I just found out veteran character actor Roscoe Lee Browne died yesterday.

Bummer.

Me and my friend (and old roommate) Steely were big fans of his and we had the good fortune of meeting him once.

If you're unfamiliar with his work, I'm sure you're familiar with his voice. The man did a ton of voicework, the most recent being tv spots for SBC.

Plus he was the voice of Box, the killer robot in LOGAN'S RUN.

Steely & I used to say his big line from that movie all the time to each other.

"It's my job!" was used an average of twice a week when we lived together.

We met him one night back in the Ripley's days while were at a post-production dinner. 

Dinner was at the Smokehouse, an old-school lounge type of thing across the street from Warner's that's been there forever.

By the way, the clam chowder? Killer.

Anyway, we're standing on the patio, smoking cigars and Steely (who has a unique talent for spotting obscure celebrities) spots Roscoe in the bar.

Mind you, the place is as about as dark as midnight and Roscoe has his back turned to us.

Like I said, the guy has a talent.

As soon as I saw him I suddenly remembered that Roscoe was in a John Wayne film that I love called THE COWBOYS.

I asked Steely if he saw it and he did.

"Mr. Nightlinger", he said. "That was his name in the movie!"

"Mr. Nightlinger", I said. "We have to meet Mr. Nightlinger."

We put our smokes away and headed in. We bellied up next to Roscoe and greeted him. I immediately stuck out my hand and introduced myself and my friend.

Roscoe, I later found out, was a regular at the Smokehouse and he held court there frequently. He knew everybody in the joint (including the lounge singer & waitresses) and was very much at ease in this surrounding, cradling his brandy in his turtle-neck & coat.

He shook my hand and struck up a friendly conversation with us, asking me what we did.

We told him, but about 2 minutes in I turned into a dork and started gushing about THE COWBOYS.

"Ah, yes... Mr. Nightlinger", he said.

I couldn't believe I was talking to Nightlinger about Nightlinger!

A big reason why I love this movie is because there's a huge unexpected twist in it (won't tell you what it is) and because of said twist Nightlinger is about to be executed by Bruce Dern and the bad guys.

Anyway, Nightlinger is about to die a dog's death, but before he does, he asks Bruce Dern if he can pray.

The prayer is one I memorized because I liked how in the scene, the prayer alludes to the tables being turned on the bad guys.

The line and the scenario are one of those gems that, as a writer, makes you smile.

So I asked Roscoe if he remembered the line from the movie.

Roscoe put down his drink and there, in the bar, graciously did us the honors from memory:

"I regret trifling with married women, I'm thoroughly ashamed at cheating at cards, I deplore my occasional departures from the truth.

Forgive me for taking your name in vain, my Saturday drunkenness, my Sunday sloth.

Above all, forgive me for the men I've killed in anger... and those I am about to... "

I'm pretty sure I moved my lips along with him as he recited it.

Goodnight Mr. Nightlinger.

copyright,  © 2007 Paul Silva 

visit us on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/newtexture