Red Buttons, the beloved red-haired comedian and songwriter whose career spanned seven decades, died Thursday of vascular disease after a long illness. He was 87 years old.

Buttons, whose real name was Aaron Chwatt, was an Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe-winning performer who got his start in 1942 in the stage play "Vicki" and worked steadily in television and film until recent years. Along the way he played against comic type, winning his Oscar for his dramatic role in "Sayonara," hosted his own variety show for three years ("The Red Buttons Show"), and appeared on television shows like "Wonder Woman," "Roseanne," and most recently, "ER."

Among Buttons' more memorable big-screen appearances were roles in "Hatari!," "The Longest Day," "The Poseidon Adventure," "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?," "C.H.O.M.P.S.," and "Pete's Dragon."