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Thread: William Holden

  1. #1
    Carolann Guest

    William Holden

    I don't think any of us will forget his performance in Sunset Blvd.
    He was a fine actor and a pretty decent fella from what I have been able to find out. But the drink did him in. Ironically, like many other of our famous friends, his untimely and bizarre death was horribly sad. I think Stephanie Powers still manages the Wm Holden Game preserve in Africa doesn't she?

  2. #2
    quigontcb Guest
    I dunno if she does or not. You're right though, he was great in Sunset Blvd. I got my wife and parents to watch Sunset and I think they were just as pleasantly surprised as I was. Such a strange and sad way for him to die though.

  3. #3
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    I loved him in Stalag 17 and in Bridge on the River Kwai...he was so damn cool. I agree that his end was really sad.
    Last edited by nytkrew; 10-08-2007 at 10:40 AM. Reason: forgot something
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by nytkrew View Post
    I loved him in Stalag 17 and in Bridge on the River Kwai...he was so damn cool. I agree that his end was really sad.
    Both were great performances by a great actor.
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  5. #5
    Franco Guest
    Holden was haunted by the death of his brother who was killed in WWII. That may explain why he literally drank himself to death.

    Speaking of drinking, I watched a documentary on Judy Garland in which they interviewed Peter Lawford. The interview looked like it took place sometime in the '80s. Lawford lamented over Garland's drinking problem. (How Ironic?) Lawford himself looked and spoke like he was ravaged by the effects of drinking. He struggled to maintain his focus during a 2 minute interview.

  6. #6
    crazedfemale Guest
    I loved William Holden in Breezy with Kay Lenz. I watched it today; hadn't seen it in 20 years!

  7. #7
    crazedfemale Guest
    I read where his depression and drinking grew worse after he was responsible for a drunk driving death in Italy in the 1960's.

  8. #8
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    Both of HOLDEN'S brothers died young; the one in WWII and the other one died in South America (I don't remember how) at around age 40. The other thing that I recall having read about HOLDEN' drinking was that it was sort of a vicious circle in regards to his declining libido. He drank because of it, and of course the alcohol made it worse.

    Yes, STEFANIE POWERS is in charge of the preserve begun by HOLDEN. At the time of his death, she was taking a 'breather' from him and his (alcohol related) abuse. She hadn't spoken to him in about 4,5 days when he was discovered dead in his unit.
    in his prime 1956



    & in NETWORK (1976) at which time HOLDEN was age 58.
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  9. #9
    lisalouver Guest
    What a gorgeous man and such a good actor.

    A shame what the drinking did to him and his life.

  10. #10
    NOVSTORM Guest
    She really loved Holden, (stephanie) but I read that he could be very abusivewhen drunk which seems to have been about 90 percent of the time. I cannot imagine being so damn drunk that I didn't realise I was bleeding to death. Have you ever noticed that every alcoholic in Hollywood always has an excuse for drinking? It just seems they drink for some terrible thing that happened to them or their family, never the fact that they are just addicted to booze and couldn't kick it. The rest of the people in AA are just drunks but not them.

  11. #11
    crazedfemale Guest
    Stefanie and Bill Holden had been together for several years. Yes, in his prime he was a hunky hunky Holden. Do you have any photos from his last movie SOB?

  12. #12
    Jack-O-Lantern Guest
    One of the greatest actors ever.
    My favorite Holden picture is "Picnic" with Kim Novak and Rosalind Russell...what a movie. They really don't make 'em like that anymore!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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  13. #13
    motherogod Guest
    I loved him on "I Love Lucy!" He was absolutely precious in that. Of course he is known for his film acting, but that was my first exposure to him and that's how I'll always think of him.

  14. #14
    Suzanne30 Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by motherogod View Post
    I loved him on "I Love Lucy!" He was absolutely precious in that. Of course he is known for his film acting, but that was my first exposure to him and that's how I'll always think of him.
    I loved him in I love Lucy too. I also liked him in Damien:The Omen II.

    And of course in Sunset Boulevard.

  15. #15
    Bidmor Guest
    I think his three best films are Sunset Blvd., Stalag 17, and Network.

  16. #16
    GiantBryan Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Franco View Post
    Holden was haunted by the death of his brother who was killed in WWII. That may explain why he literally drank himself to death..
    Well I could see if he died a few years after his brother you could blame "Haunted," but he was 63 years old and died in 1981, 22 days before the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. So I would say no he didn't drink himself to death because of "Haunted" he died because he was an alcoholic.

  17. 03-26-2008, 12:56 PM

  18. #17
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    no pretty boy actor of today can compare with these looks, or personality! viva 'old hollywood'! i'm so thankful i 'knew' them all!
    pull the string!

  19. #18
    crazedfemale Guest
    Saw the I Love Lucy episode last Sunday morning on TVLand. What a great, classic episode of ILL. I have to say this is my favorite episode (with Tennessee Ernie Ford's visit a close, close second). This stuff is hilarious. I miss Lucy and Bill Holden!

  20. #19
    Gruesome Guest
    I think it would be worth takking a look at S.O.B. if you want to see the state of his mind. It was his last movie. You could suspect perhaps he was under the influence while he did the movie. There is this one scene where he is talking to the Felix character, played by Richard Mulligan. Felix is devising ways to commit suicide, and is in bed recovering from one of these efforts. Holden plays a colleage of his in show business, and shares with Felix his view of life at his age. It seems almost prophecit, like the words he uttered came from his heart, not from a script.

  21. #20
    crazedfemale Guest
    I think Holden looked weary and tired in his last movies. I watched Omen II the other day and it definitely wasn't the same old Holden. It's too bad he didn't get any professional help for his alcoholism. In his prime, he was the best. I was barely 20 when he died, and my thought about his death at the time was my memory from him from I Love Lucy. It's all very sad, but he left us a legacy of movies.

  22. #21
    crazedfemale Guest
    I watched Network yesterday. Again, I hadn't seen this movie in probably 25 years! I saw only the cut version on TV; I was surprised at the amount of language for a movie made in 1976. Holden was great in this and I guess this was last, great role. Very weary and craggy, he played his character to perfection. I think he only lost the Oscar because of Peter Finch's death, that way they could give an Oscar to a dead man. I forgot how good Dunaway was as Diana, she did deserve the Oscar for this. All in all, a great movie!

  23. #22
    TheMysterian Guest
    Sunset Blvd was a great movie,and Holden could handle any part. A terrific actor he was great in "The Wild Bunch".

  24. #23
    JestersKiss Guest
    [SIZE=4]William Holden - Super Star & Best Actor Winner[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]William Holden was at first type-cast early in his career as a boy next door. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]Throughout his long career, William Holden did a variety of films, (comedies, dramas, thrillers, and westerns), and a variety of character types. He plays not only heroes & clean cut leading men, but also "cynical, world-weary opportunists," killers, and undesirable characters with bad attitudes. Some of his films include: OUR TOWN, ARIZONA, BORN YESTERDAY, THE BRIDGES OF TOKO-RI, SABRINA, THE COUNTRY GIRL, and THE DARK SIDE. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]William Holden received his 1953 Best Actor Oscar for portraying a smooth-talking con man with questionable character in STALAG 17. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]In 1950, Holden received a Best Actor nomination for SUNSET BOULEVARD. Some say this was his best performance. His last Oscar nomination was for his role in NETWORK (1976). [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]Holden won an Emmy for his role in a 1973 TV movie, THE BLUE KNIGHT. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=2]Holden's other memorable performances include his roles in: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE WILD BUNCH, and S.O.B. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=-1]MORE.[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]William Holden 1953 Best Actor[/SIZE]
    STALAG 17 (Comedy/Drama)

    William Holdenreceived his Oscar for playing the sergeant who's not trusted by his fellow soldiers who are planning a break from a World War 2 German POW camp.

    ABOUT WILLIAM HOLDEN (1918 - 1981)

    American leading man, born in Illinois, who's real name was William Beedle. William Holden was discovered at the Pasadena Playhouse.

    Holden's nominations include:

    SUNSET BOULEVARD (50)
    NETWORK (76)

    William Holden's other credits include:

    THOSE WERE THE DAYS
    I WANTED WINGS
    THE FLEET'S IN
    YOUNG AND WILLING
    BLAZE OF NOON
    RACHEL AND THE STRANGER
    THE MAN FROM COLORADO
    THE STREETS OF LAREDO
    MISS GRANT TAKES RICHMOND
    FATHER IS A BACHELOR
    BORN YESTERDAY
    SUBMARINE COMMAND
    THE TURNING POINT
    ESCAPE FROM FORT BRAVO
    THE COUNTRY GIRL
    THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI
    LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING
    PICNIC
    THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
    SATAN NEVER SLEEPS
    THE LION
    THE SEVENTH DAWN
    THE WILD BUNCH
    WILD ROVERS
    BREEZY
    OPEN SEASON
    THE TOWERING INFERNO
    NETWORK
    ASHANTI
    DAMIEN: OMEN 2
    ESCAPE TO ATHENA
    THE EARTHLING
    [SIZE=2][SIZE=3]S.O.B.[/SIZE][/SIZE]

    William Holden's television credits include:

    THE BLUE KNIGHT
    21 HOURS AT MUNICH

  25. #24
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    I've been reading through everything for the last few months and thought I'd try my first post. All of the stories are fascinating and I'm definitely hooked!

    In the late 70s, my mom married a man who turned out to have a bad drinking problem. Around 1978-79, he entered rehab in Orange County, Calif. During my first (and only) visit there, they had a guest speaker come in to talk to the group of patients and visitors. My stepdad had told me that William Holden was a patient there, and sure enough, I saw him sitting in one of the rows. I'm not sure how long he had been in rehab, but my stepdad had heard that he had been in before. During the meeting, I started watching him and then he noticed me. I tried to be polite and not stare but every time I'd look he'd catch me. I remember thinking that it was kind of like the I Love Lucy show when Lucy spies on him in the Brown Derby. Anyway, it wasn't as comical at the time and I felt bad for him... but I kind of giggle about it now. After the meeting he met up with a few people and walked out. I was only 19 so he looked ancient to me.. I felt really bad when I read about his death years later. But at least he had tried getting help for his alcoholism.

  26. #25
    crazedfemale Guest
    I bought Holden's biography, which came out the year after his death. It's by Bob Thomas and he extensively interviewed many people for the book. I bought it on amazon.com. William Holden sought treatment many times for his alcoholism. He would be sober for several months, and then go off the wagon. That's what ended the relationship with he and Stefanie Powers. He would also go to various places to dry out. There's much more in this book.

    Another thing, the Oscar he won for Stalag 17, he threw into the Bay of Naples in the 1960's.

    I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the life of The Golden Boy. Very sad in parts, but all in all a good read.

  27. #26
    insanejeff Guest
    I was just watching The Earthling, one of his last few films and decided to learn a little more about him.

    Quote Originally Posted by crazedfemale View Post
    I read where his depression and drinking grew worse after he was responsible for a drunk driving death in Italy in the 1960's.
    According to his Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Holden):
    Holden also suffered from alcoholism and depression. In 1966, he was involved in a car accident in Italy in which the other driver was killed. It was determined that Holden had been driving under the influence of alcohol; he was charged with vehicular manslaughter and received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. Holden was overcome with guilt, and friends said this led to even heavier bouts of drinking.
    Such a shame that alcohol ruined this man
    Last edited by insanejeff; 09-14-2008 at 03:57 PM.

  28. #27
    Blurgle Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by NOVSTORM View Post
    Have you ever noticed that every alcoholic in Hollywood always has an excuse for drinking? It just seems they drink for some terrible thing that happened to them or their family, never the fact that they are just addicted to booze and couldn't kick it. The rest of the people in AA are just drunks but not them.
    Oh, I'd take that "in Hollywood" phrase out if I wanted to be completely accurate. It's never an addict's fault that he or she is addicted: it's always something or somebody else's fault.

  29. #28
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    Awesome in the Bridges at Toko Ri. What a sad way to go...

  30. #29
    More Cheese Please Guest
    So tragic!



    What a talented actor!!

  31. #30
    MoonRabbit Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by crazedfemale View Post
    I think Holden looked weary and tired in his last movies. I watched Omen II the other day and it definitely wasn't the same old Holden. It's too bad he didn't get any professional help for his alcoholism. In his prime, he was the best. I was barely 20 when he died, and my thought about his death at the time was my memory from him from I Love Lucy. It's all very sad, but he left us a legacy of movies.
    Oh I just loved Bill Holden. I thought he was THEE PERFECT MAN!

    I also notice that the beautiful men in movies do not look the same
    as when they were young. I guess none of us do. We all change.

    I was amazed at how this actor changed (Alain Delon)
    He is also one of my favorites.

    http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...rs/ADelon2.jpg

    http://www.payvand.com/news/07/mar/Delon-Farah.jpg

  32. #31
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    What a strong Leading Man ... teriffic Actor and Loved by so many. Sadly Missed!!
    There's more to the truth than just the facts. ~Author Unknown

  33. #32
    crazedfemale Guest
    27 years ago today, they found Golden Boy dead in his Santa Monica apartment. I watched Sunset Blvd. for the first time the other day. What a great movie, Gloria and Bill were awesome!

  34. #33
    crazedfemale Guest
    Holden's stepdaughter, Virginia Gaines Holden, has written her memoir and is available over the Internet. Got mine yesterday, have read several chapters and it's an intereresting read from her point of view about the beloved actor.
    Last edited by crazedfemale; 12-16-2008 at 06:40 PM.

  35. #34
    FloridaDeathHag Guest
    Do you think he had an affair with Faye Dunaway when they made Network?

  36. #35
    Nicki Guest
    From all the posts above....Him being at a AA or Alcohol Rehab...the car accident where someone was killed. How tragic. Having a brother with this desease I can sympathize. Sounds like Bill Holden did at least try at time to get past it, control it, whatever if would take. But it appears the desease had a grip on him that he could not shake. He bled to death after falling down drunk in his apartment, hitting his head. Breaks my heart..I really ejoyed him so much in all of his movies. Stephanie Powers was in love with him. The guy had to have some clear redeaming qualities about himself as he was endearing to alot of people.

  37. #36
    crazedfemale Guest
    He was a very complicated person - Scott said he had a lot of nervous energy. I don't know about the alcoholism, he started drinking at age 16 according to Virginia.

    Faye and Bill? Onscreen, yes, offscreen, no; but then again who knows?

  38. #37
    ParrothedKay Guest

    William Holden

    Wasn't Barbara Stanwyck in love with him all those years?

    I remember her accepting an award towards the end of her life and dedicating it to "my Golden Boy". She was tearful, so it must've been shortly after his death?

    Wish I could remember more...darn brain cells....

    Kay

  39. #38
    Vintage_Vixen Guest
    Thank you Crazedfemale for recommending the book by Bob Thomas - I got it from my local library and haven't put it down yet! Good read! It mentions that Bill's brother, Dick Beedle, was killed in an airplane crash in South America while working for the family business Gooch Industries. I just bought Love is a Many Splendored Thing.....haven't had a chance to watch it yet....I think tonight will be the night!!

  40. #39
    More Cheese Please Guest

  41. #40
    More Cheese Please Guest
    AFI's Greatest Screen Legends... William Holden ranks as #25

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGB3mFqtHeA

  42. #41
    Duke Six Guest
    Regarding William Holden who was incidentaly a human being, wasnt perfect. Whom amongst us is? He was a great actor and I admired most if not all his roles but when it all comes down, we re all human and Bill had his demons like a lot of us. Rest in peace Bill, I hope to meet you in the afterlife one day..............

  43. #42
    lisalouver Guest
    He was a beautiful man, that is for damn sure.

    Anyone know what became of that deal Stephanie Powers took over for him, I think it was in Africa with the animals?

  44. #43
    Jack-O-Lantern Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by FloridaDeathHag View Post
    Do you think he had an affair with Faye Dunaway when they made Network?
    Not according to her autobiography. She was married to Peter Wolfe (singer, J. Geils Band) at that time.

  45. #44
    GoldwynGal Guest
    Mmmm............. William Holden. Loved Paris When It Sizzles.

  46. #45
    mxwe Guest
    Where can I get step-daughter's bio?Does she say anything about her biological father?

  47. #46
    More Cheese Please Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by GoldwynGal View Post
    Mmmm............. William Holden. Loved Paris When It Sizzles.
    Yummy yum!!!!!!

  48. #47
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    Is it me, or dose it seem that he's been forgotten? He was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s.

  49. #48
    crazedfemale Guest
    Many people do not know who Holden is today. I recently attended a showing of Sunset Blvd. at my employment (university) and I polled the 50 people in attendance. Only five knew of Holden and many people were curious about his career. We're going to do a Holden retrospective of movies for the "History in Cinema" class in the fall. Guess who's in charge of putting this together?

  50. #49
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    1947


    on vacation with his wife in Canada
    1949



    with NANCY KWAN his co-star in 1960's
    THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG
    " You no love me Wobert; I be very dirty girl ! "






    with STEFANIE POWERS
    1979
    KELT' HOME FOR WAYWARD YOUTH-
    Helping Young Men To Turn Around For Over Twenty Years !

  51. #50
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    "We're going to do a Holden retrospective of movies for the "History in Cinema" class in the fall."---Wish I could go.

    He's had some super leading ladys over his career, Grace Kelly just to name one. It is sad to think that in the end, he was alone.

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