A very good supporting cast includes John Heard in a hilarious performance as a Dan Quayle lookalike Vice President, and Wilford Brimley is droll as the Democratic Party Chairman. Lemmon and Garner play it strictly for laughs, and hit the target on almost every occasion. Starring: 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. He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller Mirage (1965), directed by Edward Dmytryk. find this movie on . Funny lines follow each other in rapid succession, and James Garner and Jack Lemon are just perfect as the two ex-presidents who detest each other but are forced to work together to survive, and gradually learn to like each othermore-or-less. Her father died of undiagnosed epilepsy when she was just a year old, leaving her in the hands of what Andersen describes as a "mean stepfather. I came to him with expectations and he affirmed them.. The case became a cause celebre, raising issues of child labor, sex, class differences, anti-Semitism, Frank being Jewish, in short, a perfect storm. Belafonte would often criticize the Kennedys for their reluctance to challenge the Southern segregationists who were then a substantial part of the Democratic Party. Both spent part of their childhoods in the Caribbean and ended up in New York. 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. As the two feuding ex-presidents they make this movie. 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. His early stage credits included Days of Our Youth and Sean OCaseys Juno and the Peacock, a play Belafonte remembered less because of his own performance than because of a backstage visitor, Robeson, the actor, singer and activist. Although Mr. Matthau was an experienced stage actor, in common with great film stars of the past like Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart, he created character through the magnetism of his own personality. The film was rather poorly marketed, in other words. "She makes between $7 million and $9 million per show, 20 shows, do the math. It did at least once, when Republican Abraham Lincoln chose Democrat Andrew Johnson as his running mate when seeking re-election in 1864 in the midst of the Civil War. Please enter valid email address to continue. He also starred in Plaza Suite, Kotch (both 1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and Hopscotch (1980). When both are targeted for assassination by a sinister force within the present President Haney's government they join forces to evade capture. I think it's a very funny, well acted comedy. Starring: She said, 'I'm an actress, not a singer. During the 1980s and 1990s Matthau served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.[20][21]. 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. In 1963, Belafonte was deeply involved with the March on Washington. The mother wasn't much better. And anything unpleasant is funny for most of us. Any lover of political satire or action-oriented farce will find this film's running time to be time well spent, and C-SPAN addicts -- provided that they have a sense of humor about their passion will be richly rewarded. 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.. He played a villain in King Creole (1958), in which he gets beaten up by Elvis Presley. It looked like Beavis and Butthead with two old guys (in a bad way). Elvis Presley,Carolyn Jones,Dean Jagger, Edward Dmytryk Walter Matthau was an American actor. When word got out that the part was open, few prominent actors werent interested. [24], Matthau had atherosclerotic heart disease during the last years of his life. Without giving away too much of the plot, the two have to work together in an attempt to expose a kickback scheme by Aykroyd, and in the process traverse the country encountering a number of unique Americans. He made his motion picture debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in The Kentuckian (1955) opposite Burt Lancaster. A New Yorker newly separated from his wife moves in with his best friend, a divorced sportswriter, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day. AP Photo/Horace Cort, Belafonte did occasionally serve in government, as cultural adviser for the Peace Corps during the Kennedy administration and decades later as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Actor: The Odd Couple. Highly recommended--hilarious, with a surprise ending. Then this might not be so bad.". "My Fellow Americans" is a great movie simply due to the team of Jack Lemmon and James Garner. Bipartisanship to the max. In addition to his wife, Belafonte is survived by his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte and David Belafonte; two stepchildren, Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank; and eight grandchildren. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I was quite taken by the fact that he (Kennedy) knew so little about the Black community, Belafonte told NBC in 2013. Gregory Peck,Diane Baker,Walter Matthau, Herbert Ross I didnt want to tone down my sexuality, either. Starring: Matthau was suffering from health problems, however, and was replaced with James Garner. In NJ, we have two former (rival)governors who share a political column. Slaton had been Governor of Georgia for two non-consecutive terms. Asked by co-anchor Harry Smith whether Streisand would like the book, Andersen admitted that the star would be less than pleased. For the first time in history a woman is Barbra Streisand is among the world's biggest stars and has been for the past 45 years. 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. When you grow up, son, 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.. WebParty Affiliation: Democratic Nationality: United States Executive summary: Private Benjamin Goldie Hawn grew up in the suburbs of Maryland, and started taking dance lessons at the age of three. But I think she is happily married to this guy," he said. Based-on-Theatre Buddy Film Comedy of Errors. What she wants it for are her political causes, building a war chest for 2008 and her various philanthropist charities. Belafonte befriended King in the spring of 1956 after the young civil rights leader called and asked for a meeting. 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. Belafonte was very much a human being. (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross' ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). Harry Belafonte was born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. in 1927, in a community of West Indians in Harlem. It lasted seven years. Three of them Shari, David and Gina became actors. Starring: It is a movie to just sit back and enjoy, a funny spin on American politics at it's best. Kings death left Belafonte isolated from the civil rights community. Dan Aykroyd plays the current president William Haney and John Heard is the vice president Ted Matthews.Lauren Bacall plays Kramer's wife Margaret.My Fellow Americans from 1996 is filled with good actors.The leading couple Lemmon and Garner are very charismatic as the former presidents.In the movie the presidents get into many hilarious situations.I'm sure none of the former presidents has been in a gay parade.Nobody knows where Bill Clinton has been.This is a perfect movie to watch especially now because George W. Bush and Al Gore are desperately fighting who will become the next president of The United States.The movie doesn't contain too much of politics which makes it even better. / CBS. For the latter role he won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.[14]. 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. FAQ His acting prowess earned him several prestigious awards The first two were GRUMPY OLD MEN, and it's sequel GRUMPIER OLD MEN, both of which had good box office. Few kept up with Belafontes time and commitment and none his stature as a meeting point among Hollywood, Washington and the civil rights movement. 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. ", "Louis Kind is emotionally abusive. Being that McCain was the Republican nominee, Lieberman likely wouldve been labeled a Republican as well, even if his ideology wasnt exactly to the right, but more center-left. 2. In 1964, he and Poitier personally delivered tens of thousands of dollar to activists in Mississippi after three Freedom Summer volunteers were murdered the two celebrities were chased by car at one point by members of the KKK. The Kennedys were among the first politicians to seek his opinions, which he willingly shared. "My Fellow Americans" is a watchable little film, but ultimately it does not completely succeed. Instead, Slaton carefully reviewed the evidence and concluded that he had quite a bit of doubt about Franks guilt. And he has sort of been, I think, left in the dust, as it were. We are fans of James Garner in particular, and Jack Lemmon also. His political career came to a screeching halt in 1915 when he commuted the death sentence of Leo Frank to life imprisonment. "She had a relationship back when they were both starring on stage in Las Vegas," he said. While Lincoln and Johnson were elected, America didnt get much of a chance to see how they would work together. Well, its close to the time of changing presidents and this movie sprung to my mind to watch. James Mason,Barbara Rush,Walter Matthau, Michael Ritchie Belafonte made history in 1968 by filling in for Johnny Carson on the Tonight show for a full week. The Fortune Cookie (1966) 96%. Series co-creator Chris Kelly describes Yorke as f****** bold. Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966). This movie makes me proud to be an American. This is what politics should be! I was very impressed with MY FELLOW AMERICANS the first time I watched it. Much of my political outlook was already in place when I encountered Dr. King, Belafonte later wrote. Showing Editorial results for charles matthau. Starring: ", "He hated Barbra Streisand," he said. He introduces his daughters Roslyn and Barbra as beauty and the beast," he told Smith. Andersen told the story of her relationship with Walter Matthau during the filming of "Hello, Dolly. Franks appeals failed, and Governor Slaton was his last hope. } "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.' His father was a seaman and cook with Dutch and Jamaican ancestry and his mother, part Scottish, worked as a domestic. Kirk Douglas,Gena Rowlands,Walter Matthau, Donald Petrie The great True Story movie he made has got to be Tuesday's with Morrie. Apart from their many comedies, the two appeared (although they did not share any scenes) in the Oliver Stone drama, JFK (1991). In 2013, he sued three of Kings children over control of some of the civil rights leaders personal papers. Matthau directed a low-budget movie called The Gangster Story (1960) and played a sympathetic sheriff in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), which starred Kirk Douglas. Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Walter_Matthau_performances&oldid=1137829236, Short description is different from Wikidata, Internet Broadway Database person ID not in Wikidata, Turner Classic Movies person ID not in Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Episode: "Roy J. Battersby, New York Reporter", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 17:37. ". The trial produced accusations that the defense attempted to bribe jurors. After working in Minnesota for Grumpy Old Men (1993), he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. He is my favourite actor because i think he is that kind, natural, caring person. Walter Matthau,Goldie Hawn,Ingrid Bergman, Michael Curtiz None of the members of the lynch mob were ever prosecuted, Governor Slaton lived until 1955. Could it work? Both served in the military during World War II, acted in the American Negro Theatre and then broke into film. A must see! They travel across America following clues to lead them to the identity of the conspirator and bring down Haney before they themselves can be made to become history. Belafontes friend, civil rights leader Andrew Young, would note that Belafonte was the rare person to grow more radical with age. 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. He worked closely with his friend and generational peer the Rev. | WebWalter Matthau. I realized that the movement was more important than anything else.. I actually avoided seeing it so as to avoid seeing two cool actors make asses out of themselves (in a bad way). 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. 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. WebFirst Monday in October 1981 Directed by Ronald Neame Synopsis In the Supreme Court, there are only eight of them against all of her. As for the growing buzz about Streisand going out on another concert tour, Andersen says she has some very good incentive. Walter Matthau,Joe Don Baker,Andrew Robinson, Action ThrillerCaperChase Movie, Elaine May Belafonte schooled Kennedy on the importance of King, and arranged for them to speak. As other reviewers have noted, they play off each other extremely well. Starring: A few years earlier, he initiated the all-star, million-selling We Are the World recording, the Grammy-winning charity song for famine relief in Africa. Belafonte was so impressed that he joined as a volunteer, then as an actor. [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. Whether Frank was guilty remains open to question, although the consensus of those who have written about the trial is that Frank was innocent.. What is not open to question is that he was convicted on the basis of insufficient evidence, although he had able counsel. ", When Streisand became a star, she quickly became one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, but not always the most popular. None of the reviewers have said much about the "king among the commoners" theme. It came out around Christmastime 1996 and was supposed to star Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and capitalize on the success of the Grumpy Old Men franchise, to the point it was rumored to have been referred to as Grumpy Old Presidents by staff on set. Very good performances by Lemmon and Garner. Metacritic Reviews. The chemistry between James Garner & Jack Lemmon is excellent & provides a great deal of humor ! My favourite movies he starred in has got the be THE ODD COUPLE, GRUMPY AND GRUMPIER OLD MEN, OUT TO SEA. Along the way, they keep bickering, and Douglas tells a Mexican immigrant an unsavory story about Kramer (I was twelve when the movie came out, andwell, let's just say that it's the sort of thing that would make a twelve-year-old laugh hysterically). Later that year, a simple, spontaneous gesture led to another milestone. Political comedies can be notoriously difficult to comprehend and/or stomach at the best of times, but this is a gem. Starring: Starring: 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. [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.