David Warner in "The Omen" (1976).
(Photo: Cinema Retro Archive)
By Lee Pfeiffer
Movie fans are mourning the loss of British actor David Warner at age 80. Warner was known for often playing quirky characters in major films. He began acting in movies in the early 1960s while also appearing in stage productions. He studied his craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. No specific cause of death was announced but his family confirmed he had been suffering from a "cancer-related illness" for the last 18 months. Warner rarely scored a leading role but had a distinguished career playing supporting roles in many high profile films.
His credits include "Titanic", "Morgan", the 2001 version of "Planet of the Apes", "In the Mouth of Madness", "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier", "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country", "The Man with Two Brains", "Tron", "The Concorde: Airport '79", "The French Lieutenant's Woman", "The Island", "Cross of Iron", "Straw Dogs", "The Ballad of Cable Hogue", "Perfect Friday", "The Fixer" and "The Deadly Affair". In the 1979 film "Time After Time", Warner played Jack the Ripper, who manages to travel through time to the modern era. One of his best-remembered roles was as the photographer who assists Gregory Peck in attempting to thwart the satanic threat in "The Omen". His last screen appearance was in "Mary Poppins Returns" in 2018. For more, click here.
Actor Paul Sorvino has passed away from natural causes at age 83. Sorvino, a Brooklyn native, was a star of stage, screen and television and won plaudits in each medium. Less well-known was his singing abilities stemming from his early career ambition to become an opera star. Sorvino played a wide range of diverse roles but is generally associated with tough guy, street-wise characters in crime dramas including "Goodfellas", "Dick Tracy" and "The Rocketeer". He collaborated with Warren Beatty on four films and was one of the stars of the 1991-92 season of the hit TV series "Law & Order". For more about his life and career, click here.
In the scene above from Martin Scorsese's masterpiece "Goodfellas", Sorvino is the crime kingpin who thinks nothing of ordering people to be murdered but still adheres to the rule that among his gang members, family values must be practiced.
Producer/screenwriter/director Bob Rafelson passed away on Saturday, aged 89. Rafelson was one of the most prominent of the new generation of filmmakers who took Hollywood by storm in the mid-to-late 1960s. Along with his producing partner, the late Bert Schneider, he helped define a new wave of realistic movies that had special appeal to younger audiences. He was an Emmy-winner and Oscar nominee who co-created The Monkees and parlayed the success from the group's hit TV series and music into highly-praised feature films. He helped get "Easy Rider" brought to the screen, a film that made Jack Nicholson a major star. He and Nicholson would go on to collaborate on a total of seven movies. Rafelson often did not take screen credit but his films include "Five Easy Pieces", "The King of Marvin Gardens", "The Last Picture Show", "Hearts and Minds", "Stay Hungry", "The Postman Always Rings Twice", "Brubaker" and "Mountains of the Moon". He and Nicholson also wrote the screenplay for The Monkees' 1968 feature film satire "Head", which Rafelson also directed. For more, click here.
Composer Monty Norman has passed away. He was one of the last remaining major contributors to the first James Bond film, "Dr. No", released in 1962. Norman had a humble childhood, growing up in East London as the son of a cabinetmaker. His mother sewed in order to provide additional income for the fiancially-strapped family. When WWII broke out in 1939, Norman was initially evacuated from London along with countless other children, but later returned to the city just in time to endure the terrors of Hitler's Blitz. The son of the family's landlord used to play the guitar and it had a mesmerizing effect on young Norman. His parents scrimped and saved to buy him his own guitar. It proved to a good investment. Following a stint in the army, Norman became a proficient musician and entertainer. He started his
career in show business as a singer, following in the footsteps of his
uncles who were amateur opera performers. He later began to host jazz-related radio broadcasts that caught the ear of top band leader Cyril Stapleton, who signed Norman as a singer for his band. There would be no looking back. Soon, Norman was touring with future superstar Benny Hill as a comedy/singing act and he also performed with Ted Heath's band. He later worked with the famed comedy troupe the Goons, which included Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan.
Although Monty Norman found success as a big band singer, he chose to concentrate on composing music. His first song, "False Hearted Lover", was a hit. He then turned his attention to composing shows for London's West End, working occasionally with the likes of director Peter Brook and and actor Paul Scofield. He adapted a hit French musical comedy, "Irma La Douce", for an English-language run and it was a smash hit both on the West End and on Broadway. He also found success with an original show, "Expresso Bongo", which would inspire the acclaimed feature film that would be a major career stepping stone for young Cliff Richard. His 1959 show, "Make Me an Offer", also won acclaim. Norman later took a chance by launching the show "Belle", a musical that was based on the notorious murderer Dr. Crippen. The show was his first major failure, but it had unforeseen positive aspects. One of the investors in the production was film producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, who along with his partner, Harry Saltzman, had recently acquired the film rights to Ian Fleming's James Bond novels for their production company, Eon. Broccoli had liked Norman's score for "Belle" and hired him to compose the score for the first Bond movie, "Dr. No". The year was 1962. Norman based the famed signature theme for agent 007 on a previous composition, "Bad Sign Good Sign", that he had written for a musical that was never produced. He also contributed some innovative other tracks for the film including the song "Underneath the Mango Tree", "Jump Up Jamaica" and a reworking of "Three Blind Mice" that was used for nefarious purposes in the opening of the movie. Broccoli and Saltzman were not entirely satisfied with Norman's arrangement of "The James Bond Theme" and hired up-and-coming composer John Barry to rework the track. The result was one of the most recognizable pieces of pop culture music in history but it also led to some hard feelings. Norman, who went on to score the Bob Hope comedy "Call Me Bwana" for Broccoli and Saltzman, had a bit of a falling out with Saltzman over a contract, and was never employed by Eon Productions again. As the Bond juggernaut took off, the Barry became the go-to composer for most of the films and Norman seethed, as Barry was often credited with composing the Bond theme. The matter would finally be settled in a London courtroom many years later when Norman was legally confirmed to be the composer of record of the theme, even though Barry's orchestrations were undeniably pivotal in its success and longevity.
(Note: in the above video interview, the photo of Harry Saltzman is incorrectly designated as Albert R. Broccoli)
In 1989, Norman received the Gold Badge of Merit, for Services to British Music from from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors. Over the years, Norman embraced his association with the Bond films and appeared at numerous 007-related events and premieres, taking satisfaction at his enduring contribution to the world's longest-running film franchise. He told interviewer Sandra Kessell, "‘Well, I hope when the time comes people will remember that I’ve done quite a few things, but the fact that James Bond is so iconic in everybody’s mind - you can’t argue with that and nor would I want to."
(For more about Monty Norman's life and career, visit his official web site.)
Actor James Caan has passed away at age 82. No cause of death has been announced as of this writing. Caan's long career began on in stage productions and he eventually moved into making guest star appearances in prominent television programs in the 1960s before graduating into feature films. The Bronx native specialized in playing street-wise tough guys. In the 1964 thriller "Lady in Cage", he led a group of housebreaking young punks in terrorizing Olivia De Havilland as a woman who was trapped inside an elevator. Caan sometimes landed a leading role in films such as Robert Altman's "Countdown" and in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rain People", both of which co-starred Robert Duvall. He scored good notices in director Howard Hawks' "El Dorado" playing a gunslinger with bad aim to comedic effect opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. He earned an Emmy nomination for his leading role in the highly rated TV movie "Brian's Song" and his career moved into high gear when Coppola was casting "The Godfather" in 1971. Originally, Caan was slated to play the role of Michael Corleone and fellow up-and-comer Al Pacino was auditioned to play the hot-headed Sonny Corleone, but wiser heads prevailed and the roles were reversed. Both actors received Oscar nominations and major stardom would follow. Caan's character was killed in the first "Godfather" film but he made a pivotal cameo in the final scene of "The Godfather Part II" in a flashback sequence. During the 1970s, Caan was a bankable leading man, appearing in major diverse films such as "Cinderella Liberty", "The Gambler", "Freebie and the Bean", "Rollerball", "Funny Lady", "A Bridge Too Far" and "Chapter Two".
In the 1980s, the good roles and his boxoffice appeal diminished somewhat, despite a high profile leading role in director Michael Mann's "Thief". He starred in and directed "Hide in Plain Sight", a domestic drama that won good notices but did not score at the boxoffice. He also had a hit in the 1990 screen adaptation of Stephen King's thriller "Misery" but many of his roles were relegated to lower-budget productions and supporting roles and cameos. His talents were introduced to a new generation with his role as Will Ferrell's father in the 2003 comedy "Elf", which is now considered to be a Christmas classic. He returned to TV to star in the series "Vegas" and it was a success, running four seasons. Caan was back in the news quite a bit earlier this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "The Godfather". He is the father of actor Scott Caan and once made a guest appearance on his son's hit series "Hawaii Five-0". Caan occasionally expressed frustration that the good roles were often being denied him in his later years, but in fact, his legacy is intact as a highly respected actor who could excel at playing diverse characters in equally diverse films.