Jim Brown, famed NFL football player, and 3 time LVC co-star (El Condor, Take a Hard Ride, Kid Vengeance), passed away on May 19, 2023 at the age of 87.
Jim Brown, the transcendent athlete-actor-activist who ran roughshod over the NFL and its record books in the 1950s and 1960s and won multiple MVP awards before retiring abruptly at the age of 30 to focus on the civil rights movement and a career in Hollywood, has died, his former team, the Cleveland Browns, said Friday. He was 87.
The Browns tweeted, “Jim Brown Forever.
“Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary.
“It’s impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world.
“Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way.”
After he retired from football in 1966 despite being at the height of his career, Brown caught the acting bug, starring in the 1967 World War II movie, “The Dirty Dozen.” He went on to appear in more than 50 films.
Brown also made his mark as a civil rights activist, working with inner-city gang members and prison inmates.
Brown led the NFL in rushing a record eight times in his nine seasons and rushed for a record 12,312 yards.
He went to nine Pro Bowls and was an NFL champion in 1964.
“One of the greatest players in NFL history, a true pioneer and activist. Jim Brown’s legacy will live on forever,” the NFL tweeted.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/19/sport/jim-brown-nfl-legend-actor-activist-dead-spt-intl/index.html
Jim was a fantastic running back. The best over nine seasons but quit at age 29 in his prime to become an actor.
ReplyDeleteLee said Jim was fantastic to work with and felt they were like brothers.
Thx, Aaron, for this uncommon News Update in the world of LVC -- really miss the web board & it's broader scope!
ReplyDeleteBobO, could you provide the Source(s) for your LVC ref "Lee said Jim was fantastic to work with and felt they were like brothers"...?? I can't place it (them).
Brown was one of the very, VERY few LVC contacts (Celeb or Not) that I failed to reach, if I tried: his Protective Phalanx of both hired minions and recalcitrant friends was just too dense, back when I pursued an interview w/JB, in the early 2k's.
(Donna "GYPSY COLT" Corcoran, oddly, is the only other failure that comes to mind. Tho Noreen -- her then Last Living Sibling, of several acting Corcoran Kids -- was an excellent, forthcoming interview subject! Alas, to no surprise, she was protective of her sister's privacy, and did not provide a phone number for Donna. But, the gal is still with us @ 80, so maybe I'll try again, a decade on!)
As for Jim Brown: yeah, BobO, he was an Astounding Athlete, in an era when it took Raw Talent & Skill to be THE Best -- vs using today's Sports Medicine "benefits", be they Physical or Pharmaceutical.
He became Lee Van Cleef's repeat co-star as LVC's career was on the downhill side -- EL CONDOR (70) was a rare stand-out in his final 26 films, as well as the most successful of Van Cleef's occasional attempts at on-screen Comedy.
RIP, JB.
DCG.
(DOH! Apologies to Hugh & Kerry Corcoran, re: my line above, "Noreen -- her Last Living Sibling". I misremembered my decade-old research off the top o' me [obviously *empty*] noggin: Hugh & Kerry are also still with us!) DCG.
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