MovieChat Forums > The Dead Pool (1988) Discussion > What Happened to Albert Popwell?

What Happened to Albert Popwell?


He was in every movie except "The Dead Pool" What happened to him?

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Perhaps the filmmakers didn't find a role for him. What character in The Dead Pool do you think he could have played?

Hey, here's an idea—they could have turned Popwell into one of Harry's bosses.

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[deleted]

I'm sure he would have had a role had he been available - but he was already making another movie that was released a couple of months before Dead Pool - can't remember the name of it, it was with the drill instructor who was in Full Metal Jacket.

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That would be "The Siege at Firebase Gloria"

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I can't see him as a celebrity getting killed cuz that would be like a repeat of Magnum Force when he was the pimp and the cop killed him.

I'd probably wanna see him in a cameo at Johnny Square's funeral scene or maybe even a hitman working for Janero.

"I'm your huckleberry."-Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone

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He died in real life

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Yes, but he died in 1999, 11 years after THE DEAD POOL was made. He appeared in WHO'S THAT GIRL in 1987 and DEADLY EMBRACE in 1989, and went on to make three more films after that.

It's interesting how he graduated from being a petty thief in the first movie, to being a pimp in the second one (with more screen time), to a black militant leader (no longer a criminal) in THE ENFORCER to being Harry's partner in SUDDEN IMPACT.



We report, you decide; but we decide what to report.

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That was my favorite thing about a lot of actors in the series, especially Popwell. It is a shame He missed the Dead Pool though, he was badass, or Jive Ass.

"If you come back in here, I'm gonna hit you with so many rights you're gonna beg for a left."

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He could have done a quick cameo role as either a celebrity at Johnny Squares' funeral, expressing a eulogy or possibly his name could have been shown on the Dead Pool list, if he couldn't make a cameo.

OBVIOUSLY

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I think Albert Popwell could have played the boss of Samantha Walker's character. Another character that Albert could have played was a celberity.

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He was a cool dude, especially as Big Ed Mustapha. "A total waste of white."

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I think it would have been cool if Albert Popwell would have played a celebrity that attended Johnny Squares funeral unless it was felt that there was no role that best suited him.

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He would have added to the series, his presence. I certainly agree with your second paragraph!

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Obviously, he graduated yet again from being Dirty Harry's partner in Sudden Impact to the only highest office in the land: the President. And you never see the President in the Dead Pool.

*thread closed*

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He was working on two features although small parts during that period,
one being in the Philippines.
It was simply logistics and being unable to commit to a role and a schedule.

Clint Eastwood is scrupulously invested in using the same crew and the same character actor friends in as many films as he can include.
He doesn't like to, or have the time to start out all over with different folk.
His style is tight and well defined, and he moves very quickly through a shooting schedule, making any Malpaso film a great investment.
Conversely, by having folk he can trust to perform a certain way,
he is then able to just let folk do their job and He relaxes at the helm.
Masterful control, easy going and a nice guy.

Albert Popwell (Poppy) was one of those folk he just loved to have in his films.
but, as mentioned above, there would have need to be a specific committment
for him to appear just for a those few days that he would be needed,
and typically for the Dirty Harry films, this meant one, maybe two Days in San Francisco and one or two days back at Warner Bros maybe weeks later.

Lotta travel and tough connections make a difficult commitment for what might be as little as two days work in two different cities. Sigh.

Keep in mind that Poppy was 61 in 1987,
So globe hopping at that pace, even for an old friend, was no longer easy to accomplish.

Poppy was a great guy, EXTREMELY NICE, and it should be mentioned that his health suffered a bit in his later years.
Out of respect, i would not go into any detail.
He was 73 when he died, the average life span for somebody born in those years
and survived The great Depression and a World War.
Suffice to say when he passed away he died in peace and was missed by many friends.

I'm sure it was not an easy choice for him to make to miss being in the film.

I'm also sure he's VERY grateful to know his fans did appreciate his absence.
I wish he was still with us.

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He could have played Harry's boss or play the mayor of San Francisco.

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As Dirty harry would play it our

Harry - Ut uH, I know what you were thinking Poppy. Were you in four movies or five. Quite frankly in all this excitement, I've forgotten.

Poppy - I'ssss got to know.

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My take is this. Popwell could appear as a different minor villain (not part of the main plot) in every movie, which he did -- until he played Harry's partner in Sudden Impact. Once he died as a named partner he couldn't come back as someone else because Harry's former partners may be gone, but they are not forgotten. I base this on the fact that John Mitchum returns as Harry's first partner, DiGiorgio, in the next two films and that there are always references to Harry's former partners in all the films, even if not by name.

Having Popwell return as a villain would be no different than doing that with Bradford Dilman or Hal Holbrook. It just doesn't work in the world of Dirty Harry.

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