These three are very great actors in their own way and this movie was perfect for all three. ". Matthau portrayed Herbert Tucker in I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982), with Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff. On the late evening of June 30, 2000, he had a heart attack at his home and was taken by ambulance to the St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica where he died a few hours later at 1:42a.m. on July 1, 2000, at age 79. I came to him with expectations and he affirmed them.. She said, 'I'm an actress, not a singer. I don't know if she knows that or not. Want to have a good laugh about presidential politics? [18][17] TCM's Susan Doll observes that "Hopscotch could be considered the end of a long career peak or the beginning of (Matthau's) slide downhill, depending on the viewpoint," as character parts and supporting parts became the only thing available to an actor his age. I had never seen him so shaken, Belafonte later wrote. The premise is fairly simple: Lemmons character is a Republican It must have made Walter Matthau, Lemmon's comic counterpart for over 30 years, feel pretty expendable to see the same "Odd Couple" chemistry with Garner performing so well across Lemmon. "He had just won an Oscar for 'The Fortune Cookie.' The script may not be the best written script ever, but it certainly contains a whole bunch of very funny one-liners, as well as a good deal of visual comedy. She was telling the director, Gene Kelly, how to direct that movie. "She's a control freak. John Heard's character (as Aykroyd's vice president) steals every scene with his naive and silly antics. He was ever engaged and unyielding, willing to take on Southern segregationists, Northern liberals, the billionaire Koch brothers and the countrys first Black president, Barack Obama, whom Belafonte would remember asking to cut him some slack., Belafonte responded, What makes you think thats not what Ive been doing?, Belafonte had been a major artist since the 1950s. Starring: [10] Matthau later reprised the role in the film version, with Jack Lemmon as Felix Unger. Starring: The tone of the picture goes for laughs and then tries to educate those watching by showing how people in the highest of places can affect ordinary folks. Jack Lemmon,Judi West,Ron Rich, Comedy of MannersComedyCon Artist / Hustler, NIcholas Ray Few kept up with Belafontes time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement. My husband and I both love this movie, for a number of reasons. By the 1950s, Belafonte was also singing, finding gigs at the Blue Note, the Vanguard and other clubs he was backed for one performance by Charlie Parker and Max Roach and becoming immersed in folk, blues, jazz and the calypso he had heard while living in Jamaica. The Kennedys were among the first politicians to seek his opinions, which he willingly shared. I'm often disappointed after paying to watch a film, but this choice was well worth the rental fee & I wasn't disappointed! Woe to the musician who missed his cue, or the agent who fouled up a booking, he confided. I thought My Fellow Americans was a fantastic and a funny movie to watch. OUT TO SEA was another Lemmon and Matthau romp, and finally came THE ODD COUPLE II, which was a weak (but amusing) sequel. I was well on my way and utterly committed to the civil rights struggle. Harry Belafonte, the civil rights and entertainment giant who began as a groundbreaking actor and singer and became an activist, humanitarian and conscience of the world, has died. User Ratings Both parents were undocumented immigrants and Belafonte recalled living an underground life, as criminals of a sort, on the run.. Starring: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. She was running the show. Both spent part of their childhoods in the Caribbean and ended up in New York. Matthau was suffering from health problems, however, and was replaced with James Garner. I realized that the movement was more important than anything else.. *** out of **** (Beware, spoilers in my review). He won a Tony Award in 1954 for his starring role in John Murray Andersons Almanac and five years later became the first Black performer to win an Emmy for the TV special Tonight with Harry Belafonte., Harry Belafonte (bottom right) and other Hollywood celebrities board a plane headed for the 1963 March on Washington. Had Walter Mathau been cast in the role of Democratic Governor Matt Douglas and not James Garner, we would've been calling this "Grumpiest Old Men," as if it were a sequel to the inspired comedies Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau made in the mid-nineties. I think I watched it about six times in the last four years and it never fails to crack me up, I've enjoyed it as much the last time as the first time. Starring: Four years later, Garner is defeated by Lemmons former vice president, played by Dan Aykroyd. In his memoir, he chastised Poitier for a radical breach by backing out on a commitment to star as Mandela in a TV miniseries Belafonte had conceived, then agreeing to play Mandela for a rival production. I actually avoided seeing it so as to avoid seeing two cool actors make asses out of themselves (in a bad way). Instead, Slaton carefully reviewed the evidence and concluded that he had quite a bit of doubt about Franks guilt. [citation needed], A heavy smoker, Matthau had a heart attack in 1966 while filming The Fortune Cookie, the first of at least three in his lifetime. The first two were GRUMPY OLD MEN, and it's sequel GRUMPIER OLD MEN, both of which had good box office. }, First published on March 29, 2006 / 10:59 AM. As the two feuding ex-presidents they make this movie. Walter Matthau went to the head of the studio, Richard Zanuck, and Zanuck said, 'I'd love to help you but this is not 'Hello, Walter' we're making.' While Poitier had a sustained and historic run in the 1960s as a leading man and box office success, Belafonte grew tired of acting and turned down parts he regarded as neutered., Sidney radiated a truly saintly dignity and calm. Lemmon and Garner not only carry the movie, you almost think of them as actually being former Presidents of the United States. He became so estranged from Kings widow and children that he was not asked to speak at her funeral. He was the first Black person to produce for TV. He found special pleasure in winning a New York Film Critics Award in 1996 for his work as a gangster in Robert Altmans Kansas City.. Starring: Everybody wanted to play Tevye, including Danny Thomas, Walter Matthau, Rod Steiger, Danny Kaye and Richard Burton. After working in Minnesota for Grumpy Old Men (1993), he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. We just don't kno, Ill add the shotgun- for those who cant hit the, Personal observations. When this film first came out, the trailers did not interest me in the least. Appearing on a taped TV special starring Petula Clark, Belafonte joined the British singer on the anti-war song On the Path of Glory. At one point, Clark placed a hand on Belafontes arm. And he claims Streisand shared some special moments with Elvis Presley. If you need to laugh you'll certainly enjoy this movie! He died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home. Walter Matthau, whose performances as cantankerous but endearing characters made him a distinctive leading man in movies, theater and television, died In 1982, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Reward offered as manhunt for Texas shooting suspect reaches "dead end", Louisiana's health care deserts put women, babies at risk, doctors say, Second convoy of U.S. citizens fleeing Khartoum arrives at Port Sudan, How a tall Texan became an unlikely Australian rules football star, Surviving the torturous hell of the Hanoi Hilton, Texas surfer pushed offshore by strong winds rescued by Coast Guard, Tornado flips cars, downs trees after touching down in South Florida, Shaquil Barrett's 2-year-old daughter dies in drowning accident, Investors sue Adidas over Kanye West Yeezy deal. Matthau's first Broadway role came at the age of 28 when he was hired as understudy for the role of an 83-year-old English bishop in Anne of the Thousand Days, She did not want to be a singer. Harry Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in 1927, in a community of West Indians in Harlem. Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-1970s, as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in The Laughing Policeman (1973), as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in Charley Varrick (also 1973) and as a New York transit official in the action-adventure The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). It makes me cry whenever i like to watch it, Morrie i think was a great person and he gave Mitch (A pupil he teached) a message, Telling him IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DIE, THEN YOU KNOW HOW TO LIVE. Belafonte was so impressed that he joined as a volunteer, then as an actor. WebFirst Monday in October 1981 Directed by Ronald Neame Synopsis In the Supreme Court, there are only eight of them against all of her. What she wants it for are her political causes, building a war chest for 2008 and her various philanthropist charities. Get the day's top news and sports headlines. Around the same time, he made Ride a Crooked Trail with Audie Murphy, and Onionhead (both 1958) starring Andy Griffith; the latter was a flop. I n, I am waiting for any further references to be whit, I noticed that some accounts called him a "Mexican, There are still men like Warren. The front of the property is filled with colorful plant life and greenery, taking up two lots. Although Mr. Matthau was an experienced stage actor, in common with great film stars of the past like Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart, he created character through the magnetism of his own personality. Belafontes early life and career paralleled those of Poitier, who died in 2022. Starting in 1954, he released such top 10 albums as Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites and Belafonte, and his popular singles included Mathilda, Jamaica Farewell and The Banana Boat Song, a reworked Caribbean ballad that was a late addition to his Calypso record. (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross' ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). A very good supporting cast includes John Heard in a hilarious performance as a Dan Quayle lookalike Vice President, and Wilford Brimley is droll as the Democratic Party Chairman. It did at least once, when Republican Abraham Lincoln chose Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate when seeking re-election in 1864 in the midst of the Civil War. First of all I know Dan Aykroyd from many movies including Driving Miss Daisy. | I think it's a very funny, well acted comedy. During the 1980s and 1990s Matthau served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.[20][21]. So many professional actors, so much sophomoric humor. When word got out that the part was open, few prominent actors werent interested. With few exceptions, academ, I love stories like this. ", To read an excerpt from "Barbra The Way She Is," click here. Matthau was born Walter John Matthow[2][3] on October 1, 1920, in New York City's Lower East Side. Along the way, they keep bickering, and Douglas tells a Mexican immigrant an unsavory story about Kramer (I was twelve when the movie came out, andwell, let's just say that it's the sort of thing that would make a twelve-year-old laugh hysterically). The screenplay's considerable entertainment value -- particularly for a political junkie -- is enhanced and brought to its full potential by solid direction and cutting, as well as the unassailable professionalism of a first-rate cast. In 1964, he and Poitier personally delivered tens of thousands of dollar to activists in Mississippi after three Freedom Summer volunteers were murdered the two celebrities were chased by car at one point by members of the KKK. Matthaus work with Wilder has only been a highlight in his prolific career. He was ever engaged and unyielding, willing to take on Southern segregationists, Northern liberals, the billionaire Koch brothers and the countrys first Of course, these voters are the ones who either hold their nose and cast a ballot for the candidate they dislike least, or the ones who stay home on election day. The following year, he brought in Tony Bennett, Joan Baez and other singers to perform for the marchers in Selma, Alabama. None of the reviewers have said much about the "king among the commoners" theme. He said, 'You are the only one who ever intimidated me.' He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller Mirage (1965), directed by Edward Dmytryk. Three of them Shari, David and Gina became actors. Rita Moreno is next to Belafonte; Marlon Brando is halfway up the steps wearing a dark tie. "She had a relationship back when they were both starring on stage in Las Vegas," he said. Matthau also helped raise his stepchildren, Aram Saroyan and Lucy Saroyan. Sign In Now Story-wise, the film revolves around Harry Hinkle (Lemmon), a cameraman who is accidentally injured while filming a Please enter valid email address to continue. We just happened upon this movie a couple of years ago when looking for some movies to rent. Walter Matthau,George Burns,Richard Benjamin, Based-on-TheatreComedyReunion Films, Gene Saks Filmography Film Source: Internet Movie Database [1] and Turner Classic Movies "And at one point he came into her dressing room, caught her by surprise, got down on his knees, took the bottle of finger nail polish and started painting her nails. Her father died of undiagnosed epilepsy when she was just a year old, leaving her in the hands of what Andersen describes as a "mean stepfather. But to me it did get a little confusing right around the middle but when the ending happened it cleared it all up. Matthau appeared in the pilot of Mister Peepers (1952) with Wally Cox. Starring: EuropeanAfricanMiddle Eastern Campaign Medal, Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Golden Globe Award for Best ActorMotion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, "Matthau A Sex Symbol Or a Jewish Mother? Still, it wouldve been an interesting social experiment to see how such a pairing would be received by voters. They, respectively, play former President Russell Kramer (Republican) and former President Matt Douglas (Democrat), who have spent the last thirty years hating each others guts. Every time I see this movie, I think of the column, where they share a grudging respect somewhat like the characters in the movie. But even if Matthau didn't like her, plenty of other men did. His father was a seaman and cook with Dutch and Jamaican ancestry and his mother, part Scottish, worked as a domestic. ', "He made her enter this talent contest and her career then took off. His acting prowess earned him several prestigious awards 2. As other reviewers have noted, they play off each other extremely well. Matthau directed a low-budget movie called The Gangster Story (1960) and played a sympathetic sheriff in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), which starred Kirk Douglas. The mother wasn't much better. In 2011, HBO aired a documentary about Belafonte, Sing Your Song.. Being that McCain was the Republican nominee, Lieberman likely wouldve been labeled a Republican as well, even if his ideology wasnt exactly to the right, but more center-left. On television, he appeared twice on Naked City, as well as in four installments of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Belafonte befriended King in the spring of 1956 after the young civil rights leader called and asked for a meeting. And he has sort of been, I think, left in the dust, as it were. Hanging Up (2000), directed by Diane Keaton, was Matthau's final appearance onscreen. Starring: Jack Lemmon,Walter Matthau,Sophia Loren, Buddy FilmComedyOdd Couple Film. I started watching it because I thought it was a historical movie but I was wrong and I'm happy about it. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Very good performances by Lemmon and Garner. And honestly, considering the lack of success of third-party and independent presidential candidates over the years, for such a pairing to be successful, it would probably take a more moderate member of one of the major parties to defect to the other side and agree to be the running mate of that major partys candidate. | March 29, 2006 / 10:59 AM The trial produced accusations that the defense attempted to bribe jurors. It is a movie to just sit back and enjoy, a funny spin on American politics at it's best. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Dan Aykroyd plays Pres. Belafonte was the rare young artist to think about the business side of show business. I laughed all the way through this one. He often joked that his best early review came in a play where he posed as a derelict. His early stage credits included Days of Our Youth and Sean OCaseys Juno and the Peacock, a play Belafonte remembered less because of his own performance than because of a backstage visitor, Robeson, the actor, singer and activist. A few years earlier, he initiated the all-star, million-selling We Are the World recording, the Grammy-winning charity song for famine relief in Africa. 3. [7] He worked for a short time as a concession stand cashier in the Yiddish Theatre District. He stands as the model and the epitome of the celebrity activist. Thank you Jack, you were a fantastic, a great, true person who was kind, helpful and brilliant. It's helped by very good dialog and very good acting to make what is essentially another road buddy picture stand out from the crowd. Gregory Peck,Diane Baker,Walter Matthau, Herbert Ross He was in Washington in January 2009 as Obama was inaugurated, officiating along with Baez and others at a gala called the Inaugural Peace Ball. Frank had been convicted of the murder of 13 year old Mary Phagan, a worker in the factory managed by Leo Frank. Belafonte not only participated in protest marches and benefit concerts, but helped organize and raise support for them.
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