Goodnight, Night Man - Dennis Weaver Dead At 81

[Roger Ryan]

According to AP, Dennis Weaver passed away from cancer this past Friday at age 81. He will be remembered around here for his eccentric performance as "The Night Man" in Welles' "Touch Of Evil". Other performances include the character of Chester in "Gunsmoke", the titular detective in "McCloud" and the harassed motorist in Spielberg's "Duel". I also fondly remember him in the "Shadow Play" episode of "The Twilight Zone" which remains my personal favorite.

[Store Hadji]

:(

[Glenn Anders]

Welles told Peter Bogdanovich that he thought that Tim Holt could have been an important artist in Motion Pictures, but because he had a family to rear, preferred to be simply a working actor, often in the Top Box Office Ten, starring in B-Movies. [Yet he managed to make his mark memorably in three significant films: THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942), HITLER'S CHILDREN (1943), and THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948).] Dennis Weaver was such an actor.

Highly talented, but with an established family, he seemed to be willing to take whatever the next job was, the one that payed the most.

Welles noticed Weaver when he played Chester in "Gunsmoke," and admired his talent. Both of them had wonderful accounts of how, on the set of TOUCH OF EVIL, they went to lunch together, re-wrote the Mirador Motel Night Manager's dialogue, and worked out new business. As has often been pointed out, he was probably an influence on the creation of Norman Bates in PSYCHO (again with Janet Leigh), several years later. Weaver's acting in TOUCH OF EVIL suggests all the things he might have done.

Still, he had a good life, was married for 63 years, and left us several unique performances.

Indeed, R.I.P., Night Man.

Glenn