James Mason: News Report of His Death - July 27, 1984

Popular British actor, James Mason, has died. He was 75 years old.
James Neville Mason (15 May 1909 - 27 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films included The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady (1945). He starred in Odd Man Out (1947), the first recipient of the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.
He starred in a number of successful British and American films from the 1950s to the early 1980s, including The Desert Fox, A Star Is Born, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lolita, North by Northwest, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Bigger Than Life, Julius Caesar, Georgy Girl, Heaven Can Wait, The Boys from Brazil and The Verdict.
Mason was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning the Golden Globe in 1955 for A Star is Born) and two BAFTA Awards throughout his career. Following his death in 1984, his ashes were interred near the tomb of his close friend, fellow English actor Sir Charlie Chaplin.

[@johnbleakley4125]

Truly superb actor!!!! One of the very best!!! Wonderfully sinister as Mr Straker in Tobe Hooper's Salem's Lot!!!(1979). 😢👌👌🙏🙏💯

[@jmccallion2394]

If Eddie Izzard can do his voice and we know who he is, then that is a sign of a great actor!

[@crystalpower1217]

Rip 🙏 good actor

[@roxyshow123]

I think sadly the reason he never became an international star was because he was blacklisted. He was a staunch conscientious objector who refused to serve in any capacity during WWII. This is my opinion. I could be wrong.

[@ACcountryFan]

I think it had more to do with his reluctance to become a star and how he was perfectly content with being an actor, first and foremost, rather than one that chases down that big blockbuster. In a much longer clip of the interview on UA-cam, from 1980 on the 'Parkinson' TV show, James Mason discusses his unwillingness to play the Hollywood game.. passing over roles that were certain Hollywood blockbusters in favor of roles that he personally liked instead; also, he wanted to avoid being put into a pattern and not be placed into a routine by any movie studio where he'd end up making movies (playing characters) that were predictable or expected of him from the movie going audience, his way of saying that he didn't want to be typecast.