Yesterday, I was saddened to learn of the death of Pat Morita. Mr. Morita was known mostly for two things: his starring roles in the Karate Kid movies, and also his role as Arnold in Happy Days.

However, he portrayed the bartender in a first-season episode of The Bob Newhart Show, "Bob and Emily and Howard and Carol and Jerry," which happens to be about my favorite episode in the 1st season.

Strange the way I learned about Pat Morita's death - our family was watching a marathon of 1st season TBNS yesterday thanks to the DVD's. We stopped after the episode that came before the above mentioned one, to have a little dinner and so that I could catch up on the day's email. In my email was an announcement from a friend who had read of Pat Morita's death. When we went back to watch the TBNS DVD's, we went to the next episode - which happened to be the one with Pat Morita was in. Freaky, I tell ya!

Pat, we'll miss you ...


Donna

Pav did a big write-up for Pat in his blog http://sitcomsonline.blogspot.com/2005/11/breaking-news-pat-morita-passes-away.html

he will be greatly missed :(

Pat Morita also seemed to be a genuinely nice man. The first week of July, 1993, my cousin and her 13-year-old son were visiting me from the UK. I was living in the Washington, DC area. This was her first trip to DC and her son's first trip to the United States. We went over Arlington Cemetary one day and were walking on the grounds there when we happened upon a motion picture set-up right there in the middle of the cemetary. We walked down to see what was going on and discovered they were filming a scene for a new Karate Kid movie. I don't remember what this one was called, but it was the one with the girl Karate Kid. I think it was the last one produced. Anyway, we watched the scene being filmed and started chatting with a friendly woman who was hanging out watching as well. This woman turned out to be Pat Morita's wife. After the scene was shot, she introduced us to her husband. And he invited us to come down to his trailer so he could give my cousin's son an autographed picture. My cousin was a big fan of the Karate Kid films, and her son was a HUGE fan of them. So you can imagine how elated he was, coming to this country for the first time and just happening upon a Karate Kid set AND meeting his hero, Pat Morita. And Pat was so kind that day. He was teasing with my cousin and her son, put on his best British accent. I remember him referring to her son as "bloke," which he got a real kick out of. Anyhow, I thought it was so great of him to take his time out like that for a young fan. What a nice man, and what a wonderful memory he gave the three of us.

Yesterday, I was saddened to learn of the death of Pat Morita. Mr. Morita was known mostly for two things: his starring roles in the Karate Kid movies, and also his role as Arnold in Happy Days.

However, he portrayed the bartender in a first-season episode of The Bob Newhart Show, "Bob and Emily and Howard and Carol and Jerry," which happens to be about my favorite episode in the 1st season.

Strange the way I learned about Pat Morita's death - our family was watching a marathon of 1st season TBNS yesterday thanks to the DVD's. We stopped after the episode that came before the above mentioned one, to have a little dinner and so that I could catch up on the day's email. In my email was an announcement from a friend who had read of Pat Morita's death. When we went back to watch the TBNS DVD's, we went to the next episode - which happened to be the one with Pat Morita was in. Freaky, I tell ya!

Pat, we'll miss you ...


Donna