Jack Lemmon is a great comedy actor and so is James Garner. That will be a message to all of us. And he has sort of been, I think, left in the dust, as it were. Everybody wanted to play Tevye, including Danny Thomas, Walter Matthau, Rod Steiger, Danny Kaye and Richard Burton. Walter Matthau Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life 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. "She had a relationship back when they were both starring on stage in Las Vegas," he said. Profiles In Courage: Governor John M. Slaton The American Bipartisanship to the max. While Lincoln and Johnson were elected, America didnt get much of a chance to see how they would work together. But I think she is happily married to this guy," he said. Interesting premise -- two genuine ex presidents (Lemon and Garner) on the run from a murderous cabal in the White House and the NSA. / CBS. He was married three times, most recently to photographer Pamela Frank, and had four children. I suggest if your looking for a movie to watch but don't know which, go to Netflix and watch My Fellow Americans! *** out of **** (Beware, spoilers in my review). The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy film, starring Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau, based on Neil Simons 1965 play. They accidentally find themselves in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in North Carolina, a state which is not ALL nowhere, and must somehow reach Lemon's Presidential Library in Ohio for the hidden evidence that will save them. Matthaus work with Wilder has only been a highlight in his prolific career. He then co-starred with comedian/actor Robin Williams in the 1983 dark comedy film The Survivors. 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. "One of the touching things is when Louis takes them out for ice cream and turns to Barbra and says, 'You're too ugly to have ice cream.' The premise is fairly simple: Lemmons character is a Republican president who was ousted after a single four-year term in favor of Garners character, a Democrat. At the very least, a pairing of two candidates from both major parties that runs on the platform of ending the dysfunction in Washington and striking a tone of bipartisan compromise would be refreshing. The movie was very well done i think. While in the service, he read Color and Democracy by the Black scholar W.E.B. He was a great actor and he never wanted to make movies that would be boring to the auidence. Starring: She did not want to be a singer. Starring: He often joked that his best early review came in a play where he posed as a derelict. Woe to the musician who missed his cue, or the agent who fouled up a booking, he confided. As the movie ends, the Democrat and Republican decide to make another run at the White House on the same ticket in the upcoming election, putting their mutual dislike behind them and with eyes open about how to better govern the country. | These three are very great actors in their own way and this movie was perfect for all three. This led to further pairings late in their careers, Out to Sea (1997) and a Simon-scripted sequel to their much earlier success, The Odd Couple II (1998). User Ratings 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. The casting is good also the supporting roles from Jon Heard, Dan Aykroyd, Wilford Brimley and Lauren Baccal. They became lifelong friends after making The Fortune Cookie and would make a total of 10 movies together11 counting Kotch, in which Lemmon has a cameo as a sleeping bus passenger. They married in New York in 1917. WebThe President Dan O'herlihy General Black Walter Matthau Groeteschele Frank Overton General Bogan Edward Binns Colonel Grady Photos & Videos View All Dave Karger Intro -- Fail-Safe (1964) Dave Karger Intro -- Fail-Safe (1964) Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- Fail-Safe (1964) Tiffany Vazquez Intro -- Fail-Safe (1964) Ben Mankiewicz Intro -- Fail-Safe (1964) term for pat, A Mass Shooting That Will Quickly Vanish Down the Media Memory Hole, Doctor Joseph Warren-Martyr For American Independence, Saint of the Day Quote: Saint Peter of Verona, Politicized Woke Military Acting Like a Politicized Woke Military, Great Moments in Cinema: Low Down Yankee Liar, Matthew Archbold of Natl Catholic Register, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICRSS), Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus, Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, The Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius (SJC), Latino Partnership for Cnsrvtv Principles, Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney, The Republican National Hispanic Assembly. find this movie on . Brando was an inspiration as an actor, and he and Belafonte became close, sometimes riding on Brandos motorcycle or double dating or playing congas together at parties. The evidence is not there, so they must travel back to Washington somehow and meet the problem head on. His political career came to a screeching halt in 1915 when he commuted the death sentence of Leo Frank to life imprisonment. Walter Matthau - IMDb Belafonte met Brando, Walter Matthau and other future stars while taking acting classes at the New School for Social Research. Walter Matthau stars as Governor John M. Slaton. When this film first came out, the trailers did not interest me in the least. Jack Lemmon and James Garner play ex-presidents Russell Kramer and Matt Douglas, who find themselves embroiled in a murder plot and have to go on the lam. Awards Hijinks and hilarity ensue, but the ordeal also helps them both come to the realization of how little they actually accomplished during each of their four years in the Oval Office. That's what this movie's REALLY all about. Columnist - Insider NJ - News for Political Insiders in New Jersey He was a superstar, but one criticized, and occasionally sued, for taking traditional material and not sharing the profits. On the show, Yorke plays Brooke Dubek, one of the titular other two, a struggling 30-something in search of direction, clinging with dug-in nails to her famous brother and mother to give her some semblance of a path. 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. Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Ken Sunshine, of public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis. On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau was suffering from health problems, however, and was replaced with James Garner. 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, He appeared eight times between 1962 and 1964 on The DuPont Show of the Week and as Franklin Gaer in an episode of Dr. Kildare ("Man Is a Rock", 1964). The original script, a dark work based on the novel of the same name, was rewritten and transformed into a comedy in order to play to Matthau's specific talents. Political comedies can be notoriously difficult to comprehend and/or stomach at the best of times, but this is a gem. Rita Moreno is next to Belafonte; Marlon Brando is halfway up the steps wearing a dark tie. In the 1970s, he returned to movie acting, co-starring with Poitier in Buck and the Preacher, a commercial flop, the raucous and popular comedy Uptown Saturday Night. His other film credits include Bobby, White Mans Burden, and cameos in Altmans The Player and Ready to Wear. He also appeared in the Altman-directed TV series Tanner on Tanner and was among those interviewed for When the Levees Broke, Spike Lees HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina. 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. And of course I know Jack Lemmon from Grumpy and Grumpier Old Men. (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross' ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). My favourite movies he starred in has got the be THE ODD COUPLE, GRUMPY AND GRUMPIER OLD MEN, OUT TO SEA. They also see America as they have never seen it before and learn that many of their decisions were not the best for those in the national public. Belafonte would often criticize the Kennedys for their reluctance to challenge the Southern segregationists who were then a substantial part of the Democratic Party. He recruited his close friend Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and other celebrities and persuaded the left-wing Marlon Brando to co-chair the Hollywood delegation with the more conservative Charlton Heston, a pairing designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Walter Matthau,George Rose,James Coco, Gene Kelly While based in England at RAF Old Buckenham in Norfolk, he flew missions across to continental Europe during the Battle of the Bulge. He knew the headlines of the day, but he wasnt really anywhere nuanced or detailed on the depth of Black anguish or what our struggles really about.. The 1957 movie Island in the Sun was banned in several Southern cities, where theater owners were threatened by the Ku Klux Klan because of the films interracial romance between Belafonte and Joan Fontaine. It was scheduled for release in 1982, but when President Ronald Reagan named Sandra Day O'Connor in July 1981, the release date was moved up to August 1981. Belafonte expressed regret and also worried about being typecast as a calypso singer, declining for years to sing Day-O live after he gave television performances against banana boat backdrops. List of Walter Matthau performances - Wikipedia Hanging Up (2000), directed by Diane Keaton, was Matthau's final appearance onscreen. Source: Internet Movie Database[1] and Turner Classic Movies[2], Source: Internet Movie Database[3] and Turner Classic Movies[4]. His acting prowess earned him several prestigious awards When King was assassinated, in 1968, Belafonte helped pick out the suit he was buried in, sat next to his widow, Coretta, at the funeral, and continued to support his family, in part through an insurance policy he had taken out on King in his lifetime. Belafonte made history in 1968 by filling in for Johnny Carson on the Tonight show for a full week. Nothing is more comical than watching the two forced to sort through a recent scandal, along with an assassination plot on their lives, all the while a respect happens between the two, yet their disdain for each other adds to the hilarity of the movie. [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 was well on my way and utterly committed to the civil rights struggle. The actors who played the presidents were a perfect match. Turned out he was gay. Harry Belafonte, groundbreaking entertainer and activist, dies at 96 His high school was Seward Park High School. "But even if Matthau and Griffith later appeared in the critical and box office hit A Face in the Crowd (1957), directed by Elia Kazan. Realizing that he was signing his own political death warrant, Slaton commuted Franks sentence to life imprisonment. In 1954, he co-starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the Otto Preminger-directed musical Carmen Jones, a popular breakthrough for an all-Black cast. In his memoir, he would allege that the King children were more interested in selling trinkets and memorabilia than in serious thought. Belafonte befriended King in the spring of 1956 after the young civil rights leader called and asked for a meeting. Belafonte met Brando, Walter Matthau and other future stars while taking acting classes at the New School for Social Research. The great True Story movie he made has got to be Tuesday's with Morrie. She said she wasn't pretty enough or talented enough to be in show business.". [12], His death certificate lists the causes of death as "cardiac arrest" and "atherosclerotic heart disease" with "end stage renal disease" and "atrial fibrillation" as significant contributing factors. In the 1990s there were a slew of films in which Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau appeared together. Walter The Odd Couple Both spent part of their childhoods in the Caribbean and ended up in New York. Streisand's current husband is James Brolin and Andersen says it looks like a good match, in spite of his odd nickname for her. 2.5 out of 5 stars. One could call it "Grumpy Old Men Go To Washington", it bore such a resemblance. My Fellow Americans is possibly the funniest movie I have ever seen, and I never get tired of watching it. They did not get married, as they had planned. Isaac Babel, Grace Paley, and Philip Roth. Matthau is also known for his performances in Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! Matthau narrated the Doctor Seuss Video Classics: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Much of my political outlook was already in place when I encountered Dr. King, Belafonte later wrote. He risked his life and livelihood and set high standards for younger Black celebrities, scolding Jay Z and Beyonce for failing to meet their social responsibilities, and mentoring Usher, Common, Danny Glover and many others. By the early 1960s, he had decided to make civil rights his priority. display: none; Clark and Belafonte resisted, successfully, and for the first time a man and woman of different colors touched on national television. With his glowing, handsome face and silky-husky voice, Belafonte was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer; many still know him for his signature hit Banana Boat Song (Day-O), and its call of Day-O! Walter Matthau (/ma/;[1] born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. Sidney did that in every role he took.. But the entertainers causes extended well beyond the U.S. The premise is fairly simple: Lemmons character is a Republican Then this might not be so bad.". Belafontes early life and career paralleled those of Poitier, who died in 2022. He achieved great success in the comedy film, The Fortune Cookie (1966), as a shyster lawyer, William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, starring yet again opposite Lemmon; the first of many collaborations with Billy Wilder, and a role that would earn him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { The Calm Life of Former Presidents Gets Interrupted. In December 1995, he had a colon tumor removed, apparently successfully, as there was no mention of cancer in his death certificate. Walter Matthau,Goldie Hawn,Ingrid Bergman, Michael Curtiz [12] Matthau appeared during the Oscar telecast shortly after having been injured in a bicycle accident; nonetheless, he scolded actors who had not attended the ceremony, especially the other major award winners that night: Paul Scofield, Elizabeth Taylor and Sandy Dennis. Pirates (1986 film Actor: The Odd Couple. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Well, its close to the time of changing presidents and this movie sprung to my mind to watch. Much of my political outlook was already in place when I encountered Dr. King, Belafonte later wrote. My First Goose "He said being married to her was like a bath of lava. But even if Matthau didn't like her, plenty of other men did. "She makes between $7 million and $9 million per show, 20 shows, do the math. Buy or Rent on iTunes. Goldie Hawn } The film marks the first screen collaboration between Matthau and Jack Lemmon. When you grow up, son, Harry Belafonte remembered his mother telling him, never go to bed at night knowing that there was something you could have done during the day to strike a blow against injustice and you didnt do it. | AP Photo/Victoria Will. Starring: Starring: WebPirates is a 1986 adventure comedy film written by Grard Brach, John Brownjohn, and Roman Polanski and directed by Polanski. Barbra Streisand is among the world's biggest stars and has been for the past 45 years. With Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler, Herb Edelman. Jack Lemmon,Walter Matthau,Ann-Margret, Ronald Neame The chemistry between James Garner & Jack Lemmon is excellent & provides a great deal of humor ! His friendship with Robeson and support for left-wing causes eventually brought trouble from the government. #inline-recirc-item--id-abdaf0c6-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Charles Matthau Photos and Premium High Res Pictures And anything unpleasant is funny for most of us. As other reviewers have noted, they play off each other extremely well. He mentored South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba and helped introduce her to American audiences, the two winning a Grammy in 1964 for the concert record An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba. He coordinated Nelson Mandelas first visit to the U.S. since being released from prison in 1990. Though a box office dud that barely grossed its budget, the film found a new audience via repeated broadcasts on cable TV in the years thereafter. Enjoyable pap silly nonsense but just about fun enough to be passable. Gregory Peck,Diane Baker,Walter Matthau, Herbert Ross I thought this might create a problem, but no. Matthau appeared with James Mason in Bigger Than Life (1956) directed by Nicholas Ray. None of the reviewers have said much about the "king among the commoners" theme. 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. I haven't laughed this much in awhile because many films described as comedy aren't very funny! [16] Matthau participated in the script revisions, and the film's director, Ronald Neame, observed that Matthau's contributions entitled him to screen credit, but that was never pursued. He starred with Jack Lemmon on some films. [22], Matthau was married twice: first to Grace Geraldine Johnson from 1948 to 1958, and then to Carol Marcus from 1959 until his death in 2000. Would a president-vice president ticket that included a Republican and a Democrat stand a chance? Still, it wouldve been an interesting social experiment to see how such a pairing would be received by voters. But the two seem to run into each other somewhat frequently in the early-goings and have plenty of sophomoric insults to hurl, recapturing the charm that made Grumpy Old Men so successful a few years earlier. Daaaaay-O. But he forged a greater legacy once he scaled back his performing career in the 1960s and lived out his hero Paul Robesons decree that artists are gatekeepers of truth.. The rewrite was a condition of his participation. 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. ", Andersen's book reveals the painful past that Streisand had to overcome on the road to stardom. Both served in the military during World War II, acted in the American Negro Theatre and then broke into film. Neil Simon cast him in the play The Odd Couple in 1965, with Matthau playing slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, opposite Art Carney as Felix Ungar. We just don't kno, Ill add the shotgun- for those who cant hit the, Personal observations. I also know James Garner from The Ultimate Gift. "He really molded and shaped her as an artist when they were both young actors starting out in Greenwich Village," Andersen said. He never held elective office again. In fact, the largest growing segment of voters are those that dont identify with either of the two major political parties 39 percent self-identify as independent according to the Pew Research Center. 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. 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. During the 1980s and 1990s Matthau served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.[20][21]. On television, he appeared twice on Naked City, as well as in four installments of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Top 20 Movies Starring Walter Matthau ", When Streisand became a star, she quickly became one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, but not always the most popular. Rumors abounded that supporters of Frank had written Phagan off as just a factory girl, a rumor that enraged public opinion in Georgia. "My Fellow Americans" boasts a well-crafted and quite funny script about two former presidents and longtime political rivals who must team up to expose a criminal scheme in which the sitting chief executive is implicated. Joyce Van Patten,Ben Piazza,Jackie Earle Haley, Don Siegel 2. So many professional actors, so much sophomoric humor. Sign In Now about Fiddler on the Roof His Calypso, released in 1955, became the first officially certified million-selling album by a solo performer, and started a national infatuation with Caribbean rhythms (Belafonte was nicknamed, reluctantly, the King of Calypso). He also starred in Plaza Suite, Kotch (both 1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and Hopscotch (1980). [25] He was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
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