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'Barbarella' Star Law Dies at Age 70

AP
Posted: 2008-05-15 18:31:07
LOS ANGELES (May 15) - John Phillip Law, the strikingly handsome 1960s movie actor who portrayed an angel in the futuristic "Barbarella" and a lovesick Russian seaman in "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," has died. He was 70.

Law died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home, his former wife, Shawn Ryan, told the Los Angeles Times. The cause of death was not announced.

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With vivid eyes, blond hair and imposing physique, Law was much in demand by filmmakers in the late 1960s and early '70s.

He gained wide notice in 1966 with Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and Theo Bikel in "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," Norman Jewison's Cold War comedy in which a Soviet submarine runs aground off a peaceful New England island town.

He played the sweet Russian youth who falls in love with a local American girl in the film, which was nominated for four Oscars including best picture, actor (Arkin) and director.

French director Roger Vadim put Law's looks to good use in his 1968 science fiction film, "Barbarella," which starred Vadim's then-wife, Jane Fonda, as a sexy space traveler in the faraway future. Law wore wings to portray Pygar, a blind angel.

"I've had more kicks out of playing far-out things," Law told the Los Angeles Times in 1966. "It's like putting on a funny face and going out in front of people and going, `yaaaaaa."'

Messages left Thursday for Fonda's New York publicist were not immediately returned.

Law was World War I ace Baron Manfred von Richtofen in the 1971 "The Red Baron" and Charlton Heston's son in "The Hawaiians," a 1970 sequel to "Hawaii," based on James Michener's sprawling novel "Hawaii."

In Otto Preminger's 1967 film, "Hurry Sundown," he was a war veteran struggling to preserve his farm against a land speculator played by Michael Caine. Fonda played Caine's wife.

He continued his career in a variety of U.S. and foreign films and television over the past 30 years, including appearances in "The Young and the Restless" and "Murder, She Wrote."

Law was a California native, born in 1937 to actress Phyllis Sallee, and her husband, a police officer. He told the Los Angeles Times he did some extra work in films as a child. He said he put acting ambitions aside in his teens, but his interest was renewed in a college drama class.

He worked in the theater in New York for a while before breaking into the movies, spending some time in the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center, whose directors included the great Elia Kazan.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-15 16:24:31
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 187
187 comments

zebrafil 04:33:35 AM May 17 2008

Law was in some very interesting films. He has a place in the news for that reason. Jealous Joe/June Lunchbox Nobody hate the fact that they have no claim to fame. No ones fault but their own. If you want recogntion earn it. You may never know how much you mean to someone. In the meantime Law did an interesing Italion western called Death Rides A Horse. I wish Sergio Leone had done that one.
Law will be missed. He could have been even better used by the good directors in his time.

jungle1700 03:44:46 AM May 17 2008

That was Jane's beast movies. She was fantastic back then before the Viet Nam days destroyed her politically John nailed Jane and was able to fly her to Tau to destroy Duran Duran (who the group got their name from this movie).

persephone131953 03:29:01 AM May 17 2008

Yes, ignorant one, a person can overdose on illegal drugs--it's an *over* dose, because it was too much of a dose for that person.
And, w.chisler, why do you care.It was a woman he was married to, first of all.But if for some reason he really *was* gay--what the heck is it to you?

persephone131953 03:22:29 AM May 17 2008

Toner, first of all John Kerry WAS a Viet Nam vet--he was against the war because he'd *been* there and saw it 1st hand. I agree 100%that Jane Fonda was terribly*wrong*.

But--we're not here to discuss that. The actor John Phillip Law has died, and we're talking about that, and him.

persephone131953 03:17:33 AM May 17 2008

gphr29200007, yes, I know---I rememebr--he was quite handsome back then--strikingly so.

persephone131953 03:16:28 AM May 17 2008

I remember him in both movies, odd, since it wasn't very important to me.Though "The Russians Are Coming...." was very funny, as well as sweet.
My sympathy to his family, and ex- wife.
I will say a prayer for his soul too.I hope he was happy in his last months and years.

citysher, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend, I really am.No one can expect you to care about an actor when a good man who was your friend just passed away .
However, this is not a bad thing that he's in the news--most people who saw those movies remember him, and he's just passed away--so it's only natural.

vickinlouisville 01:27:35 AM May 17 2008

who the hell is this guy, and I thought Barbella was a horse in the KY Derby that they put down years ago. lol

mulepick 12:54:13 AM May 17 2008

I would have preferred to read of the death of another star of Barbarella.

ccitysher 08:46:25 PM May 16 2008

This is news? I mean cmon AOL he played a bit part in a movie a long time ago and oh, russians are coming, hmm, ok. Sorry for his death, it's always a loss but I lost a friend in an auto accident. Great guy that left his organs for those who needed them. Five different people are alive today because of my friends accident and death. Point is, people die everyday, just wondering why the spotlight on this man?
Did he leave his organs for others left living or did I miss something?

gamesformay1 08:09:53 PM May 16 2008

aldrdgyl 07:45:39 PM May 16 2008

why are people so nasty on here ?

They are nasty because they falsly belive they are not known.

They cheaply take out there pathetic feelings on everyone else.

Weak.

1 - 10 of 187
187 comments

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