Joe Patroni gone west.

[James_Dean]

We lost a great one today.

 

[mscard88]

Yep great actor. Airport, Cool Hand Luke....RIP

edit: wrong title

 

[Bill]

Yep great actor. Airplane, Cool Hand Luke....RIP

IIRC that photo is from Airport as he is trying to free a stuck 707 from the runway so another airplane can land.

Also, IIRC, this movie started the whole disaster movie craze of the 70's.

 

[flyingron]

"Mr. Patroni, she won't take much more." "Well, anyway she's going to get it."

"Airport" was based (pretty nicely) on the Arthur Hailey book Airport. The Patroni character did indeed survive in to a series of crappy sequels (Airport 74, 77, etc...). The character was based on real-life TWA mechanic Roy Davis.

Amusingly, Kennedy was disappointed he didn't get a role in the satirical Airplane (based on another Hailey book Runway 08). The producers did eventually integrate him into their Police Squad TV shows and movies.

"My father went the same way."

 

[denverpilot]

Amusingly, Kennedy was disappointed he didn't get a role in the satirical Airplane (based on another Hailey book Runway 08).

Technically the book led to a screenplay that led to the movie "Zero Hour!", which led to Airplane in that it's nearly a shot for shot replica of ZH, just rewritten as comedy/satire. Even character names are the same.

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0051221/

You probably knew that though. But, I'd highly recommend to anyone to watch ZH and Airplane back to back. (There's also mashups on YouTube if you don't feel like watching the original.)

And yep... RIP "Mr. Patroni"...

 

[frfly172]

Always enjoyed his acting.may he rest in peace.

 

[Anthony]

I always liked him. RIP.

 

[flyingron]

That's so horrible...my father went the same way.

 

[petrolero]

Amazing. His career spanned nearly 60 years. RIP.