I even learned a couple of interesting things reading that douche Robert Vaughn's book.
First of all he was banging Natalie Wood when she was a hot young starlet before she married Robert Wagner. And he took of all people Stella Stevens to the Oscar's when he was nominated as best supporting actor. STELLA STEVENS!!!!!
I mean you got to figure he got a little some of that.
But the most interesting thing I learned is that Steve McQueen was jealous of Yurl Brenner on the set of "The Magnificent Seven." Yurl was the big star and Steve kept doing shit to upstage him. That is pretty freaking funny don't ya think. Even the coolest of the cool can lose his cool when he think somebody is getting the better of him.
Male ego knows no bounds.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've read about McQueen is that he was insanely competitive and not nearly as confident as his screen image would lead you to believe. He had the same problem with Paul Newman as he did with Brynner. Which isn't what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is the complete alienness of Brynner. I mean I could never get a fix on the guy. He's beyond exotic. He's an exotic's exotic. I pick up no clue from him as to oregon. He's sort of a semi-European semi-Asian. Probably born in some impossible place like Kazahkistan. I mean he's more alien than Urkel, and that's saying something. Well, that's my fabulous contribution.
ReplyDeleteorigen not oregon
ReplyDeleteFucking Stella is way better than fucking Ali McGraw. Although that is "damning w/ faint praise."
ReplyDeleteIt would be like nick spinelli being jealous of Seven Machos!
ReplyDeleteNatalie Wood. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThe face that launched a thousand ships. You'd think one of them couldn't stopped and helped.
ReplyDeletecould've
ReplyDeleteThey all seem creepy to me.
ReplyDeleteOr like Aaron Rodgers bragging he's better than Gomer Pyle.
ReplyDeleteTroop, I remember you saying a while ago you were working your way down to a James Garner book on your Kindle. I looked through it at the library a while back. Garner talks about Steve McQ as a friend but gives him bad marks as an actor -- "you could always SEE him acting," etc.
ReplyDeleteI see what he means -- but much as I like Garner, I have to say McQueen was frequently unforgettable in a way that Garner never was.
Another thing about the Garner book -- I never knew that in the Korean War he was REALLY, DIRECTLY in the thick of it as an infantry soldier. He escaped being a Chinese POW by a whisker.
ReplyDeleteSteve McQueen had it. Just like he Duke. Or Gary Cooper.
ReplyDeleteThe only guy around now who kind of has it in my humble opinion is Russell Crowe.
The rest of them are just metropolitans.
About James Garner's political views, the less said the better. What is it about actors? Do they get so isolated among people who suck up to them all day, they never really encounter another point of view? For example, he thinks Rush Limbaugh spends a lot of time on his show accusing various people of being communists, and JG imagines he must be among them.
ReplyDeleteI know this is heresy, but I enjoy watching Garner way more than McQueen. I know people loved the guy but what had I seen him in? Towering Inferno and The Hunter.
ReplyDeleteMeh.
Yeah, Garner's a commie. So was Myrna Loy. shrug One deals.
I got in a lot of trouble when I snorted and laughed when Garner died in "The Notebook." I had to leave the theater.
ReplyDeleteBeing a liberal/democrat in Hollywood is the easy way out. Say the standard Liberal crap and everyone in Hollywood likes you and you get on with your life - say you're a conservative and you get endless arguments and people throwing crap at you.
ReplyDeleteCf: Charlton Heston.
Knew somebody who knew McQueen in the Marine Corps, no one thought he was special. Guy said he surprised when McQueen showed up on TV, he thought he'd end up as an auto mechanic.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's an abysmal movie, "The Notebook".
ReplyDeleteRachel MacAdams: "Oh, who should I pick? The rich handsome douche or the poor handsome douche?"
Audience: "It doesn't matter. No one can tell them apart. Least of all you."
The Magnificent Seven.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of "Marvelous Meade" and "Wonderful Bissage" but that's downright fellatious.
blake said: I know people loved the guy but what had I seen him in? Towering Inferno and The Hunter.
ReplyDeleteHow come you never saw "The Great Escape" or "Bullitt"?
How come you never saw "The Great Escape" or "Bullitt"?
ReplyDeleteBefore my time!
Plus, the guy never did anything for me, and he was a star during a time period of truly awful movies.
I did see "The Great Escape" recently. He didn't bowl me over.
Meh. Steve McQueen was the Judd Nelson of his generation. If he hadn't died, he'd be guest starring on "Psych".
Well check out "The Cincinatti Kid" with Ann Margaret, Tuesday Weld, Karl Malden and the great Edward G Robinson.
ReplyDeleteThat was pretty cool.
Personally I liked "The Sand Pebbles." And the original "The Getaway" which was a pretty good Peckinpaugh flick.
ReplyDeleteAlso he was great in one of my favortie TV Westerns "Wanted Dear or Alive."
Who's Stella Stevens?
ReplyDeletetits.
Titus answered his own question.
ReplyDeleteThe great lost Peckinpah / McQueen movie, definitely worth looking for: Junior Bonner. Steve was never better than this.
ReplyDeleteMcQueen was a drama queen when it came to credits. But so was Yul.
ReplyDeleteBrynner was born in Vladivostok and also lived in China and Paris before coming to the U.S. at 20.
ReplyDeleteI'll check 'em out but, honestly, it doesn't seem like these are the Great Films of History.
ReplyDeleteLol, like every film you review is a Great Film. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't you love subtle persuasion? Can't you feel us trying to make you like Steve McQueen?
ReplyDeleteHey, if my local theater shows a Steve McQueen retrospective, I am there.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't watch much on the small screen. It's challenging, with the brood.
Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel...the reviews are hilarious. You can learn something from them...
ReplyDeleteJust saw a preview for The Magnificent Seven on TMC - I had forgotten how good the music is. Elmer Bernstein wrote a magnificent score for that movie.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that version in years, but used to listen to the music all the time.
I did watch Seven Samurai not long ago - Kurosawa could put together a story, I'm gonna tell you what.
Wait. I thought Kurosawa was a pretentious shit. Jeez. I never can keep track of the narratives. WTFuck me.
ReplyDeleteI am hopelessly lost. I guess the next step is for me to embrace it.
ReplyDeleter,l, he may have been, but I really admire his story telling ability. That is a rare skill. He was a master.
ReplyDeleteBah-dum!
ReplyDelete(Well done, and that, as they say, is that.)
I enjoy invoking Roshomon.
ReplyDeleteApparently the MSM enjoys invoking Rashomon, too. They should stick to flapping their kimonos and not their gums.
ReplyDeleteBernstein was great. His score for "Airplane!" is pitch-perfect, as it were.
ReplyDeleteI'm planning on watching that movie with my son this very day, Blake!
ReplyDeleteSurely you can't be serious!
ReplyDeleteWhy? We were going to watch it last night, but then a friend asked him to come over for a sleepover.
ReplyDeleteKnock yourself a pro slick. Gray matter back got perform' us' down I take TCBin, man'.
ReplyDeleteS'mo fo butter layin' to the bone. Jackin' me up. Tightly.
Col' got to be!
Oh, shit. Got it!!! Stillnhaven't had enough coffee yet.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't call me Shirley!
Hahahahaha! Awesome. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou just made my morning, r!
What it is big mamma, my mamma didn't raise no dummy, I dug her rap.
ReplyDeleteCut me som' slac' jak! ...Chump don wan no help, chump don git no help. Jive ass dude don got no brains anyhow.
You are most welcome, B! : )
ReplyDeletechickenlittle said...
ReplyDeleteI enjoy invoking Roshomon.
That's not the way I heard it.
Chip S. FTW!
ReplyDeleteSo, after having seen Airplane! for the first time, my son said he wanted to watch that one, again. And so I let him.
ReplyDeleteComments: Priceless.
"Johnny, what do you make of this?"
ReplyDelete"It's a hat, it's a ship, it's brooch!"
To report back: Son watched Airplane! and loved it. So much that he watched it TWICE.
ReplyDeleteThis morning, we are awash in quotes and references to that movie. (And questions about certain references. I forgot that face-sitting was referenced, for example, and, of course, the kid doesn't miss a damned thing. Oops! **Sigh**)
I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he gets into Monty Python!
Oh, my.