Passages

It's heart breaking when a Patrick Swayze dies -- someone far too young, who should have had many years ahead of them. And it's sad to lose people you've grown up with. I'll be posting more about Mary Travers and Henry Gibson in a moment, but I wanted to acknowledge the passing of Paul Burke. The "Naked City" star died today. He was 83.

Paul Burke, who played the upright, soul-searching detective Adam Flint on the acclaimed television drama “Naked City,” but whose career was halted decades later after he was tried and acquitted on federal racketeering charges, died on Sunday at his home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 83.

The cause was leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, said his daughter Dina Burke Shawkat.

Inspired by the 1948 film “The Naked City,” the television series was broadcast on ABC from 1958 to 1963. Noirish and brooding, it was filmed on location in New York and anticipated “Kojak” and “Law & Order” in its gritty yet warm portrayal of the city and its people. [...]

The show is also widely remembered for its closing voiceover, delivered by the actor Lawrence Dobkin: “There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.”

I remember Paul Burke as this incredibly great looking guy. It wasn't a romantic attraction. I didn't want to date Paul Burke, I wanted to BE Paul Burke ... but that's another story!

Having lost track of him a long time ago I wasn't aware of his legal problems, which he credits with ending his career. He was cleared of all charges, but that sometimes doesn't matter in Hollywood.

Condolences to his family, and rest in peace Paul Burke.