The Canadian born star emigrated to America in the early 1920s to make a name for himself in Hollywood – and that’s exactly what he did. Pidgeon went on to star in Forbidden Planet (1956), Man Hunt (1941), and Funny Girl (1968). During his career, which spanned four decades, he featured in more than 85 films.
Finally retiring at the age of 80, in 1977, Pidgeon enjoyed his leisure time for another seven years.
On September 25, 1984, the grandfather passed away following a series of brain damaging strokes and kidney failure.
In the UK, a stroke occurs every five minutes, affecting around 100,000 people each year.
The charity Stroke Association added: “Stroke is a type of cerebrovascular disease, which is one of the leading causes of death in the UK.”
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Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Complete paralysis of one side of the body
- Sudden loss or blurring of vision
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Difficulty understanding what others are saying
- Problems with balance and co-ordination
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- A sudden and very severe headache resulting in a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before
- Loss of consciousness.
Factors that increase the likelihood of a stroke include: smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.
Additional risky factors include excessive alcohol inhale, high cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation.
Walter Pidgeon stars in Dark Command, which is airing on Film4, Wednesday, October 5 at 11am.
