MovieChat Forums > Dragonslayer (1981) Discussion > Caitlin Clarke R.I.P.

Caitlin Clarke R.I.P.

posted 20 years ago by double_c
33 replies | jump to latest

As many of you may or may not know, Caitlin Clarke, who played Valerian in Dragonslayer, passed away on September 4, 2004 at the young age of 52 from ovarian cancer. Words rather fail me to describe the sense of loss I feel. I never had the honor to meet Ms. Clarke but like many fell in love with her performance as Valerian, which is easily her most famous role. She also played Simone the brunette hooker in Crocadile Dundee, two completely different roles in Penn and Teller Get Killed and several smaller roles in movies and TV. She was a fixture on and off Broadway and as her health declined she taught acting and did regional theater in her native Pennslyvania.
Rest in peace, Katherine Anne "Caitlin" Clarke. We remember you.
Elvis is DEAD

[–] SW_Jones 20 years ago

That is awful. I could never find any info on her, or where she was now.

Thank you for sharing the information about her death. Prayers go out to her family and friends.

[–] ozymandias312 20 years ago

Oh, man, that hurts. :o( I had no idea. Thanks for letting us know, though.

Amen to everything gf_bran said.

And here's to her (hoists a beer in a LotR_ goblet).

Only 52. Man ...

"Death lays his icy hand on kings." -- James Shirley

Oz

[–] james-856 20 years ago

I WORKED WITH CAITLIN ON DRAGONSLAYER,SHE WAS SUCH A LOVELY LADY,IT IS SO SAD FOR HER TO HAVE DIED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE.

GOD BLESS YOU CAITLIN R.I.P.
J.P

[–] seashellz 20 years ago

Tonite for no reason I decided to pull out the DRAGONSLAYER DVD-not having watched it since it came out-and was realizing just how lovely Caitlin Clarke was-and wondering what other films she had been in, and why I had heard nothing more of her. I came to IMDB, then clicked on her bio-
Even though I was not a "fan" of hers per se, I was very saddened, and shocked.

Beautiful Caitlin, may your journey continue ever upward into the light...

[–] enthusiast 20 years ago

Poor girl. By the way, was she the first actress to do a nude scene in a Disney film? Somebody wrote that in an informal obituary about her, but I have my doubts. I don't even think it was her skinny dipping in the pond.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] double_c 20 years ago

No one who knows for sure has ever said to my knowledge but by all accounts the underwater footage was a body double.

Elvis is DEAD

[–] enthusiast 20 years ago

Unfortunately. Caitlin and I were born about the same time; when the movie came out I was posing for some artists for figure studies (Yes, I was nude). It took some time before I was comfortable doing this in a studio and I imagine Caitlin was too shy to pose on a film set. Too bad for her as she lost her opportunity to do so. She was very pretty then.

[–] Blueghost 20 years ago

Godspeed, Caitlin Clarke.

[–] richard-793 20 years ago

Dragonslayer has always remained one of my favourite films and reading that Caitlin had passed away was a tremendous blow. Thank you for letting us know. The next time I see the film I shall be thinking of her and of her family. Caitlin Clarke, RIP.

[–] Phantasm21 20 years ago

There are no words to do her justice. She remains a heavenly gift to all lucky enough to see her performances. Would that there were more of them to treasure.

[–] enthusiast 20 years ago

On the other hand; at least she had 50+ years to enjoy life. There are a lot of people in Iraq who are coming back home in body bags who didn't get half the time she did. I wish you guys would keep that in perspective and feel sorry for the people who really deserve the sympathy.

Not that Caitlin doesn't deserve some recognition; but, let's keep everything in perspective.

[–] double_c 20 years ago

You need to get your own perspectives in line. Regardless of which issue is more important in real life, this thread is about Ms. Clarke, NOT Iraq. I started this thread to honor this obscure but obivously beloved actress. Your political views, right or wrong, are off-topic, inappropriate, and just plain rude. Take those views-and yourself-to the appropriate forum.

Elvis is DEAD

[–] enthusiast 20 years ago

You are the one who is rude. Real life is ALWAYS more important than the movies; unless you are mentally ill. My perspectives are in line; even if they were not I am still particulary proud of my posting. My final word about this matter: I hope you lose your U.S. citizenship. That is the most grevious insult that anybody can deliver!! That is even worse than losing Canadian citizenship!

[–] drashop 20 years ago

"...Real life is ALWAYS more important than the movies..."
"...feel sorry for the people who really deserve the sympathy..."
"...Not that Caitlin doesn't deserve some recognition; but, let's keep everything in perspective..."

Perhaps you are missing something. Caitlin died in real life, not in the movies. What you are saying is that actresses don't deserve the sympathy that soldiers who die get, that the death of an actress merits a lesser degree of recognition, and that Caitlin doesn't deserve the sympathy she has received (a few comments on a message board). Worse, you are saying this in a forum mourning Caitlin's passing, a public forum possibly visited by people who were close to her.

Perhaps you could bring up your thesis about the lesser value of human life when those humans work in the movies in another forum.

[–] enthusiast 20 years ago

I do not believe that I deserve such hostility from you. Nonetheless I will reply; if only for others who may be reading this as I doubt I can change your opinion.

First of all, the people who added this thread seem to think they have a special connection with her as they saw one movie that she starred in ("Dragonslayer"). I sincerely doubt that anybody posting to this thread actually even met Ms. Clarke; let alone knew her well. In fact, the person who started this thread admitted that (s)he had never met Ms. Clarke. There is nothing wrong with mentioning the passing
of a person who is publicly known; but the manner by which it has been done in this thread is somewhat "odd" to say the least. That is to say, these people are paying tributes to a person they do not even know. I am sure the people who actually did know Ms. Clarke do not put much value on what we write here anyway.

Second of all, your statements that you wrongfully attribute to me concerning that "the death of an actress merits a lesser degree of recognition), and that I have a "thesis about the lesser value of human life when those humans work in the movies" are, in fact, libelous. I did not state at all that actors or actresses have a lesser value. I personally desire that you retract that part of your statement.

Third, we will all die. Ms. Clarke died a natural death; when her time came. It is much worse when a person dies "before their time comes". Our soldiers who are stationed in combat zones are risking their lives everyday and the ones who are killed die long before they should have. These soldiers put their lives on the line and were killed before they could fully enjoy life. In other words, I did not imply that actors or actresses have a lesser value. Only that the soldiers have a even greater value. Though I now live in Lithuania I lived in the United States during the Vietnam War and knew some men who were killed there. Even though I do not agree with the purpose of the war I still consider the men I knew who went there as decent humans and, in fact, I can truthfully say that at least one of the men who I knew that died there died as a hero as he was a medic killed by enemy fire while trying to save our wounded. I feel that even you would have to admit that such a person deserves more admiration than Ms. Clarke.
Though I will say that her passing was sad.

Fourth. I did have a girlfriend who died of that terrible disease (she was 49) three years ago. So, I have some firsthand knowledge on both sides of this issue. As I knew her personally I could and did praise her achievements in life at her passing. And did sincerely mourn her. I cannot do the same for Ms. Clarke simply because I never knew her and nor did anybody else in this thread know her.

[–] drashop 20 years ago

I bear no hostility towards you, and I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your girlfriend. However, your posts have been hostile to the people posting on this thread and to Ms. Clarke. Any hostility I have is solely towards your posts and not towards you.

I did shorten a few sentences to make my post shorter-and those sentences could be misconstrued. I didn't mean to imply that you said that the life of an actress is less than that of the average human being. Let me write out the sentences you seem to be upset about in a less concise and more clear form.

--------
...that the death of an actress merits a lesser degree of recognition than that accorded to a soldier...Perhaps you could bring up your thesis about the lesser value of human life when those humans work in the movies compared to those who work as soldiers in another forum.
--------

It seems from your latest post that you are suggesting that the lives of soldiers are more valuable than the lives of actresses. And my point remains -a thread honoring someone's life after they have died is not the place to suggest that their life should be accorded a lesser value than that of some other person (hero or not).

If people who didn't know her choose to honor her life with a few sentences on a bulletin board I don't see how that's excessive. Perhaps her ability to bring life to certain characters touched the lives of some of these people and they wanted to express their appreciation. Perhaps you could ask people how Caitlin's work affected their life instead of insinuating that they are odd, that their perspective is distorted, or telling people you hope they lose their citizenship.

[–] jean-schlage 20 years ago

What is all this? Why are you bringing politics into this discussion? This series of messages was for the benefit of letting movie fans know that Caitlin Clarke had passed away. I for one did not know it and read the comments and expressions of regret over her passing and understood it for what it was. The death of an actress we had all seen in a movie. I just saw the movie again yesterday on AMC I believe. I had 4 cousins who served in Vietnam and the two married ones never returned. One of them was a Navy medic who died rescueing wounded marines and wasn't even a citizen of the USA. Still he took pride in his position. It never would have occurred to me to bring up his death in this forum. Once again, this is a forum/message board for those to express their regrets over the death of an actress in a movie we all have seen. I realize we have freedom of speech and can say what we want as long as it is not expressed in a vulgar manner but come on let's get a grip, eh? What is with all this? I have read so much of this sort of thing where people go off on a tangent. Lets try to be a little kinder to others who are expressing condolences. I didn't Ms. Clarke personally either and I am sorry she passed away.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] double_c 20 years ago

Thanx for the support, folks, but PLEASE don't feed the ugly troll anymore. It is so warped and polluted inside it can't see how vile what it is doing is. When you respond to it it just validates its mean, ugly existance. Don't give it the satisfaction.
What I do encourage everyone to do is click on the button marked ABUSE in every one of the troll's posts. Politely report how it has turned this memorial into a flame war built around it's hate and ugliness. Hopefully the admin here will see the obscenity of this and send this troll back where it belongs.
I apologize to any of Ms. Clarke's family or friends who came here expecting the memorial I hoped this thread to be and instead had to see all this troll's hate and meanness spilled out here instead.

Elvis is DEAD

[–] SW_Jones 19 years ago

To enthusiast...

You are an oversensitive person, but I'm not going to get into that. This thread was about Caitlin Clark, someone that we all remembered from the film Dragonslayer, and someone that most of us did not know had even passed away.

I think about our troops every single day in Iraq. But if I want to discuss them, I go to another message board to discuss, grieve over them and talk about their memories. There is a time and place for everything, including grieving for others. This thead became a space for those to share their feelings about Caitlin. She deserved no less sympathy than others.

The point people are making is that you hijacked this thread without a single care and made a sincere attempt to invalidate the feelings of others. If I miss Caitlin Clark because she passed away, then that's just how I feel.

Lastly, your preaching about being 'treated with hostility' is infantile and illogical at best...you threw this thread off-topic, and you began your ranting with hostility. Hostility begats hostility.

Your combatative stance and rude behavior, coupled with the way you conveniently changed the subject on a thread about Caitlin Clark, IN the imdb entry for Caitlin Clarke, is tantamount to trolling at best.

I support our troops. I also miss Caitlin Clarke, and was very saddened to hear of her death. If you don't like that, then you just need to get over it, you are no 'thought police', and you cannot change the way people feel.

G.F.

[–] schmidtkenn11 12 years ago

You are wrong about one thing, at least. James-856 posted that he had worked with her and therefore met her and knew her. (See his post above in Jan. 2005.) So your statement that no one who posted on this thread ever met her or knew her is WRONG.

"He carries illegal weapons, drives fast cars & wears clothes obviously designed by a homosexual."

[–] Dances_with_Weasels 20 years ago

This is terrible news. I had no idea. I just came to this board to find out what she has been doing lately. I have been a fan since Dragonslayer. I fell in love with Valerian.

I will miss you, Caitlin, and thank you.

Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle "Dixie"?