Remembering Army

Variety columnist Army Archerd passes away at 87-years-old

Legendary Variety columnist Army Archerd (what a great name, by the way) has passed away at the age of 87-years-old.

The Hot Blog's David Poland has written some nice, perceptive thoughts about the writer:

"What can one say about Army Archerd? He WAS the Old School.

"He was the only daily columnist in the film business when I decided there was a hole in the big picture and became the second one just over 12 years ago. The Hot Button was my response, in many ways, to Variety, starting with Archerd. I grew up reading Variety. I loved reading Variety. Army was always right there, telling us what the glam crowd was up to, floating ideas that needed floating, loving Hollywood like no one else."

He continues further down his entry with:

"Archerd was, indeed, a blogger before the word 'blog' was invented. He wasn't about venom. He was about syrup. But you know, that is the secret truth of most of those who work the venom side. They are in the business of scoops and filling column inches... and no one does that on rage alone. And Army Archerd did it without irony. Will we ever see that from a journalist again?

"And by the way... by all accounts, he was also a very good and kind man. God bless anyone who can walk away from decades in this business and still have that said of him or her."

Archerd was a good friend of James Stewart, and that's a plus in any book, or column.

Read Poland's entire piece here. It's a good one.