The Last Dirty Dance

Patrick Swayze, who died yesterday at 57, was one of those rare performers with star quality that many talented actors have had to work to achieve. For Swayze, though, it came naturally. He had an undeniable charisma that allowed him to charm moviegoers in many a diverting movie. Bear in mind that he was a dancer before he became an actor, and it seems appropriate that Dirty Dancing would be his biggest hit. He made a couple of noteworthy movies after that, but more often than not he had to struggle through tough times even after he became famous. He never stopped trying, and he never stopped working, at least until his pancreatic cancer finally caught up with him.

Swayze may not have been a huge talent who could make anyone forget DeNiro - and truth be told, Robert DeNiro has made movies far less dignified than Swayze would have allowed himself to appear in - but he was someone who appreciated what talents he did have and used them very well. RIP. :-(