Alan Arkin (1934-2023) Age 89

Arkin earned his first Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his feature acting debut in a comedy The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966), Arkin demonstrated his dramatic range as the psychopathic killer Roat in suspense film Wait Until Dark (1967), opposite Audrey Hepburn. He reinvented himself as the sensitive deaf-mute in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968), for which he received his second Academy Award Nomination as Best Actor in the Leading role. He followed with what remained his best known role as Captain Yossarian in Catch-22 (1970), directed by Mike Nichols and based on the eponymous anti-war novel by Joseph Heller. In it Arkin arguably gave his strongest performance, however, his career suffered because the film initially did not live up to expectations. Arkin made a comeback with an impressive portrayal of doctor Sigmund Freud in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976).

Mention must be made of Freebie and the Bean (1974). Arkin played Bean alongside James Caan (1940–2022) as Freebie. Totally over the top action/comedy it was great fun though.

I can only find two of his films that were available on super 8mm and both were hire only: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and Fire Sale (1977).


Fire Sale


Catch 22


The Seven-Per-Cent Solution


Freebie and the Bean


Freebie and the Bean


Wait Until Dark


Wait Until Dark

Another sad loss and another good actor list.