I was a teenager when I watched "The Defiant Ones". Thereafter I knew that any picture madee with him was goint tyo be watchable.
Yesterday, by chance I saw most of two of his films. Superb.
When I told my wife she said "He died today".
The film world is dfiminished by his passing.
In the Heat of the Night Sticks in my mind as a superb piece of flim making and acting
+1
Also - not quite sure how they did it - but every time I've watched it I've felt as if I was in the deep south.
I felt that without Rod Steiger's counterbalance it might not have had the same impact.
+2
Did he not run into some criticism about the relationships in To Sir With Love? Brian
Not him but the film. He danced with a female student.
On 09/01/2022 08:36, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Masterpiece. And Steiger too.
Did you know there was one state that he considered too dangerous to visit for many years both before and after. Alabama, I think.
Agreed. The way you discover he was not quite the ignorant red-neck that he first appears to be is a delight.
A lot of racist ignorant red necks are just playing it up for their mates.
The sheriff that killed the 3 civil rights workers in 1964 ended up working for a black man who he said "was better than any white boss".
And googling Daryl Davis - a black man who attends KKK rallies and is best mates with a grand wizard - only serves to further complicate the mix.
That said, when I was in Louisiana in the 90s, there was some confusion when I was asking about bars in town. I thought I had seen 4, but the guys in the office could only name 3. When I described where the other one was they all said "but that's a ****** joint". And that was that.
Did I say otherwise?
Both characters were believable and sympathetically portrayed.
'Guess who's coming to dinner' with Spencer Tracy.
Good in that too, but Kath and Spence really made it.
Take a look at "Night People" to see Broderick Crawford doing the same thing with his character. Brilliant - both of them.
PA
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required