Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

I'll add one. Noel, a lovely little filmed in New York Christmas movie from 2004 directed by Chazz Palminteri in which Arkin was fourth-billed behind Susan Sarandon, Paul Walker, and Penelope Cruz. Robin Williams, who also figured prominently in the cast, was unbilled. An extremely underrated film and one of Arkin's best. He plays an elderly widower who believes that Walker playing a young cop is the reincarnation of his late wife.

What a long and wonderful journey he took.

He had an indelible credit before I was even culturally aware, having sung on the other hit version of The Banana Boat Song/Day-o by The Tarriers. Yes, there's one degree of separation between Arkin and other recent loss Harry Belafonte.

Then he moved on to Second City, and from there to Broadway, appearing in hits (Enter Laughing, Luv), winning a Tony for the former.

His film debut (disregarding an earlier uncredited appearance with The Tarriers) made him an instant star: The Russians Are Coming got him a best actor nomination (and Comedy Golden Globe); his underplaying is the thing that survives best from a largely loud/unfunny movie. He quickly displayed his range, becoming the villain who menaced Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark (his thought-he-was-dead leap made audiences scream) and then, unforgettably, the deaf mute John Singer in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. That's where I'd have given him his Oscar.

He was, improbably, a leading man by then -- his Popi in 1969 is a lovely piece -- and Catch 22 seemed like it would be a pinnacle role for him. But critics were pretty wildly split on the film (the fact that it had been upstaged by MASH a few months earlier didn't work in its favor), and, while it wasn't exactly a financial failure, its perceived failure relative to expectation hobbled Arkin's star status.

Which was fine, really, because he, like Dustin Hoffman (whom he'd directed in Hoffman's off-Broadway breakthrough Eh?), was a character actor at heart, and his work over ensuing decades was more in that realm. Everybody's going to have personal favorites. I'd highlight Hearts of the West ("Men, keep it simple...but make me BELIEVE it"), The Seven Percent Solution, The In-Laws (where he and Peter Falk made a wonderful team: Arkin the sane one who sounded crazy, Falk the lunatic with the lucid-sounding voice), Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross. As we know, I was never crazy about Little Miss Sunshine, but I can't say I was unhappy he ended up with an Oscar, even for lesser work. Oh, and don't overlook his directing work: The Sunshine Boys onstage, Little Murders for both theatre and film.

And he kept it up almost to the end, doing The Kominsky Method to great acclaim in his late 80s.

By all accounts a mensch, and a fine actor with a 60-year career. An enthused salute.

Aw.

Story.

What a long distinguished career.