TCM’s Loving Tribute
Posted by Dirty Harry on Friday, December 19th, 2008
The thing with watching this on YouTube is the timer. You’re not halfway through before the loss overwhelms and then you realize you’re not halfway through…
Thanks to the many readers who forwarded this.
Filed in Classic Films |
Morganon 19 Dec 2008 at 8:18 am 1Every time I watch TCM’s tribute to those individuals in show business who passed away earlier in the year, I’m always surprised at some point because I see the names of individuals I didn’t know had passed away or I see the names of individuals who are best known for one iconic moment, yet you never remember their names.
And there’s also those you knew passed away, but their deaths surprised you the moment you found out, and the fact they are gone still hasn’t fully set in. Watching those tributes every year always does that to me. May they all rest in peace; they will all be sorely missed.
miles archeron 19 Dec 2008 at 8:21 am 2Beautiful, thanks. Sad, too. I think that’s Joe Henry singing.
Bibion 19 Dec 2008 at 8:42 am 3Too sad, of course, but there’s some very good editing there. The Capra kids really got me.
Carolynon 19 Dec 2008 at 8:42 am 4They don’t make them like that anymore. Sad. But glad we had them even for a little while.
Nickon 19 Dec 2008 at 8:45 am 5Oy - these always get me…the ones that everyone heard about are tough enough, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Roy Scheider, but it’s odd, the one that hit me the hardest was Joy Page, an actress I couldn’t have named to save my life, much less the character she played in Casablanca (”Annina Brandel”). Her small subplot is such an integral part of the film, the first real crack in Rick’s tough guy facade, and she so perfectly fit the part.
Not to go off on a tangent, but along with Page’s subplot, the two other moments in Casablanca that never fail to make me well up are the two brief shots during Les Marseilles, one of the singer/guitar player, the other of Yvonne, both with tears in their eyes, the former tears of pride, the latter tears of shame. What a perfect film.
Back to the dearly departed montage - I wonder if anyone on that list had a bigger impact on my movie-watching and -loving experience than Stan Winston. I’m definitely a sucker for action/sci-fi/adventure movies, and the man’s creativity and influence on special effects is unbelievable. Any time his name popped up in the opening credits (usually alongside something like “creature effects”), even if it was in an otherwise crappy movie, you knew you were at least going to see something you had never seen before, and that it would be entirely believable that, say, an alien hunter had come to Earth to hunt Arnold Schwarzeneggar.
Splashon 19 Dec 2008 at 9:03 am 6What a perfect tone they’ve struck with that piece. (Good luck topping that, Academy.) And what an amazing cross section of people to lose this time. I had no idea Jerry Reed was gone.
It really struck me, too, how few of the true “Golden Age” people are still with us at this point. That hurts.
billypaintbrushon 19 Dec 2008 at 9:19 am 7its strange, the loss you feel about people you never met, but knew. joy page really was an integral part of casablanca and stan winston, such movie magic. and the others, just magic.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 19 Dec 2008 at 9:24 am 8The good thing about TCM’s tribute as opposed to the Academy’s is that they edit it to make it current. While the You Tube video above was uploaded on December 12 the death of Van Johnson that day was edited into the next presentation. Hopefully the death of Sam Bottoms will be remembered too.
Why can’t the back slapping show the film business puts on each year edit their own tribute more quickly than they do? This is what they do for a paycheck and you think they could be a little more nimble.
It is hard to think about those that have died but I like to look up in IMDB the people I’m not familiar with and see what they have done. A lot of times they were a part of movies I like and never appreciated what they did.
To all of them, R.I.P.
Mr Stay Pufton 19 Dec 2008 at 9:37 am 9Very nice. TCM is classy as always. Great song, great editing.
When I use to watch the Oscars I never liked this part. The applause-o-meter always took away from the moment. It was a twisted contest to hear who the beautiful people missed the most.
Rest in Peace.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 19 Dec 2008 at 9:42 am 10Mr Stay Puft
You mentioned something else that makes TCM better - no audience to intrude on your thoughts.
Jdespiritoon 19 Dec 2008 at 10:47 am 11Does anyone happen to know what this song is?
Armandon 19 Dec 2008 at 10:56 am 12It’s amazing how these people, some whom have given me such great pleasures with their skills have passed leaving me in total surprise. Newman, Widmark, Heston, Pollack but Harvey Korman, as a child Korman and rest of the Burnett crew made me laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and I never thanked him and do I wish I could have.
Stephanieon 19 Dec 2008 at 11:10 am 13When I saw Charleton Heston I nearly started crying. He was a beautiful man. Dang.
Michaelon 19 Dec 2008 at 11:38 am 14In the spirit of this thread there is very sad news today in the Star Trek world. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Gene and known to fans as Nurse Chapel, the original Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and of course the voice of just about every Federation computer in every show and movie, has passed away at age 76. She had been fighting leukemia for some years, evidently, and unfortunately died of complications from the disease early this morning in California.
Ginaon 19 Dec 2008 at 11:48 am 15One thing I love about these tributes is that while in life many of these people would have been considered “washed up” or “has beens” for being known only for a few small roles, when they’re paid tribute at their death, we can see how much even those small performances and roles can matter — just as every human being, no matter how seemingly insignificant, matters. I appreciate that TCM demonstrates this by grouping the “little people” in with the “big people,” and doesn’t try to “save the best for last” or anything like that.
Simonon 19 Dec 2008 at 11:53 am 16The song is “God Only Knows” by Joe Henry.
Mr. Sideouson 19 Dec 2008 at 12:09 pm 17I had no idea Jerry Reed, or Dody Goodman was gone. I need to go watch Smokey and the Bandit, and Grease tonight.
whitmanon 19 Dec 2008 at 2:19 pm 18TCM’s tribute is always a lot more inclusive than the
Oscars. The Academy just doesn’t have time in their three or four hour broadcast for everyone. But I was surprised not to see Beverly Garland or Robert Prosky on “TCM Remembers”. Most of Ms. Garland’s work was on TV, but was in one great movie, the original version of “DOA”. Prosky also did a lot of TV, though I remember him best for scary dude he played in “Thief”.
miles archeron 19 Dec 2008 at 2:35 pm 19“God Only Knows” by Joe Henry. From his CD “Civilians.”
miles archeron 19 Dec 2008 at 2:54 pm 20The Golden Age is about done. It’s a sadly limited parlor game these days. Who’s left?
Mickey Rooney
Olivia DeHavilland
Eli Wallach (who’s still working)
And of course, Luise Rainer, first actress to win back to back Oscars.
Patrickon 19 Dec 2008 at 3:22 pm 21Thanks for posting DH. The most jarring name to me was seeing Heath Ledger, simply because you aren’t supposed to go when you are that young.
Markon 19 Dec 2008 at 3:46 pm 22Thanks for the Post DH, A lot of great names in that list. Being younger the Heath Ledger one hit me the hardest but I was a big fan of many of those departed.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 19 Dec 2008 at 4:51 pm 23miles archer
Maureen O’Hara is still around thank goodness.
Jeffon 19 Dec 2008 at 5:24 pm 24I’m still reeling over Michael Crichton. Just like Heath Ledger that one came out of nowhere.
miles archeron 19 Dec 2008 at 5:41 pm 25Johnny, thank goodness for that. What a great lady. I once heard a story about O’Hara and John Wayne. Apparently they’d been out for a drink, and then another drink, and then another — Wayne loved his drink — and as they were driven through Beverly Hills, Wayne called out for the driver to stop. And he did.
At which point, Wayne marched right up to the closest front door with O’Hara charging along after him. Wayne knocked, the occupant opened it — you can guess the reaction — at which point John Wayne invited himself inside for a drink.
Which was happily provided for him.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 19 Dec 2008 at 6:03 pm 26miles:
Ben Mankiewicz had that story on TCM and I laughed so hard. Imagine if that were done today half the cable shows would be talking about how out of control Wayne is. Millions of National Enquirers would be sold and dozens of entertainment reporters would have job security for another six months. It would be a scandal up there with every time Paris Hilton opens her mouth.
Wayne and O’Hara are real movie stars. To call them celebrities only diminishes their stature and talents.
miles archeron 19 Dec 2008 at 6:18 pm 27Johnny, you’re right. There’s a big difference between a star and a celebrity. In ‘74, the Harvard Lampoon invited him to Cambridge in order to bestow a newly invented award — The Brass Balls Award: For Your Outstanding Machismo and a Penchant for Punching People — and he rode through the streets on top of an armored personnel carrier with an Army Reserves escort (the Pentagon was not amused). We threw snowballs at him. He grinned and waved. He threw them back. And by the end of the day — and a weird ceremony highlighted by his great humor — he had thoroughly won over what was probably his toughest audience.
I was a pretty deranged lefty at the time. We all were. But it was impossible not to be impressed by the guy.
misterdon 19 Dec 2008 at 11:43 pm 28Its always a little surprising to realize how much our lives are affected by these people. I doubt I would be where I am today if I hadn’t be scared ****less by Jaws when I was 5. I watch Planet of the Apes at least once a year, Ten Commandments nearly so. Heath Ledger gave me the Joker I’ve waited 20 years for. I read a lot of Famous Monsters as a kid, and always loved the Creature. I did a book report on Andromeda Strain in the 8th grade, and did backflips over Jurassic Park in college. And only a handful of people on this planet gave me more smiles than Harvey Korman and George Carlin. Michael mentions Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who I had the pleasure of meeting once or twice. Seemed like a nice lady, and a classy one.
It’s easy for us to mock these folks from time to time - the money they make, the egos they put on display, but sometimes too we need to remember just how much they have enriched the lives of millions of people, even if its been in small ways.
Michael Hutchisonon 20 Dec 2008 at 12:02 am 29Why put this together two weeks before the actual end of 2008? Majel Barrett just passed away. Who else before New Year’s Day?
http://www.thehutch.com/monitorduty/2008/12/majel-b-roddenberry-wife-of-st.php
Ginaon 20 Dec 2008 at 5:39 am 30Miles, what a great story!
Jen O'Haraon 20 Dec 2008 at 3:56 pm 31Oh, they’ve (or someone) has finally put it online! Have been wanting to post it myself since seeing it about a week and a half ago. Thanks.
It is very well done.
Jen O'Haraon 20 Dec 2008 at 3:59 pm 32BTW, there is ABSOLUTELY a difference between celebrities and movie stars.
Not many of the latter around at all, from any age, Golden or not.
(And that John Wayne story…! Love it!)