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I don't usually do threads like this, but as I've not seen it mentioned here, I thought I'd be the one to do it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ters-dies.html
Richard Todd, the distinguished actor best known for his role in the classic war film The Dam Busters, has died at the age of 90.
His spokeswoman said that Todd, who had been suffering from cancer, died on Thursday night.
She said in a statement: ''He had been suffering from cancer, an illness that he bore with his habitual courage and dignity. His family were with him throughout.''
In his heyday, Todd was one of British cinema's biggest box office draws.
The son of a British officer, he grew up in Devon and became a war hero in his own right.
He served as an officer in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as well as serving as a paratrooper in the British 6th Airborne Division.
He was one of the first British officers to land in Normandy on D-Day.
After the war he gained fame in the London stage version of The Hasty Heart, which took him to Broadway.
He returned to England to appear in the film version, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1949.
He later appeared in the film The Dam Busters as Wing Commander Guy Gibson, in a screen reconstruction of the triumphant and daring British raid against the Ruhr dams.
He was well known in America for his role as the United States Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall in A Man Called Peter.
Todd was the first choice of author Ian Fleming to play James Bond, but because of other commitments he had to turn it down. The role went to Sean Connery.
His other film roles include Robin Hood in Robin Hood and his Merrie Men and he continued to act well into his 80s.
Joan Hayes, from Little Humby, Lincolnshire, trained Todd's gundogs for him and knew the actor for 30 years.
She said: "He was the perfect gentleman. The tragedy was that he was never knighted. He was very much loved by everyone in the village. He has been very ill recently but we attended his 90th birthday party at Grantham House in June.
"He was in a wheelchair but at least he was able to get there and see the Lancaster bomber fly-past."
Todd suffered personal tragecy in 1997 when his youngest son Seamus shot himself at the age of 20.
Eight years later, Todd's eldest son Peter, 53, also took his own life by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun after suffering depression.
His spokeswoman said that Todd, who had been suffering from cancer, died on Thursday night.
She said in a statement: ''He had been suffering from cancer, an illness that he bore with his habitual courage and dignity. His family were with him throughout.''
In his heyday, Todd was one of British cinema's biggest box office draws.
The son of a British officer, he grew up in Devon and became a war hero in his own right.
He served as an officer in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry as well as serving as a paratrooper in the British 6th Airborne Division.
He was one of the first British officers to land in Normandy on D-Day.
After the war he gained fame in the London stage version of The Hasty Heart, which took him to Broadway.
He returned to England to appear in the film version, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1949.
He later appeared in the film The Dam Busters as Wing Commander Guy Gibson, in a screen reconstruction of the triumphant and daring British raid against the Ruhr dams.
He was well known in America for his role as the United States Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall in A Man Called Peter.
Todd was the first choice of author Ian Fleming to play James Bond, but because of other commitments he had to turn it down. The role went to Sean Connery.
His other film roles include Robin Hood in Robin Hood and his Merrie Men and he continued to act well into his 80s.
Joan Hayes, from Little Humby, Lincolnshire, trained Todd's gundogs for him and knew the actor for 30 years.
She said: "He was the perfect gentleman. The tragedy was that he was never knighted. He was very much loved by everyone in the village. He has been very ill recently but we attended his 90th birthday party at Grantham House in June.
"He was in a wheelchair but at least he was able to get there and see the Lancaster bomber fly-past."
Todd suffered personal tragecy in 1997 when his youngest son Seamus shot himself at the age of 20.
Eight years later, Todd's eldest son Peter, 53, also took his own life by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun after suffering depression.
