RIP Norman Dale

[Magnanimous 4,812]

Gene Hackman, and unfortunately his wife and dog, were just found deceased in their New Mexico home. The circumstances of that obviously raise some eyebrows, possibly carbon monoxide poisoning, but he also was 95 years old.

One of the best actors from the late 60s through the 90s, we all know him as coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers. A movie made by one of our own, Angelo Pizzo, Hoosiers was the perfect complement to Bobby Knight’s glory days and was a national treasure among sports enthusiasts at the time. It’s an annual tradition of mine to watch this movie the night before our season begins, gets me excited more than any Hoosier Hysteria ever could. Thanks for the great career of movies, Gene, and for your personal contribution to the Indiana basketball mythos.

 

[HoosierCoop 4,113]

Hoosiers, the French Connection, etc....man, what a great career.

[theriverpilot 6,218]

Still the best Lex Luthor

[68Hoosier 1,091]

Horrible news for him and his family.  Was a great actor!  

[HoosierHoopster 7,689]

RIP, including his wife and dog, awful.

[theriverpilot 6,218]

1 minute ago, HoosierHoopster said:

RIP, including his wife and dog, awful.

No foul play involved so maybe this was carbon monoxide related?

[Muskie plays the four 675]

Rip

[HoosierHoopster 7,689]

36 minutes ago, theriverpilot said:

No foul play involved so maybe this was carbon monoxide related?

Seems likely something like that

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/entertainment/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-death/index.html

 

[OliviaPope40 7,142]

4 hours ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Seems likely something like that

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/27/entertainment/gene-hackman-betsy-arakawa-death/index.html

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/02/27/gene-hackman-death-cause-wife-betsy-arakawa/80682378007/

Won't know for 4-6 weeks but deputies make it sound like it wasn't carbon monoxide or a gas leak. 

[HoosierHoopster 7,689]

21 minutes ago, OliviaPope40 said:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/02/27/gene-hackman-death-cause-wife-betsy-arakawa/80682378007/

Won't know for 4-6 weeks but deputies make it sound like it wasn't carbon monoxide or a gas leak. 

Odd. thanks -- the reporting also says no foul play expected so weird

[JSHoosier 21,689]

29 minutes ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Odd. thanks -- the reporting also says no foul play expected so weird

A sheriff said there were no obvious signs of foul play. They'd been dead a while, maintenance workers found the door unlocked and opened and they were in different rooms.

I read a search warrant said it's suspicious enough to require a thorough search and investigation.

[HoosierHoopster 7,689]

10 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

A sheriff said there were no obvious signs of foul play. They'd been dead a while, maintenance workers found the door unlocked and opened and they were in different rooms.

I read a search warrant said it's suspicious enough to require a thorough search and investigation.

Yeah kind of bizarre, they found a bottle of prescription meds on the counter. But can't imagine they fed meds to the dog.... 

Edit - now some reporting there were pills strewn all over the bathroom, that sounds like suicide. The dog may have ingested them by accident, apparently there were a couple other dogs that were ok. Don't mean to jump to conclusions, but that is starting to sound like suicide to me.

[BA47591 492]

He was a USMC veteran. Semper Fi brother. 

[RaceToTheTop 28,726]

I was in high school during the filming of Hoosiers.  The first game in the movie was comprised of students and teachers from my high school (I was on the visitor's side -- the Oolitic Owls).  Hackman was incredibly cool with us, took time to talk with people in the stands and hammed it up.

[RaceToTheTop 28,726]

8 hours ago, Magnanimous said:

Gene Hackman, and unfortunately his wife and dog, were just found deceased in their New Mexico home. The circumstances of that obviously raise some eyebrows, possibly carbon monoxide poisoning, but he also was 95 years old.

One of the best actors from the late 60s through the 90s, we all know him as coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers. A movie made by one of our own, Angelo Pizzo, Hoosiers was the perfect complement to Bobby Knight’s glory days and was a national treasure among sports enthusiasts at the time. It’s an annual tradition of mine to watch this movie the night before our season begins, gets me excited more than any Hoosier Hysteria ever could. Thanks for the great career of movies, Gene, and for your personal contribution to the Indiana basketball mythos.

 

That's the game where my entire school was in the stands.

And for what it's worth, my Oolitic team beat Hickory that day.

[BA47591 492]

It would be nice if this thread could be without speculation. I loved Gene Hackman. 

[OliviaPope40 7,142]

Really good scene.

[LamarCheeks 21,034]

18 hours ago, RaceToTheTop said:

That's the game where my entire school was in the stands.

And for what it's worth, my Oolitic team beat Hickory that day.

I would hope so. Hickory only used four players. LOL! 

[JF87 1,981]

The funny thing about Hoosiers was that during filming Hackman thought the movie was going to be terrible.  He was combative with David Anspaugh, the director, and used to joke with Dennis Hopper that Hoosiers was going to be the end of their careers.  After the final cut came out, Hackman was surprised how good it was and apologized to Anspaugh.  Norman Dale became one of Hackman's many iconic roles.