Richard Basehart

Richard Basehart in La Strada

Richard Basehart (1914 - 1984)

Film Deaths

• He Walked by Night (The L.A. Investigator) (1948) [Roy Morgan a.k.a. Roy Martin]: Shot to death in a shoot-out with police in the sewers. (Thanks to Mac)

• Reign of Terror (The Black Book) (1949) [Maximilian Robespierre]: Executed by the guillotine. (Thanks to Gordon)

• The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) [Alan Spender]: Poisoned with an overdose of sedatives when he drinks the spiked orange juice he'd intended for Valentina Cortese (after she switches glasses on him). (Thanks to Brian)

• Titanic (1953) [George Headley]: Killed in an explosion when the ship's boilers explode just after he goes in to fix them. (Thanks to Matthew)

• The Good Die Young (1954) [Joe Halsey]: Shot in the back by the mortally-wounded Laurence Harvey; he dies shortly after walking to meet Joan Collins and collapsing in her arms. (Thanks to Brian)

• La Strada (1954) [The Fool (Il Matto)]: Hits his head against the car during a fight with Anthony Quinn; he dies shortly after staggering away and collapsing, as Giulietta Masina kneels by his side.

• 5 Branded Women (1960) [Captain Reinhardt]: Shot to death by Jeanne Moreau as he tries to escape. (Thanks to Gordon)

• Portrait in Black (1960) [Howard Mason]: Shot to death by Anthony Quinn just as Richard is about to kill Lana Turner with a poker. (Thanks to Gordon)

• Hitler (Women of Nazi Germany) (1962) [Adolf Hitler]: Commits suicide by shooting himself, in a suicide pact with Maria Emo in the bunker.

• Kings of the Sun (1963) [Ah Min]: Commits suicide by stabbing himself in the chest, to appease the gods after George Chakiris refuses to sacrifice Yul Brynner. (Thanks to Gordon)

• The Satan Bug (1965) [Dr. Gregor Hoffman]: Falls to his death from a helicopter at the end of a struggle with George Maharis.

• Chato's Land (1972) [Nye Buell]: Stabbed in the back of the neck by Charles Bronson. 

• The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) [Sayer of the Law] Mauled to death by a tiger when Burt Lancaster's human-animal creations release the wild animals from their cages while destroying Burt's compound.

TV Deaths

• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: The Cyborg (1965) [Admiral Harriman Nelson/a robot impersonating the admiral] The android impostor is destroyed in a gunfight with Captain Crane (David Hedison) and the crewmen aboard the SSRN Seaview. The real Nelson survives the episode.

• The Andersonville Trial (1970; TV) [Captain Henry Wirz]: Executed by hanging. (Thanks to Gordon)
• The Death of Me Yet (1971; TV) [Robert Barnes]: Shot to death by the mortally-wounded Meg Foster after he shoots her. (Thanks to Robert)

• Time Travelers (1976; TV) [Dr. Joshua Henderson]: Burned to death (off-screen) in the 1871 Chicago Fire. His grave is shown in the present day.

• Knight Rider: Knight of the Phoenix, Part 1 (1982) [Wilton Knight]: Dies of a terminal illness while talking to David Hasselhoff and Edward Mulhare.

Notable Connections

• Ex-Mr. Valentina Cortese.

• Father of Jackie Basehart.