Peter Graves, Spymaster and Host, Is Dead at 83

[babylonsister]

Peter Graves, Spymaster and Host, Is Dead at 83

By MICHAEL POLLAK
Published: March 14, 2010



Peter Graves, the cool spymaster of television’s “Mission Impossible” and the dignified host of the “Biography” series, who successfully spoofed his own gravitas in the “Airplane” movie farces, died Sunday. He was 83.

He died of a heart attack at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., said Fred Barman, his business manager.

It was a testament to Mr. Graves’s earnest, unhammy ability to make fun of himself that after decades of playing square he-men and straitlaced authority figures, he was perhaps best known to younger audiences for a deadpan line in “Airplane!” (“Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?”) and one from a memorable Geico car insurance commercial (“I was one lucky woman”).

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/arts/television/15graves.html?hp

[wtmusic]

1. Oh man, I wanted to BE Peter Graves when I was a young 'un.

He got all the hot women (well, maybe he saved a few for Mike Connors).

[Morning Dew]

7. Mannix shouldn't have had to look farther than Peggy.

She was a hottie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mznUMYY7YC8

[wtmusic]

13. That undercurrent of interracial romance was years ahead of its time

Connors also liked to tweak network censors by hanging tasteful paintings of nudes in his bach pad. :D

[razorman]

2. "Do you like gladiator movies?" - classic. He will be missed.

[virgogal]

3. OMG---Just saw him in a TV ad today for reverse mortgages (I think)

[Kat45]

4. Sorry to hear that. RIP Mr. Graves. n/t

[stevedeshazer]

5. The little brother of James Arness.

Sorry to hear of this. As a kid, I was a big fan of Mission: Impossible.

[saltpoint]

6. Saw him in some programs and in a few films and appreciated the

top-drawer ability.

It seems as if he had a good run.

RIP.

[krispos42]

8. So then Captain Oveur is over?

Damn. So much for the gladiator movies.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. I remember him from earlier than that

He played the ranch owner on Fury, which was a horse story that ran on Saturday mornings in the 1950s. (Fury was a black stallion who sort of acted like Lassie, rescuing people and stuff.)

[KonaKane]

10. This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds.

Godspeed, Peter.

[dmr]

11. I remember as a little kid not understanding why he was a bad guy in 'Stalag 17'

I knew him as a nice guy on 'Fury', so how could he have been a German double-agent?

I really got mad at him!

lol, little kids and the influence of television!

[tridim]

12. Alright, give me Hamm on five, hold the Mayo. RIP dude.

[Johonny]

14. He learned almost too late that man is a feeling creature

and because of it, the greatest in the universe...