Holden tried so hard to combat alcoholism, going into clinics to try and come off, he failed his battle with this terrible disease but he deserves credit for trying.
*At least he went-out 'On Top' and never had to face become senile and feeble* ( *I have pistol that will make sure that will NEVER happen to me either* )
He suffered by a long time of depression and alcholism (20 years) and after the divorce by his wife in '61, his friends talks about a worsening of his state. Here was only 62 years old, in good shape as body, but with a 75 years old man face. I love so much many of his movies as The world of Suzie Wong, Pic Nic etc.. He was a superb actor and I think a good person. Holden founded in Kenya an organization to defende the animals at risk of extinction that's still there, more an institute for the children raise awareness. Great heart, no doubs..
I’ve often thought WH performance in Bridge Over The River Kwai was so sublime and absorbing a real acting masterclass of a portrayal of a man slowly and reluctantly redeeming himself. Pure class😎👌
I dated a film student in my early 20s. He introduced me to William Holden's films. I found him fascinating. Handsome, a voice that is like no other. He also cared about wildlife and has an organization set up by Stephanie Powers. I'm not going on and on about one's addictions, etc. as no one is perfect. I watch "Sunset Boulevard" quite often just to hear his voice and I find it soothing. I'm sorry we lost him when he was entirely too young and that he battled demons. He was one of a kind.
@Susan Gordon...good comment. However, we need to "Judge" more, as otherwise, addictions continue down their destructive path...and addiction hurts others, too. Thanks.
You are right.Death is always tragic.In Holden's case, he was at the top ,making movies with top billing and working on preservation of wild life in Africa.Death is more tragic if it comes after illness and deterioration.@@alanhargreaves-thevoiceofr2361
Yes - it was a superlative performance in what is arguably the greatest film ever made. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if one of the other greats offered the role had accepted. Jimmy Stewart, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum and Lee Marvin were all in the running. Marvin, who contributed to the original treatment for The Wild Bunch, went off to make a pile of poo called Paint Your Wagon. That was one of the biggest mistakes in cinema history. As shown by his performance in The Big Red One, Marvin would have been perfect as Pike Bishop. That doesn't take anything away from Holden.
Nothing incoherent about WH's speech. In fact quite lucid and obviously passionate and concerned for the future of African wildlife in the 80's. Need more like him.. Great Actor
Rarely do we see actors today talk with such passion about other interests they have for the good of this earth. Love Mr Holden's acting, his looks (young or older) and above all that silky voice. Sunset, Stalag......in all his films the performance was great.
I sought this out as I am reading the EXCELLENT Holden bio "Golden Boy" and it was mentioned he made this appearance on Carson. He was there to promote a film that was already bombing but pro that he was he made his commitment to push the film. Yet Africa was foremost on his mind, a mind that was tortured by self-doubt all his life, amazingly. I cannot recommend the book more, if you love Bill Holden.
He was one of my favorite actors. OMG, was he good looking in his younger days! He was a wonderful actor, very talented! It's a shame what happened to him, so sad!
What's a shame is that he killed someone while drunk driving it's not a shame what happened to him because he had a choice - the person he killed didn't.
@@ricoz2016 No,I haven't read neither Thomas' nor Capua's biography,but I have listened to what his fellow actors,friends,his.sonScott and his stepdaughter have said about him.Everybody,including exgirlfriiends,spoke highly about his humanism,intelligence and consideration for the others.Needless to say about his acting habilities too.
Just seen him in Breezy, terrific. Also standing toe to toe with The Duke in The Horse Soldiers. Stalag performance fitted him like a glove, hard to think of anyone else in that role..
GREAT MOVIE BREEZY . LOVE COMES IN ALL AGES. SHE WAS YOUNG HE WAS OLDER. BUT TO THEM IT DIDN'T MATTER. THEY JUST LOVED EACH OTHER AGE TO THEM DIDN'T MATTER TO THEM OR THEY DIDN'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT. THEY WERE HAPPY.
I love me some William Holden...he always plays such cynical characters so well...Staglag 17 & of course Sunset Boulevard were just a few of my favs. by 1 of the greatest actors in American cinema...R.I.P. Bill Holden
Holden was a great guy. I met him once by accident. I was sitting on bar stool in Coronado, CA back one evening in 1979. I noticed the man next to me looked really familiar. As he left, he shook hands with the bartender, who called him "Bill". Later I found out who it was.
❤❤love William Holden❤️❤️ great actor, so handsome and a gorgeous voice. He was a Champion of endangered animals long before it was a popular in thing to do. It was such a shame he just couldn’t beat his alcoholism.
I think I will remember how he looked in Picnic. He was a real champion for the animals, I believe one of the first to really help. Wonderful actor,too.
John Jarou Agreed. Really great film, not just for the cast but for the 1950s small-town profile and rich cinematography. Some thought Holden was too old for that role, but I think he carried his age well (at that time, anyway), and I didn't see or feel the significant age difference between him and Novak.
He was one of the handsome actor of 40s, 50s and 60s. But, he looked much older than his age..He'd the most brighest smile that brings glow in his whole face. Very charming and talented actor not of those time but of all time❤....
Contrary to some of the comments here, I thought Bill Holden was very lucid & alert in this interview. He was known to be somewhat shy in his demeanor & uncomfortable in interviews. He was also one of the best-liked actors in Hollywood. He was a true gentleman by all accounts & I miss him & his great acting.
+Gary3247 I agree. Totally lucid, and very knowledgeable. He appeared a little ill at ease until Johnny adroitly turned the convo to Holden's love of Africa.
He had to get loaded before the dance scene in Picnic. If you ever want to watch a good movie that will destroy you, watch "The Earthling". It is my all time fave.
As a retired police officer of 24 years I have looked in vain for the four 1 hour mini series that Mr Holden was in 'The Blue Knight'. His performance was, I daresay, perfect!, of a battle-worn and weary police officer working on the street and still caring about the people he was protecting, just superb! Thank you Mr. Holden for portraying a realistic but good cop!👏👍🤝👮♂️🚓🚔🛡🛐😢 Just coincidentally his performance in Stalag 17 was one of my fathers favorite films. My father was a World War II European theater combat veteran who was also a prisoner in two different German prison camps Stalag IXA and Stalag IXB and thought Mr. Holden's performance was so real in his Oscar winning role, In what my father thought was the most realistic prisoner of war film he had seen, at least about World War II, and that being in black and white he felt was the only colors he remembered while interred under the Germans. I'm sure my father has thanked you 'personally' now that you are both together......🙏🛐
Literally. He spiraled down, spun around, collapsed and hit his head on a glass coffee table because he was so wasted. But it took 50 years of drinking to get to that point. A sad, sad man.
His performance in Sunset Boulverad, Bridge Over river Kwai, The Wild Bunch, & Picnic were Oscar winning performances. Director David Lean called him the best actor he ever worked with & he had worked with Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, & Robert Mitchum.
I miss William Holden. What a lovely and endearing man he was! One of my favorite movies with him was 1980's The Earthling w/Ricky Schroeder. It's set in Australia and is a tearjerker. When filming this movie, he and Ricky developed a bond and later (after Mr. Holden passed away) on when Ricky got married and had a family, he named his son Holden after his dear friend. I know William was truly a good and kind man despite his faults. We all have them. He was such a sensitive person and a real gentleman as well as a fine actor.
Hello people- the guy is 62 in this video- He looks great- It's called age and it bites everyone in the arse sooner than any of us would like. Probably the reason his greatest passion was about the wildlife in Africa and not plastic Hollywood as reflected in some of the silly and superficial comments made here. RIP Bill Beedle- you still are an inspiration
He doesn’t look “great”. My father was 60 when he died and looked nowhere near as aged as this. Bottom line is that alcohol took its toll on Holden and his appearance here and that’s a tragedy but the reality of this disease.
I just saw him on CBS a few minutes ago in an old "I Love Lucy" episode that they colorized for us young 'uns, LOL. He was gorgeous when he was young! I just had to look him up!
James From Cambridge Yea, me too...I wanted to see what he looked like when he got oldre myself...he was HOTT when he was young...they don't make leading men like him anymore
Bill was a ghost of his former self by this stage. Sad. Sad. Years of cigarettes and alcohol had ravaged that once magnificently handsome face and dashing demeanor. Bill was and is one of my favorite all-time actors.
My 2nd actor crush! Love William Holden. He was handsome, manly intelligent and worked hard at and was good at his craft. They always say a girl wants someone with the same attributes as her father. RIP Dad and William Holden.
I always thought he was uncomfortable in his own skin as an actor. He was brilliant and he went to rehab to several times to try to cure his addiction. Read the bio Golden Boy if you get a chance, it really goes into the life of this wonderful and HUNKY actor who left us way too soon.
Honestly if mental health care had been then what it is now, I think he would have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. He was quite shy and uncomfortable I. Situations like this and sadly he self medicated with alcohol. My hearts breaks for what he went through.
Dear Sennie White, Thank you for loving William Holden; it lifts your soul to elevated plane, as well as ours. Wish his descendants are more visible. William Holden Wildlife Foundation is being maintained well by his last love, Stefanie Powers🤩😇🙏👏👥, September 29, 2020
Everybody has a flaw whether it be drugs food booze cheating stealing murder abusing etc. Holden was a great actor and people should comment so. He did so much for the animals trying to make better lives for them. Sad he is gone.
He killed a man in a drunk driving incident, was found guilty and given a suspended sentence. He died because he was drunk, fell, split his head open and bled to death. His alcoholism is fair game when discussing him.
I can't believe he was 62 in this clip...so many of the old Hollywood actors looked so much older than their ages due to smoking and drinking. It really shows how much improved lifestyles and healthcare (if you can afford it) have changed for the better in this country over even the last 50 years.
It can't be botox. Even in regular life we ordinary people look way younger than our parents and grandparents at the same age. We even move and talk with more energy and alertness. I think lifestyle and attitude have a lot to do with it.
Great interview of one of the very best actors of all time. It was reputed that he recieved $1,000,000 Dollars for his role in ' Bridge On The River Kwai '
The Late & Great William Holden would pass soon after this Carson appearance in 1980! He was one of the first proponents activist from the Hollywood scene who tried to give back, make a difference in our crumbling World today! Bill was cooler than cool! He was funkadelic
He was such a fine gentleman and exciting actor. I'll bet his car accident contributed to his alcoholism. He must have been cursed by demons of guilt, but who knows? It's such a shame his physical health deteriorated so badly at so young an age. Were he healthier we'd have had dozens more of wonderful films to enjoy with him in the cast. Whenever he graced the camera he stole the show. His animal rights activism and social work in Africa just exemplifies what a fine individual he was. RIP.
He was a great actor, and a handsome man. Unfortunately he smoked often and drank alcohol more then moderately. His drinking may have had on an affect on his death when he wounded himself after slipping and falling in his apartment on 12th November 1981.
Thank you so much for posting this inteview. William Holden was a wonderful actor, but I admire him most for his work in conservation. The William Holden Wildlife Foundation, founded by Stefanie Powers afer his death, is a fitting tribute to a remarkable man. ****** I have one question. Does anyone by chance have a copy of his interview in Kenya (1980), that aired on ABC? I know this was the one and only time he did a interview on site about his conservation effort's.
the Wild Bunch, Network, picnic, Bridge on the River Kwai, Sunset Boulevard, even Damien Omen 2 comma he was by far the best thing in that movie and he gave it an air of believability that would have been lacking without him. He was great at what he did and he seems like a really genuine nice person who cared about the world and what was going wrong with it and I became a fan unfortunately far too late to ever let him know what he was alive how much is work meant to me. I hope somehow he knows it now and I would like to say that William Holden was an absolute gym and really enjoyed what he did and he was so cool, he gave cool a new meaning. Tim him cool didn't mean a thing he was who he was I think. But I think El Dorado with John Wayne would have been awesome with William Holden in the Robert Mitchum role although Robert Mitchum was awesome in the role. For some reason Robert Mitchum and William Holden remind me of each other I'm not exactly sure why. But anyway, I have to say the Wild Bunch and Network are probably my two favorite movies with him although I loved every one of them that I saw that starred him. Not to mention I Love Lucy where he was absolutely hysterical along with Lucy. It was one of the best shows of any show ever. Rest in Peace mr. Holden, rest in peace....
Some have said that William Holden undervalued his early movies, those he did in the 40's, They were dozens of light comedies that he later called "Smiling Jim" parts . But take a look at them today. Every role shines with his earnestness, charisma, breath-taking smile and incredibly handsome face. Far from being "meaningless roles in meaningless movies," as one author noted, they are absolutely charming. They show an actor growing in stature and talent. They also serve as phenomenal contrast to his later roles in the sixties. When I first saw Holden in movies, he was the cynical, gruff outsider in " Sunset Boulevard," "Stalag 17," "Bridge Over River Kwai," "Picnic," and "Country Girl." These were staggering performances, unforgettable for their maturity, complexity, and raw sexual energy . However, today, thanks to the Internet, I've discovered the other Holden. To name just a few, the early gems " Golden Boy," "Our Town," " Young and Willing," and "Texas" show him young, dashing, and humorous. One thing did not change throughout his life, his voice. He had perfect diction, and though it grew deeper with age, that voice was always well-modulated, always clear, always easy to understand. In films such as "Dear Ruth," everything about the young actor---appearance, style, and voice----made him irresistible. And dream-worthy. All the films from the 40's are treasures of the iconic actor. Yes, Holden died tragically and aged and addicted. But what matters is his body of work and the power he had over millions of viewers to transport them to the magic of his world, and to give them joy, hope, or understanding then , today, and long after his death. What a titan of talent and beauty.
Looks like the lighting wasn't so good...making him look even more aged. A good makeup artist would have worked on those dark circles under his eyes also.
Bill Holden made a lot of great movies and i enjoy all of them, and the last i heard he died in his condo in west LA and that was very sad, and he sounded very good 1980 on Carson show.
Dear David Allen, Your comment has reawakened my memory of how "William Holden was at his most charming and handsome in 'The Moon Is Blue' " Thank You, fellow fan (*~_~)! ~October 4, 2017
Dear JubalCalif, THANK YOU for dashing any lingering doubts/rumours regarding Bill Holden's last hours, with your VERY accurate account and affection for him & his legacy (~_~)... Take Care, ~ KIMY
He was a 'good' actor, and I think 'The Wild Bunch' was the last, very last, good Western movie made.....The entire cast was wonderful, it was Peckinpah's masterpiece............Was he a drinker, you bet......Bill had a rough ride, he killed a man in Italy, most likely drunk driving......are you perfect, lots of people loved him..........I am one of those. The wildlife thing was his way of finding something good to leave behind, and it exists today.........
@Menuka Pomu: VERY INCISIVE, YOUR COMMENT -- "He'd the most brightest smile that brings glow in his whole face. Very charming and talented actor not of those time but of all time❤...." Your generosity of taking the time to unveil your heart enriches all of us, THANK YOU (*~_~*)!!! ~KIM Y, December 17, 2019
when making Rachel & the Stranger (1948) w/ Bob Mitchum & Loretta Young. Young told both Holden & Mitchum that if they didn`t cool the drinking they`d waste their talent & ruin their careers. MItchum said "thank you mother superior". Holden was contrite & agreed. Mitchum was a bawdy drinker, Holden a solitary one. it caught up w/ both,but only after long, prolific careers which produced many very good films & about a dozen classics between them. Even as old men Mitchum " The friends of Eddie Coyle", Holden in "Network".
also check out what David Lean said about Holden really astonishing and David Lean had seen quite a few powerful things before his camera but never anything like what Holden did by Kwai had had simply become one of the most powerfful actors going when they gave him the right stuff
