Gene Hackman Found Dead

Above, Gene Hackman in 1972,

Actor Gene Hackman, his wife and dog were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home. Foul play is not suspected according to reports.

Their passing sounds like, to me, a case of accidental carbon monoxide asphyxiation. I had a family member who died by carbon monoxide asphyxiation. I don't know if this is the case, but based upon the initial reports, it sounds like it. Or, a possible gas leak. I'm just speculating.

Fox News reported:

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was found dead alongside his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and their dog in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday afternoon.

Hackman was 95 at the time of his death and his wife 63. The office confirmed that foul play is not suspected as a factor in the deaths at this time, but the cause of death has not been determined. 

"On February 26, 2025 at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95 and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased," the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office told Fox News Digital early Thursday morning. 

Hackman was best known for his Oscar-winning performances in "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven."

I saw Hackman one year at the Long Beach Grand Prix. He was in the garage area of the event talking to some people. This was in the mid-1980s.

To read more, go here. 

50 Years of "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection"

Back in 1971, two cop movies were released in the last quarter of the year.

One was The French Connection, starring Gene Hackman and directed by William Friedkin. The other was Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Don Siegel.

One of them won Academy Awards for best picture, best actor and best director while the other didn't get any nomination. One is still often talked about among movie fans and the other is rarely mentioned. Gene Hackman is better known as Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies than as Popeye Doyle of The French Connection. Eastwood is still strongly associated as Harry Callahan.

The one that won the Academy Awards is the one rarely mentioned and the other that didn't hasn't lost its popularity. 

I saw both movies back when they were released and of the two, I found Dirty Harry a much more enjoyable movie. I don't even remember much of The French Connection. I still feel that Dirty Harry is the more fun and thought-provoking movie of the two.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of both Dirty Harry and The French Connection. I was in my senior year in high school when they were released. 

Interestingly, the two main actors of those movies, Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood co-starred in The Unforgiven (1992), the movie that garnered Eastwood and Hackman Academy Awards. It won Best Picture and Best Director for Clint Eastwood, Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman, and Best Film Editing for editor Joel Cox.

"The Speed Merchants" DVD and 1985 Grand Prix of Long Beach

Above, The Speed Merchants DVD signed by Vic Elford.

Last evening after dinner, I popped in a DVD that was given to me from Russell Azbill, The Speed Merchants (1973) on auto racing (thanks, Russell).

It was an interesting look at auto racing in the U.S. and Europe. It was narrated by drivers Mario Andretti and Vic Elford (Elford signed the DVD case). 

It has to be one of the best documentaries on auto racing during the bygone era of the early 1970s.

Above, yours truly at the 1985 Grand Prix of Long Beach.

It reminded me that I attended two Grand Prix of Long Beach (1984 and 1985). I was fortunate enough to have been given tickets to those events from vendors I worked with in my job as a property insurance adjuster. One of them (1984) included a garage pass which allowed me to wander into the garage areas where teams worked on their cars. While inside, I walked past actor Gene Hackman while he was chatting with one of the drivers.

In 1984, the Grand Prix of Long Beach switched from Formula One cars to CART Indy Cars.

Mario Andretti won both the 1984 and 1985 races. I snapped a photo of Andretti in 1985 while he was sitting on a mini-bike and chatting.

I scanned some of my photos from the 1985 Grand Prix and they are below: