RIP Pat Morita

November 25, 2005 6:54 AM

The "Hip Nip" is no more. Noriyuki "Pat" Morita has died at 73.
posted by Vidiot (69 comments total)

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posted by Vidiot at 6:54 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Mitheral at 6:56 AM on November 25, 2005

wax off.... :(
posted by Robot Johnny at 6:59 AM on November 25, 2005

wipe off.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 6:59 AM on November 25, 2005

dang, yes wax off, not wipe, into the great beyond or nothingness . . .
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 7:00 AM on November 25, 2005

. Without Arnold's, I'll have to eat at Denny's.
posted by Smart Dalek at 7:04 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by OmieWise at 7:06 AM on November 25, 2005

He was a great character actor.

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posted by caddis at 7:07 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by LeeJay at 7:09 AM on November 25, 2005

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deathfilter.
posted by Busithoth at 7:12 AM on November 25, 2005

Goodbye, Arnold.
posted by jonmc at 7:13 AM on November 25, 2005

From Yahoo News this morning:

• Actor Pat Morita dies at 73
• Witness in Saddam Hussein case dies

From this juxtaposition, the only logical conclusion is that Saddam Hussein will be the next Karate Kid.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:17 AM on November 25, 2005

Sad. Truly. He made you feel close to him through the screen.

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posted by Dantien at 7:20 AM on November 25, 2005

I don't give a toss about George Best popping his clogs, but Pat Morita? I'm close to shedding a tear here...
posted by macdara at 7:21 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Space Coyote at 7:22 AM on November 25, 2005

Wow. You know, I always liked his work (Happy Days, M*A*S*H, and all that), but I never made any effort to find out anything about him until now. I never knew, for example, about the spinal tuberculosis that he overcame as a kid. Or about his confinement in one of our shameful Japanese-American internment camps during the war. He was always just "Hey, it's that guy who played Arnold and the Karate Kid's teacher." Looks like he led an interesting, character-strengthening life.
posted by Gator at 7:23 AM on November 25, 2005

The FBI marched 11-year old Morita at gunpoint out of the hospital where he was recovering from spinal tuberculosis, and took him to the Gila River internment camp for the remainder of WWII.

Nice. Makes me proud to be an American.
posted by footnote at 7:24 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by about_time at 7:27 AM on November 25, 2005

Dammit! No "Collision Course 2" now...

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posted by First Post at 7:27 AM on November 25, 2005

"The chicken is selling like hotcakes!"
posted by planetkyoto at 7:33 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by moonbird at 7:33 AM on November 25, 2005

Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?
Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penny. Three ninety-eight. You like?
[laughs]
Daniel: No, I meant...
Miyagi: Daniel-san... karate here.
[he taps his head]
Miyagi: Karate here.
[he taps his heart]
Miyagi: Karate never here
[points to his belt]
Miyagi: Understand?

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posted by Uther Bentrazor at 7:38 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Pendragon at 7:40 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Mikey-San at 7:40 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by mr.marx at 7:51 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by tomcosgrave at 7:51 AM on November 25, 2005

That's a real shame. A very charming man to watch on the screen.
posted by chunking express at 7:56 AM on November 25, 2005

The articles don't seem to mention that his stand-up act was seen by none other than Redd Foxx, who he became friends with. Foxx liked to help out his club buddies (like former stripper LaWonda Page who played Esther) and gave Morita a few guest spots playing Fred Sanford's Japanese neighbor.
posted by jonmc at 8:06 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by IndpMed at 8:14 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by nevercalm at 8:17 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by DemeterMaid at 8:26 AM on November 25, 2005

"Eye...always look eye.......
Come back tomorrow".

seriously One of the most wonderful movie portrayals of the master-pupil relationships.

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posted by lalochezia at 8:28 AM on November 25, 2005

Pat was in one of my favorite Odd Couple episodes playing a wartime kamikaze pilot who chickens out.
Felix: Why didn't you just go back?
Pat: They only gave me one way map.

That's the same episode where he says "the kids think it's hip to eat nip".
posted by gfrobe at 8:30 AM on November 25, 2005

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disregard the comma. it was a typo.
posted by DemeterMaid at 8:33 AM on November 25, 2005

Daniel: You think you could break a log like that?
Miyagi: Don't know. Never been attacked by a tree.

One could do worse than be forever type-cast as a world-wise karate master... a role he wore well.

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posted by deCadmus at 8:34 AM on November 25, 2005

I want to wax a car and paint a shed in his honor.

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posted by Faint of Butt at 8:39 AM on November 25, 2005

rest in peace, Mr. Morita.
posted by terrapin at 8:40 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by hoborg at 8:45 AM on November 25, 2005

Two from my personal fortune file:

Daniel-san, we make sacred pact. I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions. -- Mr Miyagi

Miyagi: Best defense . . . no be there.
posted by Mitheral at 8:55 AM on November 25, 2005

This is seriously one of the saddest things I've read all year.
posted by piratebowling at 9:11 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by botono9 at 9:31 AM on November 25, 2005

Another great character actor gone... RIP.
posted by maryh at 9:41 AM on November 25, 2005

. on


. off
posted by sdrawkcab at 9:46 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by drezdn at 9:47 AM on November 25, 2005

I want to wax a car and paint a shed in his honor.

I've been trying to catch a fly with chopsticks for the last twenty-odd years now.

No success yet though.

I think they must have used a stunt fly for that scene.

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posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:57 AM on November 25, 2005

"Put him in a body bag, Johnny!" --Cobra Kai
posted by Frank Grimes at 10:00 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Kiell at 10:01 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by kalimac at 10:02 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by coldon at 10:12 AM on November 25, 2005

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/me misses the big tag
posted by loquacious at 10:18 AM on November 25, 2005

ah man, rest in peace dear sir. It seems that he led a full and interesting life.
posted by sleepy pete at 10:45 AM on November 25, 2005

Pat Morita in the "Lost" Entourage Screen Test for HBO's Entourage. (warning, lots of coarse language. NSFW. But funny!)

A Stars and Stripes Interview/Article from 1967. Fascinating.

Also: .
posted by tittergrrl at 10:51 AM on November 25, 2005

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posted by alumshubby at 11:26 AM on November 25, 2005

Or about his confinement in one of our shameful Japanese-American internment camps during the war.

Hmm, same as George Takai.

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posted by scheptech at 11:46 AM on November 25, 2005

George Takei
posted by scheptech at 11:46 AM on November 25, 2005

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Mr. Miyagi will always have a special place in my cinematic memories.

I also really liked him as a big time LV gambler in 'High Roller' (the movie about Stu Ungar). It was like watching the anti-Miyagi.
posted by bashos_frog at 1:00 PM on November 25, 2005

You're the best.
posted by justgary at 1:32 PM on November 25, 2005

Pat, you were a friend of mine, and I shall very much miss having another opportunity to meet you at the Smoke House and share another beer. Godspeed, my buddy.
posted by scottymac at 1:59 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by kosher_jenny at 2:21 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by zardoz at 3:14 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by bz at 3:14 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by Heywood Mogroot at 4:02 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by ktoad at 4:44 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by bjgeiger at 6:12 PM on November 25, 2005

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posted by brundlefly at 8:42 PM on November 25, 2005

Daniel: Hey where did these old cars come from?
Miyagi: Detroit.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:00 AM on November 26, 2005

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posted by jayCampbell at 11:31 AM on November 27, 2005

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posted by feelinglistless at 2:54 PM on November 27, 2005

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posted by badlydubbedboy at 9:13 AM on November 29, 2005