“Chinatown” Actor Joe Mantell Dead

October 1st, 2010 - 7:59 pm ICT by GD  

By Gina Gomez
chinatownOct 1, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Joe Mantell who immortalized his role in “China Town” died on Wednesday at 94 years of age in Los Angeles following a prolonged illness. His son said that the cause of death was complications arising out of pneumonia. The actor who is most cherished for the Roman Polanski film “Chinatown”, played the role of Walsh in the film and towards the end of the movies he says a one line dialogue which captured the heart of the audiences for decades to come - “Forget it, Jake. Its Chinatown”. The legendary actor starred in more than 70 movies and television shows and acted in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Bird”. He had an eventful career and with each flick he excelled himself. He starred in the cult movie “Marty” which also earned him an Academy Award nomination for best Supporting Actor.

Apart from working onscreen he was also a stage actor whose credits included a Broadway musical. He appeared in numerous television shows in 1950’s and made guest appearances in numerous series like “Mission Impossible”, “The Defenders” and “The Twilight zone”. He also had a regular role in the comedy “Pete and Gladys” in the 1960’s.

He had a long and eventful career and made history with two sidekick roles, one in “Chinatown”, and the other in “Marty”. His death is one big loss to the film industry but actors like Joe Mantell remain immortalized in the minds of their audiences. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a grandson and a step grandson. The date of his obituary is yet to be revealed.

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