1989
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 10:37 am
TRIVIA---James Cameron's ALIENS is set in 2079, so to get a futuristic watch for Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Cameron got automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the DeLorean and sports cars for Ferrari and Aston Martin, to design an appropriate watch. Giugiaro chose a Seiko 7A28 watch and modified it, including adding a "control panel" to the right side of the Seiko.
In another movie with a Seiko and DeLorean connection, in BACK TO THE FUTURE, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) wore a standard Seiko A826 Time Trainer watch, and his time machine was a modified DeLorean.
In ALIENS, automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the DeLorean, modified a Seiko 7A28 watch for Ellen Ripley.
In BACK TO THE FUTURE, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) wore a standard Seiko A826 Time Trainer watch, and his time machine was a modified DeLorean.
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TRIVIA---Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris were adversaries in two Jerry Bruckheimer-produced movies. In THE ROCK, Cage played FBI chemist Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, who must stop renegade Marine Brig. Gen. Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) from firing missiles containing deadly VX nerve gas from Alcatraz to San Francisco unless the government pays $100 million to the families of his men who were killed in combat and not recognized by the government. In NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, Cage played historian Ben Gates who must disprove treasure hunter Mitch Wilkinson's (Harris) allegations that his great-great-grandfather was a member of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
In THE ROCK, Nicolas Cage played FBI chemist Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, who must stop renegade Marine Brig. Gen. Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) from firing missiles containing deadly VX nerve gas from Alcatraz to San Francisco.
In NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, Cage played historian Ben Gates who must disprove treasure hunter Mitch Wilkinson's (Harris) allegations that his great-great-grandfather was a member of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
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Matthew McGrory (May 17, 1973 – August 9, 2005) was an American actor. At 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m), he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horror films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Karl the Giant in the fantasy comedy-drama Big Fish (2003). McGrory also held the Guinness World Records for biggest feet and longest toe.[1][2]
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Part 1----The only movie I've seen from your latest reviews is 633 SQUADRON, which I saw as a kid and also had the paperback version. George Lucas said the 633 SQUADRON attack on the V-2 fuel plant was his inspiration for the classic STAR WARS "trench run" scene of the X-Wing fighters attacking and destroying the Death Star.
Cliff Robertson was married to actress Dina Merrill, heiress to the Post cereal fortune. Ironically, all three of her husbands were pilots. Her first husband was Stanley Rumbough (heir to the Colgate Palmolive fortune) and a Marine fighter pilot who saw combat in the Pacific in World War II. Her second husband was Cliff Robertson, an avid flier who had a collection of classic airplanes including an RAF Spitfire from WW II. Merrill's third husband was Ted Hartley, a Navy fighter pilot whose military career ended when he was injured when his jet fighter crashed. Hartley later became an actor where he played Rock Hudson's submarine second-in-command in ICE STATION ZEBRA and he played the corrupt hotel owner in Clint Eastwood's HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (my favorite Western). Hartley and Merrill later became owners of RKO Pictures.
And speaking of corporate family connections: 633 SQUADRON featured the de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber---de Havilland was founded by Geoffrey de Havilland---whose cousins were Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.
Co-star Angus Lennie played Cliff Robertson's RAF sidekick in 633 SQUADRON and he played Steve McQueen's RAF sidekick in THE GREAT ESCAPE. Co-star Donald Houston played an RAF officer in 633 SQUADRON and an RAF pilot/Richard Burton's squadron mate in THE LONGEST DAY.
In the Robert Redford spy movie 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, Robertson played a CIA official whose office was in the World Trade Center. Ironically, on September 11, 2021, Robertson was flying his plane directly over the World Trade Center when it was hit by the skyjacked airliner.
The movie was directed by Walter Grauman, who was a B-25 bomber pilot in WW II and a family member connected to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
After reading your review, I posted this as Part 1 and shut my pc down to watch the bluray 633 SQUADRON commentary, and I looked at the clock---it was 6:33 pm.
Part 2---I just finished watching the commentary on the bluray 633 SQUADRON which states that George Chakiris (of Greek ancestry) played Norwegian Resistance leader Bergman because he was under contract to Mirisch Films and he had won an Academy Award for WEST SIDE STORY---which would mean the movie would have more appeal to US audiences.
The commentary says that Robertson was not allowed to fly the Mosquito due to insurance reasons and his offer to buy one for his collection was turned down. The movie commentary also states Cliff Robertson almost died in a plane crash while starring in THE TWILIGHT ZONE. I checked my THE TWILIGHT ZONE set and in the episode "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim", Robertson said in the commentary that he was told to catch American Airlines Flight 1 to Los Angeles for a THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode, but he insisted on taking a later flight. Flight 1 crashed in Jamaica Bay, New York killing all 95 people onboard which was the worst US airline crash in history at that time.
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TRIVIA---Mark Hamill said he was offered a starring role in the sequel to the horror movie THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, “Someone said, ‘They want you to be in THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE PART 2.’ And I said, ‘What’s THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE?’ They explained the premise to me, and I went, ‘Oh my God! Thank you for putting those images in my head, and I’ll never forgive you for doing so.’ But that was an easy one. I said, ‘No, don’t send the script.’ The premise alone — I’ll never see one, and I really resent the fact that some human being thought of that concept of sewing people together, mouth to anus. Goodbye, and never enter my life again.”
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B.A. from USC, a B.S. from UCLA, an M.A. from SMU, and a PhD from TCU)
Botany, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, and Geography: These were his stated areas of expertise.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Received from USC.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.): Received from UCLA.
Master of Arts (M.A.): Received from SMU.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.): Received from TCU.
a Geiger counter to detect radiation, a power generator to make electricity from a pedal bike, a battery charger using coconut shells and seawater, a radio transmitter built from the shipwreck's parts, and a sewing machine for practical needs. He also created a variety of gadgets for comfort and rescue, such as a record player, a barometer, a sewing machine, a washing machine, and even a popcorn machine.
Everyday Inventions:
Sewing Machine: A bamboo sewing machine was created to provide clothing for the castaways.
Washing Machine: Another invention, a pedal-powered washing machine, provided a more convenient way to clean clothes.
Water Pump: A water pump was built to help the castaways get freshwater.
Record Player: A record player was constructed from the Minnow's steering wheel to entertain the group.
Inventions for Rescue and Safety:
Geiger Counter: After a meteor crash, the Professor built a bamboo Geiger counter to test its radioactivity.
Battery Charger: He fashioned a charger from coconut shells and seawater to power the radio.
Generator: A significant invention was the island generator, a pedal-powered system that served as the sole source of electricity for other devices.
Telegraph: The Professor built a telegraph to attempt communication with the outside world.
Nitroglycerine: To stop a volcano from erupting, he created nitroglycerine from island ingredients.
Other Notable Inventions:
Lie Detector: In an attempt to uncover a secret admirer, the Professor built a lie detector using bamboo and a horn from the Minnow.
X-ray Machine: He also created an X-ray machine.
Ferris Wheel: For entertainment, the Professor constructed a Ferris wheel on the island.
Hot Air Balloon
TRIVIA---on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, while stranded on a remote Pacific island with six other castaways, the Professor's inventions include: electric generator, X-ray machine, Geiger counter, nitroglycerine, radio transmitter, telegraph, hot air balloon, lie detector, battery charger, jet pack fuel, washing machine, sewing machine, popcorn machine, record player, Ferris wheel, barometer, water purifier, shark repellent, roulette wheel, pool table and others.
The Professor's academic background are a Bachelor of Arts (USC), Bachelor of Science (UCLA), Master of Arts (SMU) and a Doctor of Philosophy (TCU).
One thing the Professor could not do was repair the SS Minnow, so the castaways could sail back to civilization. In an interview, Bob Denver explained the Professor's apparently sole deficiency by saying the Professor, "had no talent for boat-building."
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It appears that Karen Allen was the sure winner of the role once considered, but Spielberg and George Lucas had a few other women in mind beforehand. The most rumored casting what-if for Marion is Debra Winger, who had shown her leading-lady talent in Urban Cowboy (1980) opposite John Travolta, who would go on to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Winger hadn’t yet achieved the fame she would know after An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment, but her tough energy left an impact on Spielberg. According to The Independent, Winger turned down the role because she felt it was beneath her.
TRIVIA---in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Steven Spielberg offered the Marion Ravenwood role to Debra Winger, but she turned it down because she felt the role was beneath her, so the role went to Karen Allen. The next year, Winger did have a cameo Spielberg's E.T.: THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL in the Halloween trick-or-treat scene where she is the person wearing the zombie doctor costume and carrying a poodle.
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Beach Dickerson, a Corman regular, played four roles in this film... not only is he the fair-haired boy that drowns in quicksand, he is also the stranger riding in from the burning plains, the bear that attacks the hunting party, and a drummer during the funeral for his own character.
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LINK: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-sc ... ill-199120
LINK: https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/unc-gillin ... lth-in-us/
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While he was living on Oahu, Boone helped persuade Leonard Freeman to film Hawaii Five-O exclusively in Hawaii. Prior to that, Freeman had planned to do "establishing" location shots in Hawaii, but principal production in Southern California. Boone and others convinced Freeman that the islands could offer all necessary support for a major TV series and would provide an authenticity otherwise unobtainable.[18]
Freeman, impressed by Boone's love of Hawaii, offered him the role of Steve McGarrett; Boone turned it down, however, and the role went to Jack Lord, who shared Boone's enthusiasm for the state, which Freeman considered vital. Coincidentally, Lord had appeared alongside Boone in the first episode of Have Gun – Will Travel, titled "Three Bells to Perdido"
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“The part that Anna Nicole [Smith] played, I almost played,” Anderson said. “It was just scheduling. I couldn’t do it. But it’s good: I’d rather play this role.” Anderson’s character in the reboot-quel is modelled after a classic femme fatale. The character is named Beth, and she comes to the Police Squad for help after her brother is murdered.
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As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.
Sandro Giglio played a scientist in two George Pal outer space movies: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Paul Frees as Radio reporter/pre-titles narrator
Sandro Giglio--WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE--Dr. Ottinger....THE WAR OF THE WORLDS--Dr. Bilderbeck
Paul Frees--WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE---narrator/President.......WAR OF THE WORLDS---first narrator/radio reporter
TRIVIA---George Pal produced two sci fi outer space movies in the early 1950s. In WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951), scientists frantically attempt to build a "Noah's ark" spaceship to take people to a new planet after a star and its planet are due to collide with Earth and destroy mankind. In THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), Martians land on Earth to conquer mankind. Two actors appeared in both movies.
Famous voice actor Paul Frees was the narrator and President of the United States in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE. Sandro Giglio played Dr. Ottinger in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and he played Dr. Bilderbeck in THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.
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TRIVIA---James Cromwell is best known for playing corrupt LAPD Capt. Dudley Smith in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL and Dr. Zephram Cochrane in STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, but his first movie role was in Neil Simon's MURDER BY DEATH where he played Inspector Milo Perrier's (James Coco) French chauffeur, Marcel Cassette.
The Salkinds turned their attentions to Hollywood legend Marlon Brando. He wasn’t remotely interested until the Salkinds offered him $3.7m salary, 11.75% of the profits, and a guarantee written into his contract he’d be on-set for 12 days at most.24/59
allthe_rightmovies
12/16/24
·Author
For 12 days on set and 19 minutes on screen, Brando was paid about $19 million dollars in total. Donner later said Donner said about it: “I was upset as it seemed like much more money than anybody is worth. But working with him, and seeing him on film, he’s underpaid.”
The Newmans/Benton revised screenplay that Richard Donner inherited (and quickly re-wrote) included one infamous camp moment, where Lex Luthor encountered Telly Savalas playing Kojak in a railway station. Kojak then offered Luthor a lollipop and asked him his trademark line, "Who loves ya, baby?"
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an economist for the United States Department of State. In 1941 he joined the Red Cross and served in Britain during World War II. There he met director John Huston who recommended that he try Hollywood after the war. Instead, Dierkes went to work for the U.S. Treasury Department which coincidentally sent him to Hollywood to function as technical advisor for the film To the Ends of the Earth (1948) and Orson Welles cast him as Ross in his version of Macbeth in the same year. Welles used Dierkes again in his Touch of Evil (1958). He married Cynthia Dierkes and they had two daughters and two sons.
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JACK THE RIPPER miniseries premiered on American television on the exact same day that the movie Without a Clue (1988) was released: October 21, 1988. Both productions featured Sir Michael Caine, Lysette Anthony, and George Sweeney, and were set in Victorian London, and were shot by cinematographer Alun Hume.
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O'Brien married Hazel Ruth Collette in 1925 and they had two sons together, William and Willis, Jr., but the marriage was an unhappy one. O'Brien was reportedly forced into it, and rebelled with drinking, gambling, and extra-marital affairs. The couple had divorced by 1930 and the two boys remained with their mother, who had begun to show unbalanced behaviour. By 1931 Hazel had been diagnosed with cancer and tuberculosis, while William also contracted tuberculosis resulting in blindness in one eye and then the other.
The success of King Kong led to the studio commissioning a hurried sequel Son of Kong (also 1933), which O'Brien described as cheesy. With a limited budget and a short production schedule O'Brien chose to leave the animation work to his animation assistant, Buzz Gibson, and asked the studio not to credit him on the project. While making one of his daily visits to the set, O'Brien, who had remained close to his two sons after his separation from his estranged wife, invited Willis Jr. and the now completely blind William with him to handle the Kong and dinosaur models. A few weeks after this visit O'Brien's ex-wife, Hazel Ruth Collette, shot and killed William and Willis Jr. before turning the gun on herself. The suicide attempt failed and by draining her tubercular lung actually extended her life by another year. A publicity photo of O'Brien taken around this time shows the anguish on his face. Hazel Ruth Collette remained in the Los Angeles General Hospital prison ward until her death in 1934.
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In Too Many Christmas Trees (1965), John Steed received a Christmas card from Cathy Gale, and it was postmarked "Fort Knox". This is in reference to Honor Blackman's appearance as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger
There is a sly reference to Honor Blackman in this episode: as Steed and Emma open his Christmas cards ("And who is 'Boofums'?"), she announces that one of them is from Cathy, and hands it to Steed, who remarks, "Mrs. Gale! Oh, how nice of her to remember me. What can she be doing in Fort Knox?"
"Whatever can she be doing at Fort Knox ...?"
TRIVIA---in the classic British spy tv series THE AVENGERS, Honor Blackman played Cathy Gale and Patrick Macnee played her partner, John Steed. Blackman left the tv series to play Bond Girl Pussy Galore in GOLDFINGER in which Bond Villain Auric Goldfinger plots to explode an atomic warhead and irradiate the entire US gold supply at Fort Knox. Blackman was replaced by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.
In the Christmas episode "Too Many Christmas Trees", Mrs. Peel opens Christmas cards including one from Cathy Gale which is postmarked "Fort Knox" which leads to Steed saying, "Mrs. Gale! Oh, how nice of her to remember me. What can she be doing in Fort Knox?"
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In Back to the Future, the theater in the background behind the clock tower shows "Orgy American Style" being shown. This is an actual porno from 1973. The male star from that porno played Red the Bum in the film, calling Marty a crazy drunk driver when returns to the present.
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In 1880 Edinburgh, Professor Sir Oliver Lindenbrook, a geologist at the University of Edinburgh, is given a piece of volcanic rock by his admiring student, Alec McEwan, who is in love with Lindenbrook's niece Jenny. Finding the rock unusually heavy, Lindenbrook discovers a plumb bob inside bearing a cryptic inscription. Lindenbrook and Alec discover that it was left by a scientist named Arne Saknussemm, who, almost 100 years earlier, had found a passage to the center of the Earth by descending into the volcano Snæfellsjökull, in western Iceland.
TRIVIA---supermodel Kathy Ireland's first movie role was starring in the sci fi adventure movie ALIEN FROM LA in which she played nerd Wanda Saknussemm, who searches for her missing archaeologist father. Her character was named after archaeologist Arne Saknussemm, the character from the Jules Verne novel JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, who died after discovering the Lost City of Atlantis. The hit 1958 movie based on the novel starred James Mason, Pat Boone and Arlene Dahl.
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TRIVIA---PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW was a 1971 movie in which a serial killer was preying on pretty female students at a California high school. The movie was written by STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry, directed by Roger Vadim and starred Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson and Telly Savalas. Later, all three actors were starring in their own hit tv cop shows.
Rock Hudson starred in McMILLAN & WIFE in which San Francisco Police Commissioner Mac McMillan and his wife, Sally, solve crimes. Angie Dickinson starred in POLICE WOMAN in which Los Angeles Police Sgt. Pepper Anderson went undercover to solve crimes. Telly Savalas starred in KOJAK in which he played New York Police Lt. Theo Kojak, who was once ranked by TV GUIDE as number 18 on its "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time".
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"So I sat down and I thought 'Oh my goodness me.' I felt pain in my bum. I thought 'OK, this is my big moment, my big entrance.' So I stood up and my bottom is on fire at that point..."
Caroline Munro turned down a role in the original SUPERMAN with Christopher Reeve to play Bond villain Naomi in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. In her first scene, she greeted Roger Moore and Barbara Bach in a very revealing bikini. In reality, just before that, she sat on a bee which stung her on her bottom so she was in intense pain during the scene.
Warren Beatty's character, Joe Pendleton, was supposed to live until 10:17 am on March 20, 2025.
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28 Primetime Emmy Awards from a record of 117 nominations.
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The poster was designed by legendary book cover artist Roger Kastel - he would also go on to create the epic Gone With The Wind-style The Empire Strikes Back poster.
Both beauty and the beast are masquerading as things they are not. Watkins is not Backlinie, and the shark...is not a great white.
For the great white shark, Kastel actually used images of a mako shark, from photos he took at the Museum of Natural History.
And for his rendition of Chrissie Watkins swimming through the water and unaware of what lies beneath, he hired the then 24-year-old model, Allison Maher. The gig was one of her first jobs.
Maher lay across two stools to simulate the swimming motion of the unsuspecting Chrissie, showcasing what we would see in the opening minutes of the film. It's an image you can't shake when Chrissie is being attacked, even though we only see the attack from the surface. Both film and poster are merged.
For her stint on the stools Maher was paid just $35. We don't know if that payment was in cash or check.
The Kastel design was originally for the paperback version of the book, but the publishers, Bantam, allowed it to be used for the film's poster. And so a cinematic icon was born, and with it one of the most famous and oft-imitated film posters in the world.
Speaking to the New York Post, she said: “I knew it was a book cover and that was it. If you know me, you can tell it’s me."
Maher now goes by the name of Allison Maher Stern, after marrying real-estate developer Leonard Stern. He is now a prominent philanthropist, and Allison has an area named for her at the Central Park Zoo, the Allison Maher Stern snow leopard exhibit.
You could say she has gone from supporting a big fish, to supporting the plight of big cats.
Allison may have come a long way since donning that swimming pose on those chairs, but she does have a copy of that iconic Jaws poster. It's made all the more special as it is signed by Steven Spielberg.
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The Jaws poster is arguably one of the most iconic film posters in the history of cinema, showing the great white shark ascending to an unsuspecting Chrissie Watkins, the first victim in the Steven Spielberg film: Behind The Screams: Chrissie’s Attack
Except, it isn't a great white, it is a mako shark. The film poster's artist Roger Kastel didn't head to the ocean for inspiration, instead he paid a visit to the American Museum of Natural History.
There, he took a some photos of stuffed mako sharks waiting to be cleaned. They were laying on their side, but in the finished artwork the shark is positioned as if it is rising through the water.
The great white belongs to the Family Lamnidae (the mackerel sharks), which also includes mako and salmon sharks, so it is a close relative.
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Upon meeting the Joe Don Baker character, Sheree North says, "I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood." Eastwood had, of course, starred in numerous previous Don Seigel pictures including "Two Mules for Sister Sarah", "The Beguiled" and "Dirty Harry".
When the hit man Molly arrives at Jewell's photo studio and introduces himself, Jewell sarcastically replies, "Yeah, I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood". The role of Varrick was written specifically for Eastwood, whom, after initially accepting the role, ultimately turned it down, reportedly because Eastwood decided the character had no redeeming features.
TRIVIA---in Don Seigel's CHARLEY VARRICK, Walter Matthau played Charley Varrick, a down-on-his luck crop duster pilot who robbed a bank laundering Mafia money and the Mafia sent hitman Molly (Joe Don Baker) to recover the loot. In the scene where photographer Jewell Everett (Sheree North) met Molly, she said, "I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood."
In reality, CHARLEY VARRICK was written specifically for Eastwood, who had starred in four Siegel movies, including DIRTY HARRY. Eastwood reportedly withdrew from the movie because the Varrick character had no redeeming qualities, and was replaced by Matthau.
Had Eastwood starred in CHARLEY VARRICK, it would have a reunion for the DIRTY HARRY team of Eastwood, Siegel, Andrew Robinson, John Vernon, Albert Popwell and Woodrow Parfrey.
Clint Eastwood---Inspector Harry Callahan (DIRTY HARRY), Charley Varrick (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Don Siegel---director (DIRTY HARRY), director and cameo as ping-pong player Murphy (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Andrew Robinson---Charles "Scorpio" Davis (DIRTY HARRY), bank robber Harman Sulluivan (CHARLEY VARRICK).
John Vernon---San Francisco mayor (DIRTY HARRY), bank president Maynard Boyle (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Albert Popwell---bank robber (DIRTY HARRY), Rudolph Percy (CHARLEY VARRICK)
Woodrow Parfrey---diner employee Jaffee (DIRTY HARRY), bank manager Harold Young (CHARLEY VARRICK).
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Matheson's last appearance was in the "Kick the Can" segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
Murray Matheson is most known for playing The Clown in the memorable 1961 Twilight Zone episode Five Characters in Search of an Exit (1961). Murray was astounding in his role and had most of the screen time. He was a funny and intelligent clown and the audience really cared for his character.
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There was some controversy over the casting. At 54, John Wayne was twice as old as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandevoort had been at the time. At 52, Robert Ryan was 15 years older than Gen. James M. Gavin had been.
After seeing the film, Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, the character portrayed by John Wayne, said: "I never looked that old. I was 29 then. [Wayne was 55 when he filmed the role.] And no military man ever moved about the way Wayne did. The fact is, I was really scared."
he youngest major general to command an American division in World War II.
TRIVIA---June 6, 2025 is the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. THE LONGEST DAY was the 1964 epic movie about D-Day based on the Corenlius Ryan book, although some referred to the movie as "The Oldest Day" because some of the actors were too old to be playing their soldier characters. John Wayne was 54 years old when he played 82nd Airborne Division Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, who was 27 years old on D-Day. Robert Ryan was 53 years old when he played 82nd Airborne Division commander Gen. James Gavin, the youngest major general to command an Army division in World War II, who was 37 years old on D-Day.
By comparison, in A BRIDGE TOO FAR, also based on a Cornelius Ryan World War II book, Gen. Gavin was played by a much younger Ryan O'Neal.
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Although he would eventually obtain some good will with critics thanks to the success of Frenzy and Family Plot, Hitchcock had plans to make a major comeback with the romantic espionage thriller The Short Night, according to Far Out Magazine. With plans to shoot the film in Finland, the ostensibly old-fashioned adventure film would serve as a throwback to the underrated espionage projects he worked on early in his career. However, Hitchcock knew he needed a major star to fund his ambitious new project; at the time, Eastwood seemed like an obvious choice to take the mantle of his next leading man.
Just as he was peaking in popularity thanks to the success of the Dirty Harry movies, Eastwood met with Hitchcock over lunch to discuss the possibility of starring in what was likely The Short Night. While he has never revealed the specifics of their encounter, Eastwood was not enthused by the script and turned down the opportunity to work with Hitchcock. While it was unclear if Eastwood had any interest in working with Hitchcock on another project outside of The Short Night, he unfortunately never had the opportunity; Hitchcock died only four years after his final film, Family Plot, was released in 1976. It's not confirmed which project Hitchcock and Eastwood met for, but the timeline indicates The Short Night was likely the project.
While Eastwood’s refusal had struck a major blow to the film’s production, Hitchcock considered other actors to star in The Short Night. Aiming to find one of the era’s more popular stars that had experience playing tough, non-nonsense characters, Hitchcock approached, as noted in the previously linked Far Out article, Walter Matthau, Sean Conner
In another movie with a Seiko and DeLorean connection, in BACK TO THE FUTURE, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) wore a standard Seiko A826 Time Trainer watch, and his time machine was a modified DeLorean.
In ALIENS, automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed the DeLorean, modified a Seiko 7A28 watch for Ellen Ripley.
In BACK TO THE FUTURE, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) wore a standard Seiko A826 Time Trainer watch, and his time machine was a modified DeLorean.
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TRIVIA---Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris were adversaries in two Jerry Bruckheimer-produced movies. In THE ROCK, Cage played FBI chemist Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, who must stop renegade Marine Brig. Gen. Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) from firing missiles containing deadly VX nerve gas from Alcatraz to San Francisco unless the government pays $100 million to the families of his men who were killed in combat and not recognized by the government. In NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, Cage played historian Ben Gates who must disprove treasure hunter Mitch Wilkinson's (Harris) allegations that his great-great-grandfather was a member of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
In THE ROCK, Nicolas Cage played FBI chemist Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, who must stop renegade Marine Brig. Gen. Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) from firing missiles containing deadly VX nerve gas from Alcatraz to San Francisco.
In NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, Cage played historian Ben Gates who must disprove treasure hunter Mitch Wilkinson's (Harris) allegations that his great-great-grandfather was a member of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
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Matthew McGrory (May 17, 1973 – August 9, 2005) was an American actor. At 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m), he was recognized as the tallest actor by Guinness World Records. He portrayed physically imposing characters throughout his career, including Tiny Firefly in the horror films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Karl the Giant in the fantasy comedy-drama Big Fish (2003). McGrory also held the Guinness World Records for biggest feet and longest toe.[1][2]
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Part 1----The only movie I've seen from your latest reviews is 633 SQUADRON, which I saw as a kid and also had the paperback version. George Lucas said the 633 SQUADRON attack on the V-2 fuel plant was his inspiration for the classic STAR WARS "trench run" scene of the X-Wing fighters attacking and destroying the Death Star.
Cliff Robertson was married to actress Dina Merrill, heiress to the Post cereal fortune. Ironically, all three of her husbands were pilots. Her first husband was Stanley Rumbough (heir to the Colgate Palmolive fortune) and a Marine fighter pilot who saw combat in the Pacific in World War II. Her second husband was Cliff Robertson, an avid flier who had a collection of classic airplanes including an RAF Spitfire from WW II. Merrill's third husband was Ted Hartley, a Navy fighter pilot whose military career ended when he was injured when his jet fighter crashed. Hartley later became an actor where he played Rock Hudson's submarine second-in-command in ICE STATION ZEBRA and he played the corrupt hotel owner in Clint Eastwood's HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (my favorite Western). Hartley and Merrill later became owners of RKO Pictures.
And speaking of corporate family connections: 633 SQUADRON featured the de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber---de Havilland was founded by Geoffrey de Havilland---whose cousins were Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.
Co-star Angus Lennie played Cliff Robertson's RAF sidekick in 633 SQUADRON and he played Steve McQueen's RAF sidekick in THE GREAT ESCAPE. Co-star Donald Houston played an RAF officer in 633 SQUADRON and an RAF pilot/Richard Burton's squadron mate in THE LONGEST DAY.
In the Robert Redford spy movie 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, Robertson played a CIA official whose office was in the World Trade Center. Ironically, on September 11, 2021, Robertson was flying his plane directly over the World Trade Center when it was hit by the skyjacked airliner.
The movie was directed by Walter Grauman, who was a B-25 bomber pilot in WW II and a family member connected to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
After reading your review, I posted this as Part 1 and shut my pc down to watch the bluray 633 SQUADRON commentary, and I looked at the clock---it was 6:33 pm.
Part 2---I just finished watching the commentary on the bluray 633 SQUADRON which states that George Chakiris (of Greek ancestry) played Norwegian Resistance leader Bergman because he was under contract to Mirisch Films and he had won an Academy Award for WEST SIDE STORY---which would mean the movie would have more appeal to US audiences.
The commentary says that Robertson was not allowed to fly the Mosquito due to insurance reasons and his offer to buy one for his collection was turned down. The movie commentary also states Cliff Robertson almost died in a plane crash while starring in THE TWILIGHT ZONE. I checked my THE TWILIGHT ZONE set and in the episode "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim", Robertson said in the commentary that he was told to catch American Airlines Flight 1 to Los Angeles for a THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode, but he insisted on taking a later flight. Flight 1 crashed in Jamaica Bay, New York killing all 95 people onboard which was the worst US airline crash in history at that time.
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TRIVIA---Mark Hamill said he was offered a starring role in the sequel to the horror movie THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, “Someone said, ‘They want you to be in THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE PART 2.’ And I said, ‘What’s THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE?’ They explained the premise to me, and I went, ‘Oh my God! Thank you for putting those images in my head, and I’ll never forgive you for doing so.’ But that was an easy one. I said, ‘No, don’t send the script.’ The premise alone — I’ll never see one, and I really resent the fact that some human being thought of that concept of sewing people together, mouth to anus. Goodbye, and never enter my life again.”
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B.A. from USC, a B.S. from UCLA, an M.A. from SMU, and a PhD from TCU)
Botany, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, and Geography: These were his stated areas of expertise.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Received from USC.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.): Received from UCLA.
Master of Arts (M.A.): Received from SMU.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.): Received from TCU.
a Geiger counter to detect radiation, a power generator to make electricity from a pedal bike, a battery charger using coconut shells and seawater, a radio transmitter built from the shipwreck's parts, and a sewing machine for practical needs. He also created a variety of gadgets for comfort and rescue, such as a record player, a barometer, a sewing machine, a washing machine, and even a popcorn machine.
Everyday Inventions:
Sewing Machine: A bamboo sewing machine was created to provide clothing for the castaways.
Washing Machine: Another invention, a pedal-powered washing machine, provided a more convenient way to clean clothes.
Water Pump: A water pump was built to help the castaways get freshwater.
Record Player: A record player was constructed from the Minnow's steering wheel to entertain the group.
Inventions for Rescue and Safety:
Geiger Counter: After a meteor crash, the Professor built a bamboo Geiger counter to test its radioactivity.
Battery Charger: He fashioned a charger from coconut shells and seawater to power the radio.
Generator: A significant invention was the island generator, a pedal-powered system that served as the sole source of electricity for other devices.
Telegraph: The Professor built a telegraph to attempt communication with the outside world.
Nitroglycerine: To stop a volcano from erupting, he created nitroglycerine from island ingredients.
Other Notable Inventions:
Lie Detector: In an attempt to uncover a secret admirer, the Professor built a lie detector using bamboo and a horn from the Minnow.
X-ray Machine: He also created an X-ray machine.
Ferris Wheel: For entertainment, the Professor constructed a Ferris wheel on the island.
Hot Air Balloon
TRIVIA---on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, while stranded on a remote Pacific island with six other castaways, the Professor's inventions include: electric generator, X-ray machine, Geiger counter, nitroglycerine, radio transmitter, telegraph, hot air balloon, lie detector, battery charger, jet pack fuel, washing machine, sewing machine, popcorn machine, record player, Ferris wheel, barometer, water purifier, shark repellent, roulette wheel, pool table and others.
The Professor's academic background are a Bachelor of Arts (USC), Bachelor of Science (UCLA), Master of Arts (SMU) and a Doctor of Philosophy (TCU).
One thing the Professor could not do was repair the SS Minnow, so the castaways could sail back to civilization. In an interview, Bob Denver explained the Professor's apparently sole deficiency by saying the Professor, "had no talent for boat-building."
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It appears that Karen Allen was the sure winner of the role once considered, but Spielberg and George Lucas had a few other women in mind beforehand. The most rumored casting what-if for Marion is Debra Winger, who had shown her leading-lady talent in Urban Cowboy (1980) opposite John Travolta, who would go on to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Winger hadn’t yet achieved the fame she would know after An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment, but her tough energy left an impact on Spielberg. According to The Independent, Winger turned down the role because she felt it was beneath her.
TRIVIA---in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Steven Spielberg offered the Marion Ravenwood role to Debra Winger, but she turned it down because she felt the role was beneath her, so the role went to Karen Allen. The next year, Winger did have a cameo Spielberg's E.T.: THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL in the Halloween trick-or-treat scene where she is the person wearing the zombie doctor costume and carrying a poodle.
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Beach Dickerson, a Corman regular, played four roles in this film... not only is he the fair-haired boy that drowns in quicksand, he is also the stranger riding in from the burning plains, the bear that attacks the hunting party, and a drummer during the funeral for his own character.
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LINK: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-sc ... ill-199120
LINK: https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/unc-gillin ... lth-in-us/
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While he was living on Oahu, Boone helped persuade Leonard Freeman to film Hawaii Five-O exclusively in Hawaii. Prior to that, Freeman had planned to do "establishing" location shots in Hawaii, but principal production in Southern California. Boone and others convinced Freeman that the islands could offer all necessary support for a major TV series and would provide an authenticity otherwise unobtainable.[18]
Freeman, impressed by Boone's love of Hawaii, offered him the role of Steve McGarrett; Boone turned it down, however, and the role went to Jack Lord, who shared Boone's enthusiasm for the state, which Freeman considered vital. Coincidentally, Lord had appeared alongside Boone in the first episode of Have Gun – Will Travel, titled "Three Bells to Perdido"
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“The part that Anna Nicole [Smith] played, I almost played,” Anderson said. “It was just scheduling. I couldn’t do it. But it’s good: I’d rather play this role.” Anderson’s character in the reboot-quel is modelled after a classic femme fatale. The character is named Beth, and she comes to the Police Squad for help after her brother is murdered.
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As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.
Sandro Giglio played a scientist in two George Pal outer space movies: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Paul Frees as Radio reporter/pre-titles narrator
Sandro Giglio--WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE--Dr. Ottinger....THE WAR OF THE WORLDS--Dr. Bilderbeck
Paul Frees--WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE---narrator/President.......WAR OF THE WORLDS---first narrator/radio reporter
TRIVIA---George Pal produced two sci fi outer space movies in the early 1950s. In WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951), scientists frantically attempt to build a "Noah's ark" spaceship to take people to a new planet after a star and its planet are due to collide with Earth and destroy mankind. In THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), Martians land on Earth to conquer mankind. Two actors appeared in both movies.
Famous voice actor Paul Frees was the narrator and President of the United States in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE. Sandro Giglio played Dr. Ottinger in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and he played Dr. Bilderbeck in THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.
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TRIVIA---James Cromwell is best known for playing corrupt LAPD Capt. Dudley Smith in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL and Dr. Zephram Cochrane in STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, but his first movie role was in Neil Simon's MURDER BY DEATH where he played Inspector Milo Perrier's (James Coco) French chauffeur, Marcel Cassette.
The Salkinds turned their attentions to Hollywood legend Marlon Brando. He wasn’t remotely interested until the Salkinds offered him $3.7m salary, 11.75% of the profits, and a guarantee written into his contract he’d be on-set for 12 days at most.24/59
allthe_rightmovies
12/16/24
·Author
For 12 days on set and 19 minutes on screen, Brando was paid about $19 million dollars in total. Donner later said Donner said about it: “I was upset as it seemed like much more money than anybody is worth. But working with him, and seeing him on film, he’s underpaid.”
The Newmans/Benton revised screenplay that Richard Donner inherited (and quickly re-wrote) included one infamous camp moment, where Lex Luthor encountered Telly Savalas playing Kojak in a railway station. Kojak then offered Luthor a lollipop and asked him his trademark line, "Who loves ya, baby?"
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an economist for the United States Department of State. In 1941 he joined the Red Cross and served in Britain during World War II. There he met director John Huston who recommended that he try Hollywood after the war. Instead, Dierkes went to work for the U.S. Treasury Department which coincidentally sent him to Hollywood to function as technical advisor for the film To the Ends of the Earth (1948) and Orson Welles cast him as Ross in his version of Macbeth in the same year. Welles used Dierkes again in his Touch of Evil (1958). He married Cynthia Dierkes and they had two daughters and two sons.
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JACK THE RIPPER miniseries premiered on American television on the exact same day that the movie Without a Clue (1988) was released: October 21, 1988. Both productions featured Sir Michael Caine, Lysette Anthony, and George Sweeney, and were set in Victorian London, and were shot by cinematographer Alun Hume.
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O'Brien married Hazel Ruth Collette in 1925 and they had two sons together, William and Willis, Jr., but the marriage was an unhappy one. O'Brien was reportedly forced into it, and rebelled with drinking, gambling, and extra-marital affairs. The couple had divorced by 1930 and the two boys remained with their mother, who had begun to show unbalanced behaviour. By 1931 Hazel had been diagnosed with cancer and tuberculosis, while William also contracted tuberculosis resulting in blindness in one eye and then the other.
The success of King Kong led to the studio commissioning a hurried sequel Son of Kong (also 1933), which O'Brien described as cheesy. With a limited budget and a short production schedule O'Brien chose to leave the animation work to his animation assistant, Buzz Gibson, and asked the studio not to credit him on the project. While making one of his daily visits to the set, O'Brien, who had remained close to his two sons after his separation from his estranged wife, invited Willis Jr. and the now completely blind William with him to handle the Kong and dinosaur models. A few weeks after this visit O'Brien's ex-wife, Hazel Ruth Collette, shot and killed William and Willis Jr. before turning the gun on herself. The suicide attempt failed and by draining her tubercular lung actually extended her life by another year. A publicity photo of O'Brien taken around this time shows the anguish on his face. Hazel Ruth Collette remained in the Los Angeles General Hospital prison ward until her death in 1934.
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In Too Many Christmas Trees (1965), John Steed received a Christmas card from Cathy Gale, and it was postmarked "Fort Knox". This is in reference to Honor Blackman's appearance as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger
There is a sly reference to Honor Blackman in this episode: as Steed and Emma open his Christmas cards ("And who is 'Boofums'?"), she announces that one of them is from Cathy, and hands it to Steed, who remarks, "Mrs. Gale! Oh, how nice of her to remember me. What can she be doing in Fort Knox?"
"Whatever can she be doing at Fort Knox ...?"
TRIVIA---in the classic British spy tv series THE AVENGERS, Honor Blackman played Cathy Gale and Patrick Macnee played her partner, John Steed. Blackman left the tv series to play Bond Girl Pussy Galore in GOLDFINGER in which Bond Villain Auric Goldfinger plots to explode an atomic warhead and irradiate the entire US gold supply at Fort Knox. Blackman was replaced by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel.
In the Christmas episode "Too Many Christmas Trees", Mrs. Peel opens Christmas cards including one from Cathy Gale which is postmarked "Fort Knox" which leads to Steed saying, "Mrs. Gale! Oh, how nice of her to remember me. What can she be doing in Fort Knox?"
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In Back to the Future, the theater in the background behind the clock tower shows "Orgy American Style" being shown. This is an actual porno from 1973. The male star from that porno played Red the Bum in the film, calling Marty a crazy drunk driver when returns to the present.
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In 1880 Edinburgh, Professor Sir Oliver Lindenbrook, a geologist at the University of Edinburgh, is given a piece of volcanic rock by his admiring student, Alec McEwan, who is in love with Lindenbrook's niece Jenny. Finding the rock unusually heavy, Lindenbrook discovers a plumb bob inside bearing a cryptic inscription. Lindenbrook and Alec discover that it was left by a scientist named Arne Saknussemm, who, almost 100 years earlier, had found a passage to the center of the Earth by descending into the volcano Snæfellsjökull, in western Iceland.
TRIVIA---supermodel Kathy Ireland's first movie role was starring in the sci fi adventure movie ALIEN FROM LA in which she played nerd Wanda Saknussemm, who searches for her missing archaeologist father. Her character was named after archaeologist Arne Saknussemm, the character from the Jules Verne novel JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, who died after discovering the Lost City of Atlantis. The hit 1958 movie based on the novel starred James Mason, Pat Boone and Arlene Dahl.
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TRIVIA---PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW was a 1971 movie in which a serial killer was preying on pretty female students at a California high school. The movie was written by STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry, directed by Roger Vadim and starred Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson and Telly Savalas. Later, all three actors were starring in their own hit tv cop shows.
Rock Hudson starred in McMILLAN & WIFE in which San Francisco Police Commissioner Mac McMillan and his wife, Sally, solve crimes. Angie Dickinson starred in POLICE WOMAN in which Los Angeles Police Sgt. Pepper Anderson went undercover to solve crimes. Telly Savalas starred in KOJAK in which he played New York Police Lt. Theo Kojak, who was once ranked by TV GUIDE as number 18 on its "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time".
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"So I sat down and I thought 'Oh my goodness me.' I felt pain in my bum. I thought 'OK, this is my big moment, my big entrance.' So I stood up and my bottom is on fire at that point..."
Caroline Munro turned down a role in the original SUPERMAN with Christopher Reeve to play Bond villain Naomi in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. In her first scene, she greeted Roger Moore and Barbara Bach in a very revealing bikini. In reality, just before that, she sat on a bee which stung her on her bottom so she was in intense pain during the scene.
Warren Beatty's character, Joe Pendleton, was supposed to live until 10:17 am on March 20, 2025.
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28 Primetime Emmy Awards from a record of 117 nominations.
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The poster was designed by legendary book cover artist Roger Kastel - he would also go on to create the epic Gone With The Wind-style The Empire Strikes Back poster.
Both beauty and the beast are masquerading as things they are not. Watkins is not Backlinie, and the shark...is not a great white.
For the great white shark, Kastel actually used images of a mako shark, from photos he took at the Museum of Natural History.
And for his rendition of Chrissie Watkins swimming through the water and unaware of what lies beneath, he hired the then 24-year-old model, Allison Maher. The gig was one of her first jobs.
Maher lay across two stools to simulate the swimming motion of the unsuspecting Chrissie, showcasing what we would see in the opening minutes of the film. It's an image you can't shake when Chrissie is being attacked, even though we only see the attack from the surface. Both film and poster are merged.
For her stint on the stools Maher was paid just $35. We don't know if that payment was in cash or check.
The Kastel design was originally for the paperback version of the book, but the publishers, Bantam, allowed it to be used for the film's poster. And so a cinematic icon was born, and with it one of the most famous and oft-imitated film posters in the world.
Speaking to the New York Post, she said: “I knew it was a book cover and that was it. If you know me, you can tell it’s me."
Maher now goes by the name of Allison Maher Stern, after marrying real-estate developer Leonard Stern. He is now a prominent philanthropist, and Allison has an area named for her at the Central Park Zoo, the Allison Maher Stern snow leopard exhibit.
You could say she has gone from supporting a big fish, to supporting the plight of big cats.
Allison may have come a long way since donning that swimming pose on those chairs, but she does have a copy of that iconic Jaws poster. It's made all the more special as it is signed by Steven Spielberg.
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The Jaws poster is arguably one of the most iconic film posters in the history of cinema, showing the great white shark ascending to an unsuspecting Chrissie Watkins, the first victim in the Steven Spielberg film: Behind The Screams: Chrissie’s Attack
Except, it isn't a great white, it is a mako shark. The film poster's artist Roger Kastel didn't head to the ocean for inspiration, instead he paid a visit to the American Museum of Natural History.
There, he took a some photos of stuffed mako sharks waiting to be cleaned. They were laying on their side, but in the finished artwork the shark is positioned as if it is rising through the water.
The great white belongs to the Family Lamnidae (the mackerel sharks), which also includes mako and salmon sharks, so it is a close relative.
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Upon meeting the Joe Don Baker character, Sheree North says, "I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood." Eastwood had, of course, starred in numerous previous Don Seigel pictures including "Two Mules for Sister Sarah", "The Beguiled" and "Dirty Harry".
When the hit man Molly arrives at Jewell's photo studio and introduces himself, Jewell sarcastically replies, "Yeah, I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood". The role of Varrick was written specifically for Eastwood, whom, after initially accepting the role, ultimately turned it down, reportedly because Eastwood decided the character had no redeeming features.
TRIVIA---in Don Seigel's CHARLEY VARRICK, Walter Matthau played Charley Varrick, a down-on-his luck crop duster pilot who robbed a bank laundering Mafia money and the Mafia sent hitman Molly (Joe Don Baker) to recover the loot. In the scene where photographer Jewell Everett (Sheree North) met Molly, she said, "I didn't figure you for Clint Eastwood."
In reality, CHARLEY VARRICK was written specifically for Eastwood, who had starred in four Siegel movies, including DIRTY HARRY. Eastwood reportedly withdrew from the movie because the Varrick character had no redeeming qualities, and was replaced by Matthau.
Had Eastwood starred in CHARLEY VARRICK, it would have a reunion for the DIRTY HARRY team of Eastwood, Siegel, Andrew Robinson, John Vernon, Albert Popwell and Woodrow Parfrey.
Clint Eastwood---Inspector Harry Callahan (DIRTY HARRY), Charley Varrick (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Don Siegel---director (DIRTY HARRY), director and cameo as ping-pong player Murphy (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Andrew Robinson---Charles "Scorpio" Davis (DIRTY HARRY), bank robber Harman Sulluivan (CHARLEY VARRICK).
John Vernon---San Francisco mayor (DIRTY HARRY), bank president Maynard Boyle (CHARLEY VARRICK).
Albert Popwell---bank robber (DIRTY HARRY), Rudolph Percy (CHARLEY VARRICK)
Woodrow Parfrey---diner employee Jaffee (DIRTY HARRY), bank manager Harold Young (CHARLEY VARRICK).
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Matheson's last appearance was in the "Kick the Can" segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).
Murray Matheson is most known for playing The Clown in the memorable 1961 Twilight Zone episode Five Characters in Search of an Exit (1961). Murray was astounding in his role and had most of the screen time. He was a funny and intelligent clown and the audience really cared for his character.
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There was some controversy over the casting. At 54, John Wayne was twice as old as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandevoort had been at the time. At 52, Robert Ryan was 15 years older than Gen. James M. Gavin had been.
After seeing the film, Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, the character portrayed by John Wayne, said: "I never looked that old. I was 29 then. [Wayne was 55 when he filmed the role.] And no military man ever moved about the way Wayne did. The fact is, I was really scared."
he youngest major general to command an American division in World War II.
TRIVIA---June 6, 2025 is the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. THE LONGEST DAY was the 1964 epic movie about D-Day based on the Corenlius Ryan book, although some referred to the movie as "The Oldest Day" because some of the actors were too old to be playing their soldier characters. John Wayne was 54 years old when he played 82nd Airborne Division Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort, who was 27 years old on D-Day. Robert Ryan was 53 years old when he played 82nd Airborne Division commander Gen. James Gavin, the youngest major general to command an Army division in World War II, who was 37 years old on D-Day.
By comparison, in A BRIDGE TOO FAR, also based on a Cornelius Ryan World War II book, Gen. Gavin was played by a much younger Ryan O'Neal.
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Although he would eventually obtain some good will with critics thanks to the success of Frenzy and Family Plot, Hitchcock had plans to make a major comeback with the romantic espionage thriller The Short Night, according to Far Out Magazine. With plans to shoot the film in Finland, the ostensibly old-fashioned adventure film would serve as a throwback to the underrated espionage projects he worked on early in his career. However, Hitchcock knew he needed a major star to fund his ambitious new project; at the time, Eastwood seemed like an obvious choice to take the mantle of his next leading man.
Just as he was peaking in popularity thanks to the success of the Dirty Harry movies, Eastwood met with Hitchcock over lunch to discuss the possibility of starring in what was likely The Short Night. While he has never revealed the specifics of their encounter, Eastwood was not enthused by the script and turned down the opportunity to work with Hitchcock. While it was unclear if Eastwood had any interest in working with Hitchcock on another project outside of The Short Night, he unfortunately never had the opportunity; Hitchcock died only four years after his final film, Family Plot, was released in 1976. It's not confirmed which project Hitchcock and Eastwood met for, but the timeline indicates The Short Night was likely the project.
While Eastwood’s refusal had struck a major blow to the film’s production, Hitchcock considered other actors to star in The Short Night. Aiming to find one of the era’s more popular stars that had experience playing tough, non-nonsense characters, Hitchcock approached, as noted in the previously linked Far Out article, Walter Matthau, Sean Conner