Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible

Subject: Obit: Peter Graves - Final Mission Impossible
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 01:29 AM

I was really sorry to read Peter Graves has died at the age of 83. He'd just been out with his family to celebrate his upcoming 84th birthday when he collapsed and could not be revived.

I LOVED Mission Impossible and I was always fascinated that he and James Arness were brothers. They were both superb actors, imo. and I guess I hoped they'd go on forever. Arness is still hanging in there, but it seems Graves has gone on one last mission and it was impossible...that of dodging death.

My condolences to his family and my thanks for the inspiration for hours and hours of imaginary play-time on my own "missions."

kat

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 08:34 AM

I actually remember him more for Fury, the '50s TV show. Mission Impossible was during an era I didn't see much TV.

Linn

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 08:48 AM

"Do you like movies about Gladiators?"

What a wonderful actor and like a few other leading man types, he found a whole new career in comedy.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:31 AM

Good luck, Jim. RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:33 AM

RIP
I had forgotten about Fury. I adored him when I was a girl.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:44 AM

I loved the program Fury when I was a kid.

I was trying to teach my kids about "intertextuality" years ago. I know, we're eggheads, but it can be interesting. They had watched the film Chicken Run and enjoyed it (the first DVD we ever bought to watch at our house, once there was a player in a computer). I kept my eye out and when Stalag 17 played on one of the movie channels one evening I taped it. Next time we had a movie night, I played Stalag 17. They kind of fussed about watching this old black and white war movie, but when Peter Graves came on the screen and [spoiler alert!] pretty soon revealed himself to viewers as a bad guy, they were riveted. It was after this movie ended that I popped in Chicken Run and had them watch at least the beginning. They experienced a great moment of realization, as the opening scenes over-fly the chicken coops and then focus in on coop number 17. It was Peter's performance the kept my kids' attention and let them learn this lesson.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: John Hardly
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 10:07 AM

I will close this thread before it self-destructs.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: kendall
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 11:13 AM

I remember him in that spoof on the movie Airplane.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Wesley S
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 11:15 AM

I'd forgotten that he was James Arness's brother. But who could forget "Fury"?


I for one will disavow any knowledge of his actions.....

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 12:24 PM

You can see the resemblance: Peter and James.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: EBarnacle
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:09 PM

Heck, in that shot Arness looks like Johnny Cash's brother.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: gnu
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:34 PM

For me, when he did comedy... well... RIP.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 06:48 PM

Really glad to read John Wayne passed on the part of Matt Dillon to Arness. I can't find a recent photo of him, but he recently introduced some films on TCM or one of the others and, while he's aged a bit (87) and his ears look really big, now, he is still very eloquent and neat. He's even writing to fans on a website.

These guys were two of my very fav. actors...really sad to know one has passed on.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 10 - 09:13 PM

Yup. He's a Scandihoovian, all right. Looks like much of my Mom's family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: HuwG
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 04:11 PM

"Your mission, should you decide to accept it ..." one of the memorable quotes I looked forward to every week as a child.

He was magnificent also in "Airplane" and "The Winds of War".

If I ever rub a lamp and a genie grants me three wishes, the first will be that every copy of the over-hyped, shallow rip-off "Mission Impossible" films produced to make Tom Cruise appear to be average height, be recalled and eradicated.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: GUEST,jeff
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 11:13 PM

Part of the Mt. Rushmore of my childhood. James Arness, John Wayne, Robert Mitchem, Peter Graves. Hit their marks said their lines w/o alot of fuss. RIP, Mr. Graves.

Subject: Obit: Obit: Peter Graves (Actor)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 09:02 AM

It just been brought to my attention that actor Peter Graves died on March 14th. He is probably best known for the lead role in the tv series "Mission Impossible". He also gave a great cameo performance as a pilot in one of the Airplane comedy movies. His big brother(very big!) is James(Matt Dillon)Arness.

Opening titles for Mission Impossible

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 11:52 AM

Speaking of big brother James: a friend of mine often brings 'western' videos to me, usually from garage sales.

The last one he brought was 'Wagon Train', starring Ward Bond. In it was a very young James Arness, who played a creepy villain, one of the 'Cleggs'. It was a non-speaking part but a memorable one; he had this lupine grin...

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: olddude
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 11:58 AM

I will miss him, I loved Mission Impossible ... I loved his movies
RIP and thank you for the great work you did to entertain us all

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 05:54 PM

I seem to be following Ebbie around and correcting him( See the Robert Culp thread!). Now, Gunsmoke, starring James Arness, started in 1955,and Wagon Train started in 1957; now, would James Arness be making a guest appearance in Wagon Train over two years after he'd become a major tv star in his own - still highly rated - tv western series? Of course, tv western stars did make guest appearances, for example, I recall my favourte western star Jock (The Range Rider and Yancy Derringer)Mahoney making guest star appearances in Wagon Train and Rawhide but at time when he wasn't appearing in a series of his own.

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Jeri
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 06:29 PM

Wagon Master (1950), with James Arness as Floyd Clegg

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 06:33 PM

naah naah naah naah naah. lol Thanks, Jeri. If I'd looked at the box, I would have seen the proper title. (Now I have to go look at the Robert Culp thread!)

Subject: RE: Obit: Peter Graves - One Last Mission Impossible
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Mar 10 - 07:36 PM

Sniff...

I loved all that stuff he was in, especially M.I....

BTW, I grew up next door to his half-sister... Well, she was my mom's age... She and James Arness were full brother and sister if I have it right and Peter was a half brother of each... I think that's the way it was... Anyway, she looked alot like James...

B~