Brian Keith

[tiffsboys4]

I loved to watch Brian Keith in Family Affair when I was a child. He took hiw own life by gunshot on June 24, 1997.

[JeffD]

He had terminal cancer and chose to bail rather than suffer.

[tiffsboys4]

I think I read that he was also deppressed over his daughters death. I think it was lung cancer that he was facing.

[JeffD]

yep, from smoking

[b57hrle]

I remembered him from Hardcastle and McCormick... was shocked when I heard he killed himself

[Darrianne]

Does anyone remember that short lived sitcom called "Heartland" that he was on in the mid 80's? His daughter, Daisy, was on that show too. I think it was only on one season. She was really pretty. It was a little cheesy but I liked it. I didn't realize at the time that she was his daughter, though.

[kelbons]

He was also the dad in the original "Parent Trap." I still love that one!

[Darrianne]

He had terminal cancer and chose to bail rather than suffer.

That was so sad but after watching many of my family members suffer and die with cancer, I can certainly see why he would choose to end his own life.

[Snoopy]

I believe his daughter also was diagnosed with cancer before him and committed suicide herslef then he being depressed and suffering decided that was the answer for him too very sad.

[Rebekah]

I really liked him and Maureen O'Hara together in The Parent Trap made
in 1961.

[RoRo]

I loved him on Family Affair...he was so wonderful. I can totally understand his wanting to go fast and not suffer...I work with the elderly and have told my friends if I ever get Alzheimers I'm outta here while I can still think

[ST Moron]

I remembered him from Hardcastle and McCormick... was shocked when I heard he killed himself

I really liked that show as a young kid. There's a miniature Cody Coyote perched on top of my monitor.

I, too, was surprised to hear about the manner of his death. He always struck me as one of those actors who'd be around forever. I thought he'd be the last guy on earth to top himself.

He's also one of the few actors I wouldn't mind spending a day with. And I loved those Hawaiian shirts he wore on Hardcastle and McCormick.

[smt]

i think his daughter committed suicide also. Very sad, i loved him in the Parent Trap

[RaRaRamona]

That is really sad. Did he have anyone left in his life?

[imogene schlogenwockle]

I liked Brian Keith too and loved Family Affair but can't believe what has happened to the cast. Anissa Jones dead of OD, Johnny Whitaker a weirdo, Kathy Garver a bitch.

[ParrothedKay]

He had a Hawaiian born wife, I believe they met on the set of his mid-70s show "the Little People" also called "the Brian Keith Show" in which he played a pediatrician on the Island. I seem to recall other children in addition to Daisy. A visit to IMDb is in order to make sure!

Kay

[GiantBryan]

His stepmother jumped from the Hollywood sign
Peg Entwistle

[Guest]

According to wikipedia he killed himself 2 months after his daugther killed herself. I always thought he was very good looking. His daughter Daisy was georgoeus. Here is a website for him with a picture of Daisy
http://www.briankeith.com/daisy.html

[Wallybird]

Yes, I too always loved Brian Keith. I remember watching "Family Affair" since before I could walk. Then for so many years I didn't see it, until TV land aired it in 1998. It is so nice to rediscover a childhood joy. I still love that show. Partly because I'm an avid fan of 60's-70's TV(as well as that time period in general), and partly because of Brian Keith. It really hurt me when he took his life. It was a lot like seeing a lifelong friend of the family die. In addition to Brian Keith, the passing of Bill Bixby and Charles Bronson had this effect on me as well. Great actors and complete gentlemen in real life.

Brian, you may be gone, but never forgotten.......

[choff]

F/X showed Family Affair when they first went on the air. That was the first time I saw it.

Keith was also in a very early episode, could have been the first one of the Fugitve with David Jansen playing a hard drinking man who abused his wife and son.

[JestersKiss]

[Elizabeth]

I can't read the words "Brian Keith" without hearing Johnny Whitaker saying "Un-co Bee-yo"...

Talented man....he is missed.....

[Sampiro]

I've read he also was depressed over financial problems. He supposedly lost a lot of money in the dotcom burst and other 90's speculations. His widow still lives in a beach house in Malibu, so apparently it wasn't that bad (or else he had a ton of life insurance).

Always seemed like a guy you'd like to know. Johnny Whitaker told a story about calling him on his death bed and saying "Hey Brian, this is Johnny?" and hearing a gruff "Who?" "It's Johnny... Whitaker... we worked together several years? I used to play with your kids? You know..." and then heard "How the hell'd you get this number?" He said that then he changed and was "Well, since you got it, how've you been?" and they had a really pleasant conversation and catch up.

Supposedly, off-screen Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot were both the exact opposite of their characters from that show. Brian Keith was a bookish, reserved, somewhat shy intellectual who hated the limelight aspect of celebrity, while Sebastian Cabot was a loud and fun party boy who loved his fame, would talk to his fans all day, loved hot dogs and beer, would gladly cut the ribbon on a Podunkaville supermarket or throw out the first ball at a Little League game, etc.- not the prim and proper [obese] butler at all.

[Morty]

http://cbs2.com/entertainment/Family....2.757908.html

[SquirrelNutZipper]

Sebastian Cabot was a loud and fun party boy who loved his fame, would talk to his fans all day, loved hot dogs and beer, would gladly cut the ribbon on a Podunkaville supermarket or throw out the first ball at a Little League game, etc.- not the prim and proper [obese] butler at all.

Really? Oh the things we learn. I would never have guess that in a million years.

[Darrianne]

Victoria Young's website said (a year or so ago) that she was working on her book about her life with Brian and Daisy. Does anyone know if that has come out yet - or any updates on it?

[warmbear]

I've read he also was depressed over financial problems. He supposedly lost a lot of money in the dotcom burst and other 90's speculations. His widow still lives in a beach house in Malibu, so apparently it wasn't that bad (or else he had a ton of life insurance).

Always seemed like a guy you'd like to know. Johnny Whitaker told a story about calling him on his death bed and saying "Hey Brian, this is Johnny?" and hearing a gruff "Who?" "It's Johnny... Whitaker... we worked together several years? I used to play with your kids? You know..." and then heard "How the hell'd you get this number?" He said that then he changed and was "Well, since you got it, how've you been?" and they had a really pleasant conversation and catch up.

Supposedly, off-screen Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot were both the exact opposite of their characters from that show. Brian Keith was a bookish, reserved, somewhat shy intellectual who hated the limelight aspect of celebrity, while Sebastian Cabot was a loud and fun party boy who loved his fame, would talk to his fans all day, loved hot dogs and beer, would gladly cut the ribbon on a Podunkaville supermarket or throw out the first ball at a Little League game, etc.- not the prim and proper [obese] butler at all.

Life insurance does not pay out in cases of suicide.

[henkychif]

He played a bounty hunter in Young Guns. Small part but very memorable.

[Mintgiver]

Life insurance does not pay out in cases of suicide.

Most policies do. When my husband and I got ours, we were told it had a suicide clause in it that would not pay if we committed suicide within the first two years of the policy, but after that, it would pay.

Also, my father's death was ruled a suicide, and I received the insurance money when I turned 18.

[texasbelle5]

I've read he also was depressed over financial problems. He supposedly lost a lot of money in the dotcom burst and other 90's speculations. His widow still lives in a beach house in Malibu, so apparently it wasn't that bad (or else he had a ton of life insurance).
up.
.

Impossible. BK killed himself in 1987. Before the internet really and quite a few years before the dot.com implosion (mar 2000)

[Cadence71]

Impossible. BK killed himself in 1987. Before the internet really and quite a few years before the dot.com implosion (mar 2000)

Actually it was '97.

[johnny]

here is an account of a heroic act of his as a radio-gunner in WW2

"Following is a brief description of an incident encountered by Keith during World War II:
1941-1945 served with USMC - decorated with the Air Medal. "Brian was a Radio-Gunner in the rear cockpit of a two-man Douglass "Dauntless" (SDB) dive-bomber in a U.S. Marine squadron. During an attack on Rabaul, his plane was badly damaged by enemy ground fire. The pilot struggled to keep the plane in the air. Unable to keep up with the others, it fell behind. Two Japanese "Zero" fighters attacked the crippled plane from the rear. Both of Brian's machine guns jammed. He fired red tracer ammunition from his pistol. The Japanese broke off the attack, but soon came again. Now completely out of ammunition, Brian reached for the Very pistol and fired a red rocket/flare at the fighters which immediately pulled up to figure out what that was. On the radio, Keith heard a New Zealand pilot saying, "Dont sweat it, Yank, I've got them surrounded up here!"

[Guest]

Great anecdote Johnny

[Alexandra]

I remembered seeing Family Affair when I was little. I had a Mrs. Beasly doll when I was a baby...my mother has a picture of me with it.

[Nicki]

Impossible. BK killed himself in 1987. Before the internet really and quite a few years before the dot.com implosion (mar 2000)

Yep it was 1997. I saw him on a old episode of Cybill with Cybill Shepard on the Lifetime channel this morning. He played her agent who was so inept at his job that when she dismissed he had a heart attack and died. Wow, I have never seen him looked so old in a show. It must have been one of his last ones. In it she has to put together his funeral. Actually it was really hilarious. Brian Keith is most definitely one of the few Actors I will always miss. Parent Trap was the best, but so was many of his roles.

[Donnagg123]

I just watched "Hooper" last night, which he was awesome in as Jocko. I had no idea he was dead.

[Nicki]

This is his official Website. It has alot of family pictures.

http://www.briankeith.com/

[Fancynancy]

I didn't like Family Affair. Then when I grew up, I ended up with MY sister's three kids.

[Nicki]

I didn't like Family Affair. Then when I grew up, I ended up with MY sister's three kids.

Fancy....how did you do with Three extra Kids?

[Fancynancy]

Fancy....how did you do with Three extra Kids?

I didn't have any of my own, so it was a real shock. They were 17, 14 and 12 at the time. Now two of them are moved out and I still have the boy, now seventeen for at least another year. It wasn't easy, believe me, because I'm not really that maternal, but I didn't want them to stay in foster care, and I'm their auntie, after all. Families should look out for one another. To make matters worse, their father was murdered in 2007, so they also had those issues to deal with. They are really kind-hearted good kids. It wasn't like they were sneaking out the windows at night or acting a fool at school, so they really turned out to be a blessing.

[erictheking97]

The first memory i ever have of Brian was in the mini series 'How the west was Won', must have been in the late 70's or something like that, it was the first time i had ever seen him.

Only found out a few months ago when i was reading about him that he was dead, very sad indeed!

[Nicki]

I didn't have any of my own, so it was a real shock. They were 17, 14 and 12 at the time. Now two of them are moved out and I still have the boy, now seventeen for at least another year. It wasn't easy, believe me, because I'm not really that maternal, but I didn't want them to stay in foster care, and I'm their auntie, after all. Families should look out for one another. To make matters worse, their father was murdered in 2007, so they also had those issues to deal with. They are really kind-hearted good kids. It wasn't like they were sneaking out the windows at night or acting a fool at school, so they really turned out to be a blessing.

Sounds like you have done a excellent job with those children. They are very lucky to have you in their lives. And you are right...families should look after one another and unfortunately that is not always how it turns out......probably more often then not.

[Fancynancy]

Thank you very much! I love them....