NEW YORK (AP) -- Peter Boyle, the actor known for playing everything from a tap-dancing monster in "Young Frankenstein" to the curmudgeonly father in the long-running TV sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died. He was 71.
Screw "Everybody Loves Raymond." I will forever adore him for this:
Ah, the great dance number from the Terry Schiavo Story.
Terrific comedic actor, one of the best.
Posted by: attaturk | December 13, 2006 at 12:17 PM
He was a great political progressive as well.
RIP, Peter Boyle.
Posted by: mnkid | December 13, 2006 at 12:19 PM
"Was that a yummy sound?"
...God bless 'em.
Posted by: Darryl Pearce | December 13, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Well, he WAS the only one worth a damn on "Everybody Loves Raymond." My mother loved that show (sadly) and when she had it on I would pay attention only to Peter Boyles's scenes, as sparse as they were.
Posted by: mothra | December 13, 2006 at 12:27 PM
I really don't understand how Dick Cheney can continue to live while all these good people go.
I'm kind of serious about that.
Posted by: watertiger | December 13, 2006 at 12:28 PM
god love ya, watertiger. I read that on CNN and came over here-knowing you'd have something-likely irreverant but loving-up about it.
RIP
Posted by: lavalamp | December 13, 2006 at 12:30 PM
Boyle was the only good thing about "Everybody Loves Raymond." The rest of the show was shite
Posted by: klyde | December 13, 2006 at 12:32 PM
This makes me sadder than it should.
Posted by: Molly Ivors | December 13, 2006 at 12:50 PM
His wonderful turn on the X-Files-let's not forget that.
Posted by: Sharktattoo | December 13, 2006 at 01:27 PM
Great supporting role in Taxi Driver, plus an amazing performance in the 1970 movie 'Joe,' directed by (future) Rocky director John Avildsen.
And I totally forgot about that X-Files episode; heartbreaking and comedic at the same time.
Posted by: norbizness | December 13, 2006 at 01:39 PM
and who could ever forget his wonderfully-defining role in "Joe."
Posted by: Jackal | December 13, 2006 at 01:45 PM
I had no idea that John Lennon! was the best man at Boyle's wedding. Per Yahoo....
Posted by: Phoebe | December 13, 2006 at 01:52 PM
This was my first thought as well. Followed by the fervent hope that Peter gets to kick Taco's ass for all eternity. What? Taco isn't dead?
Posted by: JeffCO | December 13, 2006 at 02:19 PM
My daughter called me at work when she heard about his death on the news. She was saddened by his death.
And so am I.
Posted by: leslie ;-) | December 13, 2006 at 02:26 PM
Me too. One of my favorite movies evah.
I could never abide "Everybody loves Raymond." fooey.
Posted by: four legs good | December 13, 2006 at 03:37 PM
...and his perfect mugging through the 4th wall when the sexy Madeline Kahn/Elsa Lanchester dances into the room, he folds down the newspaper and stares out over his half-glasses.
Posted by: friend of the monster | December 13, 2006 at 03:53 PM
An excellent actor who will be greatly missed. Condolences to his family and friends. And, thanks to Peter, for all his contributions to the entertainment industry. He was the sort of 'character' that defined a "character actor", and without them, there would be no mega-stars. RIP
Posted by: RAHRules | December 13, 2006 at 04:19 PM
I remember very well the first time I saw this scene. I had been teaching hearing impaired kids and Boyle perfectly imitated the way they would have said the lines.
Young Frankenstein is one of the family's favorite movies. My daughter memorized all the lines:
"What hump?"
"Abby, Abby Normal."
"Frau Beuhler" - - (horse whinneys)
Sorry to see him go. I second the thought about "Joe", a memorable film from the 60's.
R.I.P. Peter Boyle.
Posted by: Rene ala Carte | December 13, 2006 at 04:23 PM
Peter was fine as Carl Lazlo, Esquire -- attorney to Hunter S. Thompson (Bill Murray), in"Where The Buffalo Roam," not a great flick but a funny one.
Posted by: Billy Pilgrim | December 13, 2006 at 07:46 PM
Frau Blucher is Mrs. Glue Factory in German according to a professor I once had. I finally understood the horses after he said that...
Anyway, I thought Frank was great character and totally believable even though you often caught yourself laughing and saying, "I can't believe he just said that!"
And I second the wondering about Dick Cheney still being alive....
Posted by: lowly grunt | December 13, 2006 at 10:56 PM
My favorite scene from YF: where he vistied the blind guy, played by Gene Hackman.
I just about peed myself...
I am sad to hear this news.
Posted by: ollie | December 14, 2006 at 08:44 AM
Ollie,
"But I made espresso!"
Posted by: watertiger | December 14, 2006 at 01:01 PM
I second the view of norbizness..."Joe" is perhaps forgotten, but as a picture of its times it was stark, very dark and not soon to be forgotten. From AMG:
"Peter Boyle delivers a strong and raw performance as Joe Curran, a racist factory worker who hates 'hippies and niggers.' The film deals with New York City advertising executive Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick), who kills Frank (Patrick McDermott), the junkie lover of his daughter Melissa (Susan Sarandon, in her film debut), when she ends up in a mental hospital after suffering an overdose of speed. Stunned by his rage, Bill goes into a bar and comes upon Joe, who discovers the murder and holds Bill in great esteem for his killing of the long-haired drug pusher, congratulating Bill on a job well done. The two begin a class-spanning friendship. When Melissa escapes from the hospital, after finding out that her father killed her boyfriend, Bill and Joe comb Greenwich Village to find her. When they come upon a hippie pot party, the two reactionaries snap, pull out their guns, and go on a killing spree."
Posted by: serge | December 14, 2006 at 02:13 PM
I was in high school when "Young Frankenstein" came out. My friend Greg Cooper has been known to us as "Aouuubieee Ooooobbaa" ever since
Posted by: A Hermit | December 14, 2006 at 02:45 PM
So why is the 1/4 second shot of Teri Garr the index frame?
Posted by: some guy in Austin | December 14, 2006 at 04:39 PM
If you've never seen "The Dream Team", you've missed one of my favorite performances of Peter Boyle.
His performances in the street church and also in the therapy group are some of my favorites in all film.
It's to laugh . . . a lot.
Thanks, Peter.
Posted by: leslie | December 14, 2006 at 10:15 PM
I'd forgotten this tap dancing performance--outstanding, NSM.
Posted by: David | December 14, 2006 at 11:26 PM
"Hey Joe, Don't it make you want to go to war, once more" - the lyrics from the "Joe" theme song still haunts me 35 years later. Peter Boyle was excellent in the movie, and caused us to reflect how how our hate can end up killing our own.
Posted by: Doug | November 29, 2007 at 11:58 AM