Remembering Dr. Sam Loomis: A Tribute To A Horror Icon

Anyone who is a fan of the Halloween movie franchise has got to be a fan of the character Dr. Loomis, played by the late Donald Pleasence.

I love Halloween as much as the next guy. In fact one of my favorite horror movie character is Michael Myers from the Halloween movie franchise. In fact, I've seen every Halloween film from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers all the way through 2021's Halloween Kills in theaters. The first 3 Halloween films I saw either on VHS tape or network television.

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Many years ago I owned a Michael Myers mask and jumpsuit and I would actually go around during Halloween time and wander around the neighborhood to scare some folks. I guess you can say I really got into the character. I even dressed up as Michael Myers when I worked for Ames Department Stores in the 1990's.

Photo credit: The Rutigliano Archives

The Unsung Hero of the Halloween Movie Franchise

As great of a character as Michael Myers is, I have always been a big fan of Donald Pleasence and his work in the Halloween movies and I always though his character was super cool. Dr. Sam Loomis was a psychiatrist who cares for 6 yr old Michael Audrey Myers, who had murdered his older sister Judith one Halloween night. Loomis becomes convinced that the boy is pure evil and tries desperately to get him committed to a maximum security facility. He appeared in Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Sadly, Donald Pleasence died on Feb. 2, 1995 at the age of 75 from heart failure complications following surgery. We salute the great Dr. Loomis as we get ready for Halloween weekend!

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Check out a highlight video below featuring a character tribute to Dr. Loomis with some of his best scenes.

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

Gallery Credit: Brit McGinnis