Walter Cronkite dies at age 92
I grew up watching Walter Cronkite on the news. I remember him as a person I could trust even though I never met the man. This is a sad day indeed.
From CBSNews.com
Walter Cronkite, who personified television journalism for more than a generation as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News,” has died. CBS vice president Linda Mason says Cronkite died at 7:42 p.m. Friday with his family by his side at his home in New York after a long illness. He was 92.
Known for his steady and straightforward delivery, his trim mustache, and his iconic sign-off line -”That’s the way it is” – Cronkite dominated the television news industry during one of the most volatile periods of American history. He broke the news of the Kennedy assassination, reported extensively on Vietnam and Civil Rights and Watergate, and seemed to be the very embodiment of TV journalism.
“Cronkite came to be the sort of personification of his era,” veteran PBS Correspondent Robert McNeil once said. “He became kind of the media figure of his time. Very few people in history, except maybe political and military leaders, are the embodiment of their time, and Cronkite seemed to be.”
At one time, his audience was so large, and his image so credible, that a 1972 poll determined he was “the most trusted man in America” – surpassing even the president, vice president, members of Congress and all other journalists. In a time of turmoil and mistrust, after Vietnam and Watergate, the title was a rare feat – and the label stuck.
“For decades, Walter Cronkite was the most trusted voice in America,” said President Barack Obama in a statement. “His rich baritone reached millions of living rooms every night, and in an industry of icons, Walter set the standard by which all others have been judged.”
Mr. Obama said that Cronkite calmly shared the world’s news while never losing his integrity.
“But Walter was always more than just an anchor,” Mr. Obama said. “He was someone we could trust to guide us through the most important issues of the day; a voice of certainty in an uncertain world. He was family. He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down. This country has lost an icon and a dear friend, and he will be truly missed.”
Cronkite’s achievements were remarkable for a man whose beginnings were anything but remarkable.
Walter Leland Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on November 4, 1916, the only child of a dentist father and homemaker mother. When he was still young, his family moved to Texas. One day, he read an article in “Boys Life” magazine about the adventures of reporters working around the world – and young Cronkite was hooked. He began working on his high school newspaper and yearbook and, in 1933, he entered the University of Texas at Austin to study political science, economic and journalism. He never graduated. He took a part time job at the Houston Post, left college to do what he loved: report.
As Cronkite said on March 6, 1981, concluding his final broadcast as anchorman: “Old anchormen, you see, don’t fade away, they just keep coming back for more. And that’s the way it is.“
Movie Review – The Haunting in Connecticut
I watched the movie “The Haunting in Connecticut” the other night and I have to say, it wasn’t too bad a movie. It kinda reminded me of “Poltergeist“.
The story was good, the acting was good, the special effects were good. There were quite a few places in the film where I jumped or was startled. I can’t tell you how hard that is to come by these days. There was not a lot of gore or blood, so if you like a good scary movie, I think you will enjoy this one.
Synopsis:
Based on a chilling true story, The Haunting in Connecticut charts one family’s terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family gets a house in upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history.
The cast includes:
Virginia Madsen Sara Campbell
Kyle Gallner Matt Campbell
Elias Koteas Reverend Popescu
Amanda Crew Wendy
Martin Donovan Peter Campbell
Sophi Knight Mary Campbell
Ty Wood Billy Campbell
Here is the trailer:
Futurama may recast voice talent!
No one was more thrilled than me when I heard that Comedy Central was resurrecting Futurama with an order of 26 new episodes, to begin airing in 2010.
But now comes news that 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the series, may be considering recasting the voice roles. Say it ain’t so!
According to cast members John DiMaggio [Bender], Phil LaMarr [Hermes] and Maurice LaMarche on their Facebook pages, a casting notice has gone out to replace actors DiMaggio, LaMarche, Billy West [Fry] and Katey Sagal [Leela].
Recast Fry and Leela?? And Bender??
It seems clear that Fox is trying to cut costs for the show by hiring lower-paid voice talent—either that, or trying to get a leg up on salary negotiations by sending out recasting notices to scare the current talent into rolling over on pay.
But fans may recall that Fox TV tried to muscle the original Simpsons voice cast in a similar fashion. That didn’t go so well, so here’s hoping the original Futurama cast remains intact.
This series is not made for children. Adults are the main folks who watch it and we will notice when you change the actors, unlike little kids. I believe if they recast this series, it won’t last to a second season.
