R.I.P. Ernest Borgnine

McHALE'S NAVY is a sitcom thatI enjoyed greatly a sa child, even more so as a teen and adult in early evening reruns and one that took on a special significance to me when I became friends with its co-star Bob Hastings.

Ernest Borgnine died today. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-ernest-borgnine-oscar-winner-has-died-at-95-20120708,0,1736052.story He was not a typical leading man by anyone's standards but his Oscar-winning role in MARTY made him just that and it continued through the McHALE years. After that, Borgnine spent more than 40 years as one of the most welcome, recognizable and reliable character actors in movies and on television. Rest in Peace, Skipper. Dismissed.