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Ben Johnson, Someone to remember


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Was going to record "Pat Garrett", but it wasn't the restored version...James Aubrey aka "The Smiling Cobra", so named by John Housman, was head of MGM at the time and almost immediately clashed with Peckinpah over the film. They hated each other to put it mildly.Aubrey slashed Sams budget early in production and fought almost every inch of the way during the rest of the filming and took control of the editing and hacked 20 minutes out for no other reason other then Sam didn't want them cut according to the editor. But there is a restored version out there, Aubrey is the one who auctioned off all the MGM movie props and film equipment and turned to the hotel industry for the company..

 

Message was edited by: fredbaetz

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Yes, I think the restored version of Pat Garrett is available on DVD, although I'm kind of hoping it will be on blu-ray, too, one of these days. I already have The Wild Bunch on blu-ray.

 

And you're right about The Conqueror - what a sad tragedy that turned out to be for the health of the cast and crew. It was just sad.

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> {quote:title=fredbaetz wrote:}{quote}

> She's a Wayne fan, not as big as me but she does enjoy his films. She loves Susan Hayward and her films.

 

Oh, I really like Susan, too. Has she seen Susan with Coop and Richard Widmark

in Garden of Evil? It's a good one. So is Rawhide, with Ty Power.

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She's seen "Rawhide: but not "Evil". I don't think I've seen "Evil" in almost 25 tears. Always remembered Widmark and his deck of cards. He was such an outstanding actor and never any gossip or bad press. I read an interview years ago by Carroll Baker and she said she fell in love with Widmark when they were making "Cheyenne Autumn".He was a real family man and private person. Was married to his first wife just 1 month shy of their 55th anniversary when she died. For a tough screen guy he hated guns and wouldn't have one in his house.

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> {quote:title=fredbaetz wrote:}{quote}

> She's seen "Rawhide: but not "Evil". I don't think I've seen "Evil" in almost 25 tears. Always remembered Widmark and his deck of cards. He was such an outstanding actor and never any gossip or bad press. I read an interview years ago by Carroll Baker and she said she fell in love with Widmark when they were making "Cheyenne Autumn".He was a real family man and private person. Was married to his first wife just 1 month shy of their 55th anniversary when she died. For a tough screen guy he hated guns and wouldn't have one in his house.

 

Hi there, Fred!

 

Both Rawhide and Garden of Evil are in a DVD box set, along with Gregory

Peck's The Gunfighter. They look really nice. I love the landscape in Garden

of Evil, it suits the title, very overwhelming and rather malignant, hostile looking.

But beautiful in a way.

 

I think Widmark is indeed a terrific actor who I've never seen give a so-so performance.

He makes fair movies much, much better. I can see why Carroll would have fallen. :)

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Oh, my......He WAS a cool drink of water

 

HA!!!! Wendy I just saw your Mighty Joe Young post!!! I laughed out loud when I saw your screencaps and captions... THAT is a total CRACK UP!! (and yet... also all incredibly TRUE!! ha) :D

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*James Aubrey aka "The Smiling Cobra", so named by John Housman, was head of MGM at the time and almost immediately clashed with Peckinpah over the film.*

 

Fred,

 

It's been a few years since I've heard the nickname for James Aubrey used. I became familiar with it back in the 1970s after the MGM auction and his clashes with Blake Edwards. The Robert Vaughn character in *SOB* was Edwards' way of exacting revenge.

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Kathy,

 

I knew you would be gaga over those pics of Ben from Mighty Joe Young...... I will do more when I get some time.

 

Cinemafan,

 

I love that shot in Last Picture Show...... how the camera dollies in real slow finally resting on Ben's face, then slowly backs away. And as ridiculous as it sounds, I am jealous of the woman he describes going skinny dipping with..... :(

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  • 2 weeks later...

> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}

> Hey, Cinemafan....

>

> Did you get a chance to watch *Bite the Bullet* the other day?

>

> Ben was splendid and heartbreaking. He blew me away. It was one of the most painful roles to watch him in. And yes, I cried.

 

JackF, no - I've got a rain check on that one. *Bite the Bullet* was on too early in my neck of the woods. I read the posts recommending it highly, but I've got to stick to my summertime less-is-more plan. Let me know if it comes around again - it must be fun for you to see how Ben grew as an actor. I believe that he led such a full life that he was able to pick and choose his acting jobs - and it shows.

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I hear ya, I have to declutter AGAIN - twice a year like clockwork, I suddenly realize we have accumulated too much junk and go through the house like a whirlwind.

 

I am sure that now they have *Bite the Bullet* they will show it again. It was very hard to watch because Ben is playing the kind of man he really wasn't - one who cares what people think of him, very much in the shadow of others. He spends his time asking people directions or making little comments, and no one pays any attention to him, because he is an old man. He struggles doing some of the things the young men take or granted. Very sad. For once, HE wants to be the big man.

 

The rest of the cast was marvelous, and I loved the viewpoint the movie took. It is quite a beautiful movie as well, and some of the stunts make you suck in your breath - one fall from a cliff made me look away from the screen.

 

Anyway, it's worth checking out, if they play it at a reasonable hour. :)

 

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I admit I resisted recording Bite the Bullet because it was a seventies western,

and I haven't liked any of them I've seen except The Shootist.

 

But knowing Ben Johnson was in it gave me pause. I didn't expect his role to

be so well realized as you indicate, Jackie. I thought maybe it was very minimal.

Was this before he won the Oscar, or after?

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Bite the Bullet was after.... He won in 1971, I think, and Bite the Bullet was in 1975.

 

I was getting to the point where I couldn't watch any more Ben movies, because he was just not used at all, or had nothing to do, and it was making me upset. I would just settle into a movie and boom, Ben would be killed or they would cut away from him for the rest of the film. Then you are left with Rock Hudson and a lousy southern accent. Or worse, you'd be left with some football player trying deperately to look like Billy the Kid. Doh!

 

They should have just put Ben up on the screen and let him talk about his horse or women for two hours. It would have been riveting. I'd sit there and watch him roll a cigarette for hours. Or even pick his thumb, rather than sit through one more scene with Roman Gabriel. :)

 

So I have been avoiding some of the later Ben movies, but Bite the Bullet was really superb. Even when Ben isn't on the screen, it is very interesting, and it seems very old fashioned in it's outlook to me. I think you would like it, MissG.

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