For Norman Lloyd

Lloyd, center, in Orson Welles's Julius Caesar, 1937.

The great actor, director, producer, and raconteur Norman Lloyd died today, at the age of 106. He spent his last day at his beloved home in Mandeville Canyon, Los Angeles, where he had lived since time out of mind. With him, a golden hoard of twentieth-century cultural memory is gone. I've had the honor to speak with many extraordinary people in my journalistic career; my two-hour-long conversation with Norman is, hands down, my favorite among all interviews I've done, and will probably remain so. Later, I invited Norman to join me for a concert at the LA Philharmonic. Unfortunately, this never came about, but I remember his response: "A concert! I haven't been to a concert in forever. The last time, I think it was Toscanini."

More: A wonderful recollection by Todd McCarthy, who knew Norman well.