Darren McGavin dead at 83

Feb 26, 2006 by Ian Evans

Actor Darren McGavin died Saturday at the age of 83. He died of natural causes with his family at his side.

McGavin, known to many as the cursing, furnace-fighting, lamp-loving father in A Christmas Story, had a long career in TV and film. In the 1960’s, he starred in the series Mike Hammer, one of five series he starred in. His sole Emmy came in 1990, when he played Candice Bergen’s father in an episode of Murphy Brown.

His film debut came in 1945, when he left his set painting gig to take a bit role in A Song to Remember.