Walnut, Calif.–Handsome leading man Rex Reason died at his home here Nov. 19 of bladder cancer. He was 86.
Of course, he played Cal Meecham in the movie “This Island Earth,” riffed in MST3K: THE MOVIE.
And, in 1996, at MST3K’s CONVENTIOCON EXPOFEST-A-RAMA 2: ELECTRIC BUGALOO in Minneapolis, he took part in a celebrity panel that also included Kim Cattrall and Russell Johnson.
The Hollywood Reporter has an obit.
Thanks to Paul for the heads up. And thanks to PrezGar for noticing the obit.
I remember seeing a story somewhere that he called Best Brains because he thought they might be able to locate some film he’d been in but couldn’t find on VHS. Mike said they could help, but only if he said, “Rrrruth!” first. Which he did and then Mike gave whatever help he could.
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I don’t care if that story is actually true; it’s true in my heart.
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Aw. The classic likable lug.
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Aw, he (and his brother) had such a great voice.
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RRROOOOTH! *subterranean rumble*
R.I.P.
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Got to see him at the ’96 convention and he came across as a really nice guy. Deepest sympathies to his family
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Did some research and examiner.com posts a link to his FB page where an associate by the name of Kent Karemaker states he passed away Thursday night
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RIP Rex. May your voice bellow in the heavens.
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I’m gonna curl up in his sock drawer and sleep for days.
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We salute you, Rex Readon… one of the good ones! :)
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Cal’s gone to a better place now: A place where he’ll never run out of things to break.
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Rex and Rhodes (of King Kong Escapes, who passed away just after Christmas last year) were both pretty incredible presences.
Rest in peace, gentlemen, and say “hi” to poor dumb Exeter for us.
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It always sucks when a familiar face of our youth fades away. In my book he was a legend long before he got the classic MST3K treatment. God speed to you Mr Reason, you magnificent bastard.
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rip Rex old buddy, stay outta the tubes.
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http://www.examiner.com/article/actor-rex-reason-has-died
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How sad. RIP Rex Reason. Wikipedia now lists a date of death, but so far, IMDb has not.
In the mid-2000s, Reason recorded an audio book and radio dramatization of the original “This Island Earth” novel to commemmorate the film’s 50th anniversary, but unfortunately, neither were released due to rights issues. IMDb user Dejael, who reportedly worked with Reason on the project (and, judging from his posts on IMDb’s “This Island Earth” discussion board, really knows and likes the film), wrote the following in 2005:
(Click my name for a direct link.)
I for one would love to enjoy Reason’s work on this project, and I sincerely hope it can be released someday.
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As far as I’m concerned he can fly that souped up jet in the afterlife (at government expense) all he wants to. (Just watch out Cal, if the plane turns green-could be the devil playing with you).
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I’ve used this handle on my Disqus account for years as a homage to good ol’ Rex. Sad to hear that he’s passed on.
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For more classic Rex, check out The Creature Walks Among Us. It co-stars Jeff Morrow!
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Official Report: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rex-reason-dead-island-earth-843188?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thr%2Fnews+%28The+Hollywood+Reporter+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo
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Thanks, #20! That article links to a good interview with Reason from 2010 (click my name for a direct link). He truly comes across as a decent man who left Hollywood for all the right reasons and enjoyed a happy and fulfilling life afterward.
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Rex has returned to the stars. RIP.
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