RIP - Ben Gazzara (1930-2012)

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RIP www.moviejustice.com 2002-2010


One of my favorites passed away, Ben Gazzara. Gazzara is an amazing actor and I've been a fan of his since I was in eighth grade... sick... lying on the couch watching a made for TV movie Fireball Forward. Since then I've grown to appreciate him in the John Cassevetes films such as Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Husbands, and so on. I loved his role as the blind man in Dogville. He made one of the best Al Capones. Probably his most classic role is the hotheaded husband to the sultry Lee Remick in Anatomy of a Murder (underrated courtroom rape drama - lights years ahead of that Mockingbird stuff) apples to oranges.

Darn... the man was an amazing actor and one of those guys I just love watching on screen do his stuff.
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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Even though much of what viddy says is true, I think more people nowadays recall Gazzara from Road House opposite Patrick Swayze.



Although it's little remembered now, Gazzara burst on the screen playing a character ahead of his time in The Strange One. It is sorta "strange" what a strong effect he's held over viody's and my psyche considering he wasn't in many major films.



R.I.P.
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Liked Ben a lot.

I don't think you'd have to argue it, his films with Cassavetes were the most important of his career. But he also had a great pair with Peter Bogdanovich in Saint Jack and The All Laughed, the latter of which is a huge favorite of mine. Most of the major co-stars of They All Laughed are gone now. Most infamously, Dorothy Stratten of course was murdered before it was released, but Audrey Hepburn (with whom Gazarra was having an affair at the time) and John Ritter are long gone, too.

I would hate to think that the under thirty set mostly know him from frippin' Road House. At least let it be Jackie Treehorn in The Big Lebowski, if it has to be a film from the end of his career.



Did a bit of a write-up on him a while back in THIS thread, five posts in. If there is a Movie Heaven, surely right now John Cassavetes and Peter Falk are welcoming their friend.


R.I.P., Benny



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