to pursue them.”
Walt Disney Studios has been a launching pad for countless actors over the years: Shia LeBeouf, Ryan Gosling, that guy from the John Carter movie, Hillary Duff, and Kurt Russell, to name a few, though it is the last one that is important here. Apparently, as Walt was breathing his last, it wasn’t Mary Poppins or Mickey Mouse that filled his thoughts, but rather Snake Plissken. Just before his death, Disney wrote a note on a piece of paper. It said:
“Kurt Russell.”
James Stewart (1908–1997)
There are two types of people in this world: those who are fans of Jimmy Stewart and those you are better off not knowing.
The star of such films as Vertigo, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Harvey also flew missions for the US Air Force in World War II and had a fascinating life-long best friendship with Henry Fonda.
He is probably best summed up by this famous line from Harvey: “ ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant.’ For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.”
Stewart lost his wife a few years before his own death, and his last thoughts were of her. His last words:
“I’m going to go be with Gloria now.”
Stan Laurel (1890–1965)
Stan is best known as the thin one in the legendary duo Laurel and Hardy. The pair were a phenomenon in their early slapstick films and only got funnier when they transitioned to talkies. The duo appeared in more than a hundred films together, including twenty-three features.
Laurel was often the head writer of the duo’s sketches and was known to have an extremely quick wit, both on and off stage. He was renowned for playing pranks and running sketches every chance he got.
On his deathbed, Laurel told his nurse “I’d rather be skiing,” which prompted her to ask if he knew how to ski. His reply:
“No, but I’d rather be skiing than doing what I’m doing.”
Oliver Hardy (1892–1957)
Hardy died eight years before his partner. While the larger half of the pair was often the idea man on screen, he was actually the more laid-back half of the duo in real life. Known to his friends as Babe, Hardy was a gentle giant, well-liked by all who knew him.
Ollie is perhaps best known for his delivery of the line, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into,” that often punctuated Laurel and Hardy’s sketches.
His last years were beset by health problems, including heart attacks and strokes, the first of which hit him during his final tour with Laurel. He died with his wife by his side. His last words were to her:
“I love you.”
Lucille Ball (1911–1989)
The titular star of I Love Lucy did it all. She was an outrageously funny comedian, a talented actress, a model, a producer, and a studio executive. They had to build new glass ceilings just so she could break through them.
Lucy left us with a lot of fantastic lines like, “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age,” and “A man who correctly guesses a woman’s age may be smart, but he isn’t very bright.” Her final words were simple, but strangely haunting. In response to a nurse asking her if there was anything she needed, Lucy answered:
“My Florida water.”
Desi Arnaz (1917–1986)
It is impossible to think of Lucy without thinking of her on- and off-stage love, Desi Arnaz. Like his famous wife, the Cuban-born actor and musician broke down many barriers of his own. Desi managed to become not only a national star but also an important voice behind the scenes as a cofounder of Desilu Productions, while never losing touch with his heritage or resorting to easy humor.
Though the couple had some decidedly rocky times, ultimately divorcing in 1960, they remained fast friends until Desi’s death. In fact, Desi’s last words, before he finally lost his long battle with lung cancer, were reportedly spoken over the phone to his ex-wife:
“I love you too, honey. Good luck with your show.”
Writers
For those whose entire lives are about leaving their mark on the annals of history, one would think that last words are especially crucial. As Mark Twain famously pointed out, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
It should come as no surprise then that many of the writers listed in this chapter were indeed prepared for their one shot at nailing that all-important last line—though others, including Twain himself, seemingly found themselves with a very untimely case of writer’s block.
Voltaire (1694–1778)
To say that Voltaire was prolific would be like saying that the Eiffel Tower is somewhat well-known. The French playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, pamphleteer, historian, and academic wrote more than twenty thousand letters and more than two thousand books and pamphlets. Even more impressively, a lot of them are actually pretty good.
Voltaire was known for his lifelong battle against censorship, a battle that landed him in prison on a couple of occasions, including a stint in the Bastille and, worse yet, exile in England. There was no topic too high to be a target for his sharp tongue.
Many of his quotes have become commonplace sayings, such as, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,” “Common sense is not so common,” and “Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
Another of Voltaire’s best-known quotes is “A witty saying proves nothing,” which is somewhat ironic considering his last words. When Voltaire was asked on his deathbed to renounce Satan, he answered:
“Now is the not the time for making new enemies.”
Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
Thomas would top most lists of famous Welshmen. In his thirty-nine short years, Thomas managed to write some of the world’s most beloved and well-known poems and had an illustrious career in radio.
He
