Burgess Meredith

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Burgess Meredith in Magic

Burgess Meredith (1907 - 1997)

Film Deaths

• Castle on the Hudson (Years Without Days) (1940) [Steve Rockford]: Shot to death in a shoot-out with prison guards during a jailbreak. (Thanks to Baxter)

• Diary Of A Chambermaid (1946) [Capt. Mauger]: Seen returning to his room unaware that Francis Lederer is inside looking for hidden money. Lederer emerges with the body over his shoulder, he then buries it in the garden. The murder weapon was probably a long poultry needle which Lederer used to kill the farm geese. (Thanks to Brian)

• In Harm's Way (1965) [Commander Egan Powell]: Killed (off-screen) in combat when the Japanese forces fire on their ship; we learn about his death afterwards when John Wayne wakes up from his coma and Patricia Neal tells John what happened in the battle.

• Mackenna's Gold (1969) [The Storekeeper]: Shot with an arrow (off-camera) by an Apache warrior; we see Burgess' point-of-view of the warrior aiming directly at the camera and firing.

• Beware! The Blob (Son of the Blob) (1972) [Old Hobo]: Devoured (off-screen) by the Blob in a barn, after it devours Larry Hagman and Del Close.

• The Day of the Locust (1975) [Harry Greener]: Dies of old age (on top of long-term alcohol abuse) in his bedroom; his body is shown again afterwards during his funeral.

• Magic (1978) [Ben Greene]: Drowned in a lake in a struggle with Anthony Hopkins, after Anthony first beats him into unconsciousness with his ventriloquist's dummy, and (not knowing burgess is alive) tries to dispose of his body. Burgess' body is shown again afterwards when Ed Lauter discovers him washed up on shore.

• The Last Chase (1981) [Captain J.G. Williams]: Killed in a plane crash when he deliberately flies his jet into a laser cannon to save Lee Majors and Chris Makepeace. (Thanks to Mike)

• Rocky III (1982) [Mickey Goldmill]: Dies of a heart attack sustained during an argument with Mr. T before a boxing match; he is taken to the locker room, where he dies soon afterwards while talking to Sylvester Stallone. (Burgess reprised the role in a memory flashback in Rocky V).

• Hot to Trot (1988) [Don's Dad]: Playing the voice of a horse, he dies of old age while talking to his son (voiced by John Candy); he is later reincarnated as a horse fly.

• Grumpier Old Men (Grumpy Old Men 2) (1995) [Grandpa Gustafson]: Dies of old age/natural causes while fishing by the lake; his body is shown afterwards when his son (Jack Lemmon) discovers him.

TV Deaths

• The Twilight Zone: The Obsolete Man (1961) [Romney Wordsworth]: Executed by an explosive device placed in his room.

• Wagon Train: The Grover Allen Story (1964) [Grover Allen]: Dies from heart failure after climbing a craggy hill so that he could see 'Green Valley' before being taken back east to face charges against him. He dies in his grandson's (Edmund Lane ) arms as Terry Wilson and Marshall Thompson watch helplessly.

• The Invaders: Wall Of Crystal (1967) [Theodore Booth]: Killed with a ray gun by one of the aliens as he runs down Ed Asner in his car and both them and the car are disintegrated. (Thanks to Brian)

• Night Gallery: The Little Black Bag (1970) [Dr. Fall]: Stabbed to death (off-camera) by Chill Wills, using one of the futuristic scalpels. The scene ends as Chill approaches Burgess menacingly.
• Mannix: The Crimson Halo (1972) [Noah Otway]: Dies (off-screen) from a disease while Joseph Campanella tries to do surgery to save him.

Notable Connections

• Ex-Mr. Margaret Perry.

• Ex-Mr. Paulette Goddard.