The date, October 25, is tinged with happiness and now tragedy. It is the date of my friend Julia's birthday, and the date, back in 1975, when my father and I saw "A Chorus Line," with the Celebrated Original Cast. But it is also a tragic one, for this year I was shocked by the death of onetime child actor Chris Udvarnoky, who died of poly cystic kidney disease at the early age of 49.
Chris and his twin brother, Martin, made only one film in their lives, but it sealed their fate forever--the Perry twins in the film adaptation of Thomas Tryon's 1971 novel, "The Other." So blown away was yours truly by the film and their performances that I wrote to their home in Westfield, NJ, requesting an interview--which they so graciously granted. It was a turning point for me, and pointed to my future life in the Arts.
Thanks to IMDB, I knew what became of them, as well as discovering a whole group of "Other" fans out there. How sad we were to learn of Chris' untimely passing. His personal compassion and humor, attested by family and friends, and the brilliance of his film performance to those of us who only experienced that, leaves a legacy to be proud of.
Too soon, and too young, Chris. You will be missed.
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