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TIME: Almanac 1993
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TIME Almanac 1993.iso
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81.52
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1992-09-25
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November 30, 1981 MILESTONES
DIED. William Holden, 63, Oscar-winning actor who played in
more than 50 films; of head injuries suffered in a fall; in his
Santa Monica, Calif., apartment. Holden became a star at 21 as
the hard-punching innocent in Golden Boy (1939), but his appeal
for the next 40 years was that of the man's man, cocky, cynical,
meeting the demands of any situation head-on and with no sweat.
He could lead a troop of renegade soldiers out of Stalag 17
(for which he won his Oscar as Best Actor) or across The Bridge
on the River Kwai. He was equally at home on the range, leading
The Wild Bunch to one last dustup with destiny. Moving and
speaking with the languid grace of inherited wealth (his father
ran a chemical business), he wooed Audrey Hepburn into maturity
in Sabrina and shepherded Gloria Swanson through the gaudy
dementia of Sunset Boulevard. His easy sexual authority dared
women to try to impress him. One who did, Kim Novak, made film
history with Holden: their slow dance in Picnic (1956) remains
electrifying expression of romantic passion. In the '60s, Holden
found refuge in the wilds of Kenya, where he supported
conservation causes. In Santa Monica to read a movie script,
Holden fell down after drinking heavily, lost consciousness and
bled to death.