Airplane! changed the way audiences looked at Peter Graves and Leslie Nielsen. Neither man was known for his comedic abilities before that film, and in fact, you could extend that to include Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges, as well. Graves passed away on Sunday at the age of 83; he would have been 84 later this week. He is perhaps best remembered for his starring role on the original Mission: Impossible series, and perhaps known least of all as the younger brother of another TV legend, Gunsmoke star James Arness. In all, Graves appeared in about 125 TV shows and movies in a career that spanned almost 60 years: Stalag 17, The Night of the Hunter, his later work as the host of A & E's Biography. Despite it all, when I hear that Graves had passed away, this is the scene that immediately went through my mind:
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Star Peter Graves: 1926 - 2010
