James Whitmore 1921-2009

James Whitmore has passed on and for most people he will forever be Brooks Hatlen, the Shawshank prisoner who couldn't deal with the free world after being institutionalized. Whitmore's 5 minute tangent in The Shawshank Redemption was a gutsy move by writer-director Frank Darabont - that eventually pays off, big-time. He was Oscar nominated in 1949 for Battleground and in 1975 for Give 'em Hell, Harry!. That's some impressive longevity. A quick look at his filmography makes me want to check out The Asphalt Jungle again.