Last call, Joe

I learned today of the passing of the world’s favorite movie bartender, Joe Turkel, who departed this realm on June 27 (Somewhere in Time day), at age 94. Known principally for his performances as Lloyd the drink slinger in The Shining and Dr. Eldon Tyrell in Blade Runner, Turkel has the distinction of being one of just two actors to appear in three Stanley Kubrick films. (He had parts in The Killing, Paths of Glory and The Shining, while Philip Stone appeared in The Shining (as Delbert Grady), Barry Lyndon and A Clockwork Orange.)

I met Joe in 2014 and was impressed by his friendliness and generosity. He clearly had great respect for his fans and Kubrick, whom he called the “finest director of them all.” If you believe in such things, let’s hope Joe, Philip and Stanley are sharing a drink at that big Overlook bar in the sky. Your money’s no good there, boys.

Comments are closed.