with The Wild Bunch and was praised for his work in Network in 1976. Mr. Holden, 63 years old, was found dead at the apartment Monday morning by the building manager. Further examination revealed a deep gash on his forehead approximately 3 inches in length. He looked much older. I wondered about his health but he was very involved building a hunting lodge in Africa and involved with Stephanie Powers. WILLIAM HOLDEN DEAD AT 63; WON OSCAR FOR 'STALAG 17', https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/17/obituaries/william-holden-dead-at-63-won-oscar-for-stalag-17.html. I think you & your sons would really enjoy the movie if you haven't already seen it by now. I wish I knew what happened to it. He was drinking again, and coming out of his bender, but his body gave out. Great Actor.Foul play was the talk in Hollywood at time. That one critic likened it to a map of the United States. He had so many productive years ahead of him. Oh I forgot nobody in America reads anymore, I enjoy William Holden's work in everything he did. I HAVE ADMIRED HIS ACTING FOR YEARS. Still, I have a gut feeling that the truth about the death of the great star is so much stranger, darker, and more shocking. Regardless of his problems, he was human, just like the rest of us, and he portrayed a warmth seldom seen on film. A pressured young engineer/family man in Executive Suite (1954), a conflicted jet pilot in the Korean War film The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), a carefree playboy in Sabrina (1954), his most widely recognized role as an ill-fated prisoner in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with Alec Guinness, a World War II tug boat captain in The Key (1958), and an American Civil War military surgeon in John Fords The Horse Soldiers(1959) opposite John Wayne. Many of the characters he played were very easy to fall in love with. William Holden; his death was NO accident. Please try again later. For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. The robe was folded back and beneath the body, with the right arm placed through the sleeve, and the left arm wadded up and beneath the body, suggesting that he may have been attempting to dress himself. The great and the splendid have all passed (except for Doris) and we are left with the dregs! Holden and his wife separated in 1963 and were later divorced. By the early to mid-1950s, he was starring in one hit film after another such as Sunset Boulevard in 1950, The Country Girl in 1954, and Picnic in 1955. He was enormously talented. He followed these roles up by playing a cynical military sergeant in the Oscar-winning 1953 film Stalag 17. Hassan His fellow prisoners dislike him because he is a hustler looking out for himself, but he plays a crucial role in the prison camp escape at the end. This was all BEFORE his brother was killed. agree with Gary R One of my favorite was the I Love Lucy show in 1955. he looked terrible, he had aged a lot. Very good flick. He was such a talented actor and appeared to have all of the trappings of success. I sure wish that people who have that damnable disease of alcoholism could see the way they change under the influence - perhaps they might realize that it certainly doesn't add anything to their demeanor or looks. Taking a drink in your 80s is much better than the alternative. It has to be manufactured. Mr. Holden was separated in 1963 from his wife, with whom he had two sons, Peter and Scott; they were later divorced. I truly believe that he aged due to the sun and cigarette smoking. I think this resulted in great on screen chemistry. No need to make any drugs illegal when people learn what they have to offer them. It would be very exciting and great for the followers of my Podcast if I could interview about William Holden and post it on the podcast and YouTube. The movie was released last July. William Holden is my favorite actor. Holden called Santa Monica, California his home in 1981. It was just a dance omg ..I think the pictures today with over the top sex scenes just don't get it. Are you ready to be a guest on the show? I'll watch him every chance I get. William Holden, whose handsome face and easy, masculine manner made him the quintessential American in many movies, was found dead Monday morning in his apartment in Santa Monica. The will ordered that most of his estate be shared among. Sometimes I wonder what his life would have been like if Audrey Hepburn was apathetic about having children. Holden had dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. '', Mr. Holden also had the gift of a light touch, which was displayed in such films as ''Born Yesterday'' and ''The Moon Is Blue.'' When he wanted to be left alone to drink, he made it known that he wanted to be alone. He invested in hotels in Africa, where he said he was happiest. Errol Flynn aged horribly and was unrecognizable when he died. Hey Dan,Do yourself a favour and check out The Country Girl from the same era. He was an enigma; men wanted to emulate him and women wanted to copy and paste him into their lives. Both destroyed themselves with alcohol and died early & painful deaths. I find it both sad and very odd that it was the building manager who was the first to be concerned about his absence and investigate. On the scene they found an empty vodka bottle in the trash can, along with 4 beer bottles and a partially full bottle of vodka on the kitchen sink. He did great work with his African Reserve and it seemed like his life was coming together before his tragic death. I know your comments above were posted a year ago, but if you haven't seen it yet you should. The penthouse apartment that William Holden was living in when he died. Who gives a fuck if he drank the world. He had suffered from alcoholism for decades before slipping and falling while changing his clothes and hitting his head on a nightstand. Astute people can see the sadness seeping through. and The World of Suzie Wong. Holden's immersion in local theater in the 1980s was particularly surprising because he was the son of legendary actor, William Holden. Thanks for writing in. I recently watched in an interview on TCM and to this day she speaks highly of his acting, and his strengths as a good and loving man and partner. He really was great in "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" ! His brother fought and died in WW2 as a fighter pilot showing his great qualities too. In 1980, Holden appeared in The Earthling with popular child actor Ricky Schroder, playing a loner dying of cancer who goes to the Australian outback to end his days, meets a young boy whose parents have been killed in an accident, and teaches him how to survive. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. I to am a child of the sixties and agree with your well worded assessment, I think with the way things are in the world today makes yearning for movies that reflect simpler, slower, and less stressfull times. Oops, we were unable to send the email. The Penthouse, a spacious 11,000 square feet, is perched high above Ocean Avenue affording panoramic views of the ocean, city and mountains. Holden's apartment was on the fourth floor, number 43. January 27, 2023, 7:28 pm, by Many of the old timers had more talent and natural good looks. William Holden, the building on Ocean Avenue A penthouse with ties to William Holden, the late award-winning actor, is being marketed for sale for $15 million. I have always been a big fan of Wiliam Holden. Few people recall that today. I ALWAYS thought he was a terrific actor.When I first saw him on the screen in 1957 I liked him. I've read that Bill Holden had an apartment in Hong Kong as well as one in CA. While in high school and junior college, Holden immersed himself in sports. He was one of the handsomest men on the screen, be it black and white and color. Apartment for Peggy: Directed by George Seaton. He was unparalleled and I miss him. Bill carried those traits in his heart but could only translate them through the characters he played on screen. '', Eight months after his marriage to the actress Brenda Marshall in 1941, Mr. Holden enlisted in the Army Air Forces; he served more than three years. Holden, who regularly dated his leading ladies did not have that connection with Novak and that made this dance scene even more undesirable to him. Facts Verse Yes! The thought was, he'd emerge in a week or so sober and ready to work like had happened so many times before. I would guess its probable and plausible because he was not only thought to be a CIA asset as he travelled the Earth constantly but he also was in an officer in the Screen Actors Guild while Reagan served as President of that Union and maybe he knew something that the powers-that-be didnt want to chance getting out. Drag images here or select from your computer for William Holden memorial. Holden, tired and sarcastic, doesnt want to be anyones hero. Loose lips sink ships, and it wil alsol get you killed." I don't pay much attention to Hollywood rumors factual or otherwise. He was unparalleled; excellent actor.I too, miss him.