Tag Archives: paul newman

Quote of the Week

Posted by Marisa on

This week’s quote is from an independently published memoir by and about Robert Austin Brady, acting coach and former member of the American Mime Theater. He was briefly employed as assistant and driver to Stanley Kubrick, just before Kubrick started shooting 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Apparently while driving Kubrick around, Brady got a chance to chat with him quite a bit about his films. While discussing Paths of Glory (1957), this choice interchange occurred. It is a remarkable, and let’s face it, rather disappointing read, for Kubrick throws major shade at Timothy, and also at Karl Malden.

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BOB: Absolutely. I think that was Kirk Douglas‘s best performance, and George Macready, who can also play heavy-handed, was terrific. And Timothy Carey, in several scenes, was riveting–unforgettable. You cast him earlier, in “The Killing“.

SK: Never again. He was wild–almost dangerous to have around. He was almost impossible to direct. He never matched his movements to his lines. He accidentally hit Ralph Meeker so hard in the face that we had to stop shooting for the day. He was brilliant, but impossible. As a matter of fact, my next film was going to be “One Eyed Jacks” with Marlon Brando as star/producer. I brought in Calder Willingham to adapt the script. Calder and I adapted “Paths of Glory“. I worked on the script for two months but then I decided to drop the project. My main reason was that Brando fired Calder, and my enthusiasm faded. The other factor was casting. Marlon had promised Karl Malden and Timothy Carey, the co-starring parts. I knew Karl Malden was not a worthy adversary for Marlon. He lacks charm and empathy. I don’t think he’s a good actor. I wanted Paul Newman for the part, or somebody like that, somebody the audience could feel some sympathy for and I certainly didn’t want to work with Timothy Carey again. So, Brando wound up directing.

One-Eyed Jacks

Pic of the Day: “Dead Weight” revisited

Posted by Marisa on

We wrap up the work week with another look at Bert, affable owner of Bert’s Diner and creator of  Lt. Columbo’s (Peter Falk) favorite chili. The Columbo episode “Dead Weight,” first airing on October 27, 1971, was Bert’s second and final appearance in the series. Timothy himself appeared on the show one more time, in “Fade In to Murder” (10.10.76).

Dead Weight - 1971

Directing “Dead Weight” was Jack Smight, an old friend and college chum of Tim’s Bayou (1957) co-star Peter Graves. He became a successful television and feature film director, helming such notable films as Harper (1966), The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) (both with Paul Newman), and The Illustrated Man (1969) with Rod Steiger.

Pic of the Day: “Speedtrap” revisited

Posted by Marisa on

Today we celebrate a birthday and mourn a passing. Firstly, we want to wish a happy 84th birthday anniversary to the great Robert Loggia! He made his film debut with Paul Newman in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) and hasn’t looked back since. He and Timothy only made one film together, the drive-in classic Speedtrap (1977). It’s a shame they didn’t get a chance to work together more often; they certainly made a great on-screen pair of bad guys.

Speedtrap

And lastly, we say goodbye to the founding genius of Something Weird Video, Mike Vraney. He died yesterday at the age of 56, after a long battle with lung cancer. His love of and enthusiasm for the weird, the strange, and the forgotten films of the fringe/underground/exploitation era cannot be matched. When we say that he will truly be missed, it is not a trite cliche but a bitter reality. We send our most heart-felt condolences and love to Mike’s family, friends and loved ones.

Pic of the Day: “Bayou” revisited

Posted by Marisa on

Our pic for today finds Timothy romancing fellow Brooklynite Lita Milan in Bayou (1957). Ulysses is about to dangle a sparkly fleur-de-lys necklace in front of Marie in an attempt to win her love, but she is having none of it.

Milan was a talented beauty who broke many hearts in Hollywood, including, by all accounts, those belonging to Ralph Meeker, Steve McQueen, Kirk Douglas and Paul Newman. She ended up marrying Rafael “Ramfis” Leonidas Trujillo Martinez Jr., son of the Dominican dictator, in 1960 after a stormy two-year relationship. She bore him two sons and became his widow in 1969, when he died from a post-auto accident bout of pneumonia.