Ernest Borgnine, R.I.P.

Ernest Borgnine [1917-2012] was, along with Lee Marvin, one of the best heavies in the movies and who also became an Oscar-winning leading man [they are both in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, 1955]. What a career spanning his 95 years. He is particularly memorable as Fatso having it in for Sinatra's Maggio in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY in '53. Ernest is also the mean one of the gang in JOHNNY GUITAR - (below, left), - the first film I ever saw, aged 8, as per my reports on that - and he is Ragnar, the father of the warring brothers in THE VIKINGS, right, a perennial 1958 favourite, jumping into the wolf pit with his sword in his hand ... I never though saw his Oscar- winning performance in MARTY, 1955. 
It just never seems to get shown now.

Above, he is married to Bette Davis in THE CATERED AFFAIR (THE WEDDING BREAKFAST), 1956 - [we will charitably overlook their re-teaming in the dreadful BUNNY O'HARE in 1971 - couldn't they have said no? ] He is also an effective heavy in that 1960 trash classic GO NAKED IN THE WORLD with Gina Lollobrigida, a recent treat. Ernest went on to classics like BARABBAS, THE WILD BUNCH, THE DIRTY DOZEN, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, ICE STATION ZEBRA and so many others -its one of the most prolific careers, with over 200 titles. His private life must also have been quite colourful with those tempestous marriages to Katy Jurado and Ethel Merman!