57 is too young to die.

Bruno Kirby has died. He was only 57. It seems he was recently diagnosed with leukemia and lost his battle rather quickly. Leukemia is vicious. My uncle died of it. It's pretty freakin' bad when your *blood* has cancer. I'm sorry to hear that he had to go through that and that he died. I liked his work and he seemed like a decent guy.

Many of you many not know who Bruno Kirby is based solely on his name. But you'd know some of the roles he's played. Here he is in one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally:



Recognize him now - with the "stupid, wagon wheel, Roy Rogers garage sale coffee table!", as Harry put it? He's been in tons of movies: Good Morning Vietnam, City Slickers, even a Columbo movie. He was in one of the 70s era Columbo movies. He was a young pup at the time. He played a student at a military school where the headmaster had killed the school's new owner - the ne'er do well son of the previous owner. He even had screen credit for the role.

I think it was Bruno Kirby's name that got my attention about him. First of all, Bruno seems like a name from a movie, but like you'd never really know someone named that (not that I knew the man, but you know what I mean). It's a name for a bulldog.



Second of all, it didn't fit. He'd come on screen, and he's got this tough-guy name, but then this sort of pinched, somewhat high voice would come out. He sounded like a nerd, but he had this great, bulldog name. And it was his real name. Who looks at their beautiful infant child and comes up with "Bruno"? Apparently Bruno Kirby's parents.

Maybe some day I'll get me a bulldog and name him Bruno, not in honor of Bruno Kirby - I don't know the man; I just enjoyed his characters - but because it would be kind of cool.

God bless, Bruno Kirby. I hope you were happy with your life.