Marlon Brando Dead at 80
By Jake Easton
R A D O K N E W S
Posted: July 2, 2004 5:42am PST
Updated: July 4, 2004 6:56am PST
LOS ANGELES — Actor Marlon Brando died Thursday night in Los Angeles, according to local CBS affiliate KPHO in Phoenix, who first reported the story.
His lawyer and family members confirm that Brando died at UCLA Medical Center at approximately 6:30pm July 1st. The cause of death was lung failure.
Just last week, Marlon Brando was at work making script changes for a new movie, "Brando and Brando," that was to start shooting this month. French-Tunisian director Ridha Behi said Friday that Brando, who would have portrayed himself, was ailing but enthusiastic about the project.
Brando was recently in the news when it was disclosed that the retired recluse allegedly owed more than $28 million, and was reportedly hiding his Oscars for On the Waterfront and The Godfather for fear they would be seized by debt collectors.
An article in London's Sunday Times says the slumming Brando complained to court officials last year that he scraped by on two pensions worth roughly $7,600 a month, while an ex-lover and maid, who also once engaged him in a court battle, lived in a bigger, better domicile than he.
He was born in Nebraska in 1924 and made his Broadway debut in "I Remember Mama." Brando's big break came in his role as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1947. He also starred in the film version in 1951. 
More Marlon Brando News
· Marlon Brando's Ashes Scattered. The ashes of legendary actor Marlon Brando were spread in Tahiti and Death Valley, according to a newspaper report. A memorial service for Brando, who died of lung failure at age 80 on July 1, was held at the home of Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy and was attended by Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Sean Penn, the Los Angeles Times reported. 
· Brando Ends Film Career As Elderly Woman. Marlon Brando started his screen career as a muscular leading man, and ended it as ... an elderly woman. The actor's last role was a voice performance as Mrs. Sour in the animated comedy "Big Bug Man." The film is set for release in 2006.
· Brando will left zilch for 2 kids. Marlon Brando cut out of his will one of his teenage grandsons and an adopted daughter, according to a copy of the document released yesterday.
· Brando's will estimates estate at about $21.6 million. Contrary to reports that Marlon Brando died virtually penniless, the late acting legend left an estate valued at roughly $21.6 million, according to his will.
· Marlon Brando cremated. LATE Hollywood legend Marlon Brando was cremated over the weekend in a private ceremony in Los Angeles attended only by family, his longtime friend Jay Kanter said. The funeral took place over the weekend in Los Angeles.
· Marlon Brando was a 'monster', claims ex-wife. He might have been the proverbial Godfather for many, but Hollywood legend Marlon Brando was a monster and a cruel and unforgiving father to his own son, if his ex-wife is to be believed.
· Brando kin, legitimate or not, begin grab. One dead movie star. Three ex-wives. As many as 15 legitimate and illegitimate kids. It's a recipe for the horror that's beginning to brew over Marlon Brando's will.
· Late Marlon Brando Remembered As a Genius. The words are pretty simple: "Stella!" and "I coulda been a contender ..." or even "The horror ... the horror ..." But these lines, when spoken by the late Marlon Brando, revolutionized the way actors behaved onscreen and ignited a generation of performers to unleash their inner passion before the cameras.
· Remembering Brando. From the beginning, audiences and critics weren’t always sure what they were getting with Marlon Brando. Some praised his originality immediately, others dismissed him as a sloppy mumbler, while still others felt they weren’t prepared for what he had to offer: the shock of the new.
· Fans remember Brando. Brando, who often derided acting as a neurotic joke of a profession, earned a record-breaking $3.7 million for a brief appearance in "Superman" (1978), which flew high at the box office, and $5 million for 10 minutes of footage in "Christopher Columbus - The Discovery" (1992), which quickly sank.
· Marlon Brando Quiz. One of the greatest actors of the 20th century has passed away. See how much you know about the life and times of the late and much lamented Marlon Brando.
· Brando Redefined Acting for a Generation. The two-time Oscar winner, who died at age 80, popularized the Method style of performing, which stripped away grandiose theatricality in favor of a deeper psychological approach to inhabiting a character.
» Love life as big as the legend. Like everything thing else about him, Marlon Brando's romantic life was large - and so complicated even he had trouble keeping track of his lovers and their offspring.
» Screen never was the same. Though he appeared in only 41 movies over 54 years, and in fewer than a dozen good ones, Marlon Brando's impact on the medium ranks right up there with the advents of color and sound.
· ABC News: Marlon Brando, considered one of the greatest American actors of all time and the winner of best actor Oscars for memorable performances in On the Waterfront and The Godfather, has died.
· CBS News: Marlon Brando, who revolutionized American acting with his Method performances in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "On the Waterfront" and went on to create the iconic character of Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather," has died.
· CNN News: Marlon Brando, the stage and screen actor whose performances in "A Streetcar Named Desire," "On the Waterfront" and "The Godfather" earned him plaudits as one of the greatest actors of all time, has died, his attorney said.
· Fox News: Marlon Brando, who turned 80 years old just two months ago, is dead, the actor's sister and a close family friend told FOXNews.com's Roger Friedman Friday morning.
· MSNBC: Marlon Brando, who revolutionized American acting with his Method performances in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “On the Waterfront” and went on to create the iconic character of Don Vito Corleone in “The Godfather,” has died.
· BBC News: Screen legend Marlon Brando, famous for his roles in On the Waterfront and The Godfather, has died aged 80 in a Los Angeles hospital.
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