“Brooks was here.”

Trying to sit and write something tonight at this late hour I am checking the news and came across something that deserves mention.


I first read the book “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” and at the time I was not a big fan of Steven King or his many novellas. There was something that captured my imagination and it had no car chases or when the movie came out several years later no special effects. The book had great writing, strong characters and themes for the every man in each of us to live our lives with Hope, Friendship, and an unsaid understanding that we can endure almost anything.


I cannot say how many times I have watched the movie as it has drawn me to watch it over and over again sometimes completely or even while flicking through the channels and I spot it on TBS or some other station that continually replays it. I think it is one for all times and is always in my top five list of movies along with Lonesome Dove, Silverado, Last of the Dogman, and Lord of the Rings trilogy.


Every frame of the movie is magic and the narration adds to the richness of the story and its characters. One was Brooks Hatlen superbly played by James Whitmore. I once saw his Will Rogers one man show and it was awesome.


With no disrespect to his family I see this brilliant, brilliant scene — a short film in and of itself, starring James Whitmore:



The actor died today in Malibu at the age of 87. He was diagnosed with lung cancer just this past Thanksgiving. He passed away this afternoon.


Rest in peace.


Ice

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