Captain Lou Albano, 1933-2009
October 14, 2009 2:06 PM Subscribe
Captain Lou Albano, legendary wrestler and entertainer, died today at the age of 76. He and Cyndi Lauper raised $4 million for Multiple Scleriosis causes, while at the same time ushering in the age of Rock and Wrestling. He was also Mario ... C'mon, let's do the Mario! Also, he was the only one on TV with a rubber band in his beard. Long Live the Captain!
O <-- rubber band
posted by dirigibleman at 2:08 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by dirigibleman at 2:08 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
I couldn't wait another day for the Captain of my Heart.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:08 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:08 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by roll truck roll at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by roll truck roll at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
Oh shit no! Damn, he was awesome.
SWING. YOUR. ARMS. FROM SIDE TO SIDE! COME ON IT'S TIME TO GO DO THE MARIO!
I'm going to be singing that in my head for a week. RIP Captain Lou.
posted by threetoed at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
SWING. YOUR. ARMS. FROM SIDE TO SIDE! COME ON IT'S TIME TO GO DO THE MARIO!
I'm going to be singing that in my head for a week. RIP Captain Lou.
posted by threetoed at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
sincerely upset by this. capt lou was my half-ironic image of mario for the majority of my life.
so long, lou.
posted by shmegegge at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
so long, lou.
posted by shmegegge at 2:10 PM on October 14, 2009
The world's rubber band industry was dealt a sad blow today.
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posted by chambers at 2:11 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by chambers at 2:11 PM on October 14, 2009
The rubber band wasnt actually IN his beard, yeah? It was ON his face. I mean, he had rubber bands in his beard too but didn't he have one just basically attached to his face?
I hope he's up there with George the Animal Steele having a grand ole time.
posted by spicynuts at 2:11 PM on October 14, 2009
I hope he's up there with George the Animal Steele having a grand ole time.
posted by spicynuts at 2:11 PM on October 14, 2009
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Watched him wrestle on B&W TV, saw him with Bruno Sanmartino, then Cyndi Lauper videos...what a great and kooky American life.
posted by fixedgear at 2:12 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Watched him wrestle on B&W TV, saw him with Bruno Sanmartino, then Cyndi Lauper videos...what a great and kooky American life.
posted by fixedgear at 2:12 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by brundlefly at 2:13 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by brundlefly at 2:13 PM on October 14, 2009
. | | | | | | | | .posted by eschatfische at 2:16 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by spicynuts:
"I hope he's up there with George the Animal Steele having a grand ole time."
Umm, The Animal is still alive and well. Here's a cute short film he did recently with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
posted by not_on_display at 2:16 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
"I hope he's up there with George the Animal Steele having a grand ole time."
Umm, The Animal is still alive and well. Here's a cute short film he did recently with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
posted by not_on_display at 2:16 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Some say the man's not wrapped too tight,
Captain Lou, Captain Lou, Captain Lou
But when he's on the scene, everything's alright,
Captain Lou, Captain Lou Albano.
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posted by flod at 2:18 PM on October 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
Captain Lou, Captain Lou, Captain Lou
But when he's on the scene, everything's alright,
Captain Lou, Captain Lou Albano.
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posted by flod at 2:18 PM on October 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
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Seriously.
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Between cartoons and wrestling, this man was a huge part of my childhood.
posted by mediocre at 2:22 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Seriously.
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Between cartoons and wrestling, this man was a huge part of my childhood.
posted by mediocre at 2:22 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Also, it's nice to see a wrestler live a long, fulfilled life instead of dying young like so many before him.
posted by mediocre at 2:23 PM on October 14, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by mediocre at 2:23 PM on October 14, 2009 [4 favorites]
Google has failed me numerous times in my attempts to prove that I didn't make up the following out of whole cloth: when I was a kid I swear to god I read a cheap paperback novel about a man who was taught how to be a secret agent by applying the tenents of pro-wrestling, with Captain Lou Albano in the Mr. Miyagi/ Chiun teacher/taskmaster role.
I swear to god.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:24 PM on October 14, 2009
I swear to god.
posted by Bookhouse at 2:24 PM on October 14, 2009
Take one step, and then again.
posted by adamdschneider at 2:32 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by adamdschneider at 2:32 PM on October 14, 2009
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Often Imitated, Never Duplicated, indeed. His fundraising efforts for the MS Society were wonderful.
Oh, and it's Multiple Sclerosis
posted by zarq at 2:35 PM on October 14, 2009
Often Imitated, Never Duplicated, indeed. His fundraising efforts for the MS Society were wonderful.
Oh, and it's Multiple Sclerosis
posted by zarq at 2:35 PM on October 14, 2009
∞
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:40 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:40 PM on October 14, 2009
Sad day.
My brother and I somehow convinced our parents, who would normally be against such a thing, to let us have a television in our room. Essentially the only reason we got it was so we could get up at 6:30am to watch The Super Mario Brothers Super Show! For some reason our local FOX affiliate showed it at that time on weekdays.
Thinking about it now, maybe my parents knew this, and let us have the television, so we'd actually want to get up in the mornings. Clever.
My parents had graciously delivered unto us a new brother a couple of years before, and by the time The Super Mario Brothers Super Show! was on, he was at that really fun age where, through repetition, you can get toddlers to do anything you want. So we taught him to "Do the Mario!" which basically consisted of him lurching forward in a weird, wider stance, arms wide, and kind of letting his right foot slip a little bit at the end, like the good Captain did at the end of every episode's credits, as seen at the 39 second mark of this clip.
posted by m0nm0n at 2:40 PM on October 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
My brother and I somehow convinced our parents, who would normally be against such a thing, to let us have a television in our room. Essentially the only reason we got it was so we could get up at 6:30am to watch The Super Mario Brothers Super Show! For some reason our local FOX affiliate showed it at that time on weekdays.
Thinking about it now, maybe my parents knew this, and let us have the television, so we'd actually want to get up in the mornings. Clever.
My parents had graciously delivered unto us a new brother a couple of years before, and by the time The Super Mario Brothers Super Show! was on, he was at that really fun age where, through repetition, you can get toddlers to do anything you want. So we taught him to "Do the Mario!" which basically consisted of him lurching forward in a weird, wider stance, arms wide, and kind of letting his right foot slip a little bit at the end, like the good Captain did at the end of every episode's credits, as seen at the 39 second mark of this clip.
posted by m0nm0n at 2:40 PM on October 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
as mediocre said, it's sad to see the Captain gone, but it's kind of refreshing to see a wrestler who's lived a full life. I'll miss the Captain, because who else is going to tell me "Whatcha gonna do with your life?"
posted by Ghidorah at 2:48 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Ghidorah at 2:48 PM on October 14, 2009
When I was a young lad growing up in Pittsburgh, I hit the Captain with a well-thrown tennis ball I had smuggled into the Civic Arena.
posted by Shike at 2:49 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Shike at 2:49 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
I just bought a burrito, and it was depressing to see the AP headline. Apparently, starring in "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" was his claim to fame. BAH!
posted by mrgrimm at 2:51 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by mrgrimm at 2:51 PM on October 14, 2009
Bookhouse--
Body Smasher is the book you are thinking of. There were a couple of sequels, as well.
link to a pic
posted by Theodore Sign at 2:55 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Body Smasher is the book you are thinking of. There were a couple of sequels, as well.
link to a pic
posted by Theodore Sign at 2:55 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, Captain Lou, you know you're still Number One.
::quietly, solemnly takes one step, and then again::
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posted by Faint of Butt at 3:00 PM on October 14, 2009
::quietly, solemnly takes one step, and then again::
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posted by Faint of Butt at 3:00 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by Pope Guilty at 3:04 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:04 PM on October 14, 2009
Remembering Captain Lou the best way I know:
Captain Lou, Captain Lou, Captain Lou.
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posted by Never Better at 3:23 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Captain Lou, Captain Lou, Captain Lou.
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posted by Never Better at 3:23 PM on October 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
"I hope he's up there with George the Animal Steele having a grand ole time."
Umm, The Animal is still alive and well. Here's a cute short film he did recently with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
SHIT! I meant Andre the Giant. Sorry, George!!
posted by spicynuts at 4:16 PM on October 14, 2009
Umm, The Animal is still alive and well. Here's a cute short film he did recently with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
SHIT! I meant Andre the Giant. Sorry, George!!
posted by spicynuts at 4:16 PM on October 14, 2009
When I was a kid, I was absolutely positive I saw Lou Albano looking at lamps in a Boscov's in Reading PA. I ran to get my brother but by the time we got back to the lamp department he was gone. That was one of the saddest moments of my life.
Lou's role as Frank the Fixer in Wise Guys also deserves a mention.
posted by maurice at 4:16 PM on October 14, 2009
Lou's role as Frank the Fixer in Wise Guys also deserves a mention.
posted by maurice at 4:16 PM on October 14, 2009
In '86 or '87 I watched the man eat two large pizzas and down one pitcher of beer in roughly 15 minutes. The young kuuju was impressed.
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posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:17 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:17 PM on October 14, 2009
Captain Lou Albano, legendary wrestler and entertainer, died today at the age of 76...
...Long Live the Captain!
Hmm!
posted by semmi at 4:17 PM on October 14, 2009
...Long Live the Captain!
Hmm!
posted by semmi at 4:17 PM on October 14, 2009
(and another source of fond 80's memories for me fades away....)
posted by Dr-Baa at 4:43 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Dr-Baa at 4:43 PM on October 14, 2009
Another one bites the dust.
posted by Mike Mongo at 4:54 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Mike Mongo at 4:54 PM on October 14, 2009
Wow. Albano was from my hometown. I have a photo somewhere with him at a local bowling alley, with me wearing my Nintendo Power sweatshirt. He signing autographs to promote something, but I can’t remember what.
posted by Garak at 5:19 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Garak at 5:19 PM on October 14, 2009
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Seriously! I'm not being snarky. It's not like I had some absurd connection with the man, but really the guy was just so much fun.
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posted by Lacking Subtlety at 5:25 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by Lacking Subtlety at 5:25 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by EatTheWeek at 5:29 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:29 PM on October 14, 2009
I had lunch with Lou back in the 1980s while he was filming "Wise Guys" in Atlantic City. He played Frank the Fixer, best role in the movie, but I'd be astonished if he actually memorized any lines. The ONLY thing he was interested in that day was clearing the buffet.
Great guy, funny as hell and one of the few autographs I ever saved.
posted by sixpack at 5:35 PM on October 14, 2009
Great guy, funny as hell and one of the few autographs I ever saved.
posted by sixpack at 5:35 PM on October 14, 2009
I can't believe the fawning praise being heaped onto this man who so often resorted to underhanded, illegal tactics when helping his charges win matches.
posted by The Gooch at 5:36 PM on October 14, 2009 [7 favorites]
posted by The Gooch at 5:36 PM on October 14, 2009 [7 favorites]
The Captain eventually moved to a town just outside my childhood home's. I watched the Super Mario super show, I watched a bit of wrestling, but I saw Captain Lou the most doing commercials for local business. They featured him, the most exuberant man I had ever seen talking about accounting firms and auto body shops. The commercials never strayed from this format:
x = company
y = service provided by company
"Do you need Y? When ever I need Y I go to X. X is the best at Y. I am Captain Lou and I always go to X. WOOOO!"
When there was only one set of footprints, that is when the rubber bands carried you Lou.
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posted by munchingzombie at 6:07 PM on October 14, 2009
x = company
y = service provided by company
"Do you need Y? When ever I need Y I go to X. X is the best at Y. I am Captain Lou and I always go to X. WOOOO!"
When there was only one set of footprints, that is when the rubber bands carried you Lou.
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posted by munchingzombie at 6:07 PM on October 14, 2009
DAMN IT EIGHTIES PEOPLE STOP DYING ALREADY
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posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:44 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by Mr. Bad Example at 6:44 PM on October 14, 2009
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posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:13 PM on October 14, 2009
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:13 PM on October 14, 2009
i owe my username on the internets to him. capn sue albano.
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posted by capnsue at 7:40 PM on October 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
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posted by capnsue at 7:40 PM on October 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Someone find a 1UP mushroom, stat!
posted by Effigy2000 at 4:26 AM on October 15, 2009
posted by Effigy2000 at 4:26 AM on October 15, 2009
Wow, I can't believe it. Captain Lou's brother was my driver's ed. instructor. I believe his passing makes me officially old.
Farewell rubberband, rubberband, rubberband man.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:08 AM on October 15, 2009
Farewell rubberband, rubberband, rubberband man.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:08 AM on October 15, 2009
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I haven't been a devotee of wrestling for at least 25 years, but I'll tell you, the very first time that I realized that I could grow a substantive amount of hair on my chin, I attached a rubber band.
Thanks, Captain Lou, we'll miss you.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:19 AM on October 15, 2009
I haven't been a devotee of wrestling for at least 25 years, but I'll tell you, the very first time that I realized that I could grow a substantive amount of hair on my chin, I attached a rubber band.
Thanks, Captain Lou, we'll miss you.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 5:19 AM on October 15, 2009
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posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:23 AM on October 15, 2009
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:23 AM on October 15, 2009
What the hell? Is this the year where my childhood is meant to be effectively murdered? Not sure how much more of this I can take...
/RIP Captain Lou
posted by arishaun at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2009
/RIP Captain Lou
posted by arishaun at 11:47 AM on October 15, 2009
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posted by not_on_display at 2:07 PM on October 14, 2009