Slim Pickens
Slim Pickens (actually Louis Burton Lindley Jr .; born June 29, 1919 in Kingsburg , California , † December 8, 1983 in Modesto , California) was an American film actor .
Life
Pickens graduated from Hanford High School and turned to rodeo, a good rider from childhood . Contrary to the prophecies of family and friends that he would earn very little there (he took these "slim pickings" from his stage name) - he had success as a rodeo clown and worked in this trade for years until he became, thanks to his clear Oklahoma-Texas Accent, his big-eyed, moon-faced appearance and strong physique made his film debut alongside Errol Flynn in Lord of the Rough Mountains in 1950 . From then on he became a busy actor, especially in westerns , in which he could portray both comical and threatening characters.
However, he embodied his prime role as a Texan hero outside the genre, in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strange or: How I Learned to Love the Bomb . Kubrick had Pickens (who plays the pilot of a B-52 bomber) deliver a patriotic speech to the crew, allegedly without first telling him that the film was a satire.
He also found employment on television, often as a guest star on series. He was seen in railroad detective Matt Clark as early as 1954 , later in Annie Oakley , Sugarfoot , Maverick , Lawman , Bonanza , The Marshal of Cimarron, and many more. Occasional synchronized work rounds off Pickens' work.
Pickens, who died after a long battle with a brain tumor on December 8, 1983 at the age of 64, was inducted into the "Western Performers Hall of Fame" in the year before his death and in 2005 into the "Pro Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame". His oeuvre includes over 170 appearances in films and on television.
reception
Pickens' most famous role led to the band's song The Offspring Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing and Rides the Bomb to Hell .
Filmography
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Web links
- Slim Pickens in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Slim Pickens in the database of Find a Grave (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Pickens, Slim |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lindley, Louis Bert junior (real name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American film actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 29, 1919 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Kingsburg , California |
DATE OF DEATH | December 8, 1983 |
Place of death | Modesto , California |