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Miscellaneous thoughts and ramblings
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
 
Jerry Orbach, RIP

Jerry Orbach died today of prostate cancer at the age of 69. His listing on IMDB catalogues a career of broad talent and prolific productivity. ball-and-chain loved him as Lennie Briscoe, the hard-nosed detective with the very dry humor on Law and Order, but he had many more roles. He actually started as a singer and dancer. A review of his work will show you roles that you forgot you saw him in. The biggest surprise though (for which I'm indebted to David Bogner) was that he played a major part in the movie that our kids have watched over and over probably more than any other movie we own; he was the voice (including the singing) of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. He was a gifted performer and will be missed.
Comments:
If you want to honor a guy, don't use RIP. There's no warmth in an acronym and even the words spelled out "Rest in Peace" seem bizarre and undignified. Like you have to tell Mr. Orbach to rest in peace so he won't haunt the living as a ghost or something.
 
Oven: So is there another kind phrase in common usage? Us religious Hebes say of someone who's died "may God comfort his family and may his memory be a blessing to those who knew him" which is nice but not something you could squeeze into a title. What does everybody else say? Would "Goodbye, Jerry Orbach" have been good? Throw me a bone here.
 
Oven: I just saw b&c's comment. That seals it. They are my benchmark of good usage.

AOL: great quote. thank you. keep dropping by.
 
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