There's no discussion board over on her IMDB entry so I thought I'd mention it here. (Apologies if this is old news to you afficionados).
She (Laurie Bird) only made three movies then became a photographer. She was living with Art Garfunkel when she took her own life in 1979 at the age of 25.
God.......how sad...
Here I got this info off of Wikipedia!
Laurie Bird (September 26, 1953 – June 15, 1979) was an American actress and photographer. She appeared in just three films: Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), Cockfighter (1974), and a small role in Annie Hall (1977). Bird shot the cover photo for Art Garfunkel's Watermark album in 1978, and was the still photographer on Cockfighter.
Bird's mother died when she was three; she thought it was from ovarian cancer. At Laurie's funeral, her father revealed her mother's death was also a suicide. Her father was ex-US Navy and worked long hours. Although she had two brothers, she more or less raised herself. She was romantically involved with her Blacktop and Cockfighter director Monte Hellman, and later with Garfunkel for several years.
Bird committed suicide in the apartment she shared with Garfunkel in New York
That's new news to me, and it's very sad. I'm watching "Two-Lane Blacktop" now and was wondering what became of her. I also have Art Garfunkel's "Watermark" album, and the cover photo is excellent.
It's especially interesting because "Vanishing Point," a film similar in theme and spirit to this, featured Victoria Medlin, an actress who also killed herself.
I seem to recall she's on the cover of a Garfunkel album too, the one where he's looking straight at the camera with a girl on either side.
My body makes no moan
But sings on:
All things remain in God.
That's the "Breakaway" album from 1975. (Great album, by the way!) I was thinking she was on that cover. I believe she's the woman whispering into Art's ear on the right of the cover:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Breakaway_(Art_Garfunkel_album).jpg
I seem to recall that Monte Hellman said somewhere that he thinks it was an accidental overdose. Apparently, there was no suicide note.
shareI agree with all here, what a shame! What a tragic loss.
If she had a chance to live longer, who knows if she could have become a truly great actress. It seems that many have felt this bit of intuition, besides me.
If only...
Most suicides and attempted suicides do not leave a note.
Isn't that supposed to be "Duke" by the way?
Look where no one else is looking and see what no one else sees.
The first thing I did after watching this DVD last night was look Laurie Bird up. There was intense sadness in her face throughout this movie and I thought she looked like a tortured soul, even at 17 (which she must've been when she made this movie). I thought to myself, "I don't think she's still with us." I was sad but not too suprised to find out I was right.
Dude means nice guy. Dude means a regular sort of person.
Yes they do. Most leave a note to apologize those who they left behind and their reasons. Why the hell do you think the investigators look for a note or diary after a suicide. Come on, where the hell do you get your info from?
State champ in martial arts, trained with firearms, I eFF'n dare you!
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