James Earl Jones

                                                                 Part 2

Last week’s article dealt with the incredible, unmistakable voice of James Earl Jones. But that only scratched the surface of his film resume’. Today we begin his movie roles.

    The first Jones appearance of note is as Lt. Luther Zogg in the madcap classic Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Jones was 33. This film is regarded as one of the greatest. A crazed general unleashes a B-52 nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. The mistake is discovered and the Russians are notified. They respond that they have a Doomsday Device that will effectively kill everyone on earth if Russia is bombed.  The attempts to stop the bombers works on all but one. Lt. Zogg is the bombardier and Slim Pickens (Major “King” Kong) is the pilot. They make it to the target. Best of many quotes “You can’t fight in here- this is the war room!” 

End Of The Road (1970) from the John Barth novel, is definitely not to all tastes. Stacy Keach carries the thing as Jake Horner, a returned Vietnam vet who has descended into catatonia. He winds up in the hospital of the demonstrably crazy Doctor D (JE Jones) and is “cured” and sent out to teach unsuspecting college kids. A summary really doesn’t tell you much about this strange film. While I can’t really recommend it, I will say that Jones is superb.

The Great White Hope (1970) brings Jones to the top. He plays Jack Jefferson, based on real life Jack Johnson. A black man struggling in the white world of championship boxing in the early 20th century, he defeats every white challenger put before him. White fans are looking for a “white hope”, a white boxer who can defeat Jefferson. Jones revealed he had never boxed before appearing in this film. He was nominated for Best Actor Oscar, but lost to George Scott for Patton. Jane Alexander was also nominated for her role as Jefferson’s white love affair, but also lost.

James Earl Jones is The Man (1972).This is a made-for-TV movies, but the screenplay is by Rod Serling and the cast is first-rate. As president pro tem of the Senate, he becomes president of the United States through a series of mishaps to the president and the rest of the succession. Douglas Dillman thus becomes the first black president. This is nearly forty years before Barack Obama. He encounters many problems, most of them racially motivated, but most people reluctantly agree he does a good job. He decides to run for election and strives to get his party’s nomination. 

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976) is about an all black baseball team in the 1930's, most of whom are good enough to play in he Major Leagues, which are lily white. Billy Dee Williams is Bingo Long, owner of the team, and Jones is Leon Carter, star catcher and slugger. Their adventures as they barnstorm and play all comers is delightful and entertaining. 

All of the movies in this article are available for streaming somewhere. All are for grown-ups. Next time more James Earl Jones movies. 

                                                               James Earl Jones

                                                                 Part 1

It took Hollywood a while, but once they caught on to his distinctive booming bass voice he was the go-to narrator guy. This famous voice first appeared in the first Star Wars movie, which is actually number IV in the Star Wars cycle. You never forgot the villainous Darth Vader and his rumbling, terrifying voice. Jones voiced Darth Vader in all the Star Wars films. He did so once again in number V. If you scroll through the credits in those two films, you will not see the name of James Earl Jones. It was him, ok, but he refused the credit, not wanting to over shine his friend David Prowse, the actor who played Vader. After that film, Jones was always credited. Strangely, the correct sequence of Star Wars movies in the order of their release is 4,5,6,1,2,3,7. That seems to bother absolutely no one. 

The Star Wars galaxy of films is not based on a book, but on a series of screen outlines developed by George Lucas. So the very first release is titled Star Wars IV: A New Hope. The next two films follow in sequence. Then they return to number 1, which is actually a prequel. I will never forget watching the first Star Wars film in 1977. I was completely blown away, and so was most everyone else. The complete Star Wars movie package has made more than 10 billion dollars. Yoda, Princess Leah, Wookie, Luke, Hans Solo,  R2D2 and CP3O are all legends now. 

Returning now to James Earl Jones and his unmistakable voice. Who will ever forget “Luke, I am your father” ? Jones probably made more money from his voice- overs and narrations than from his acting. And there’s another movie franchise that utilized Jones’ unique voice. The Lion King first appeared as an animated musical in 1994. Hugely popular, it went on to sire many film offspring, and a hit Broadway Musical.

That first version contained a host of famous voices: Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Whoppi Goldberg et al. But the one everyone remembers is James Earl Jones, voicing Mufasa, the King of the title and the leader of the pride of lions. He is killed by the treacherous Scar, who replaces Mufasa and does an expectedly terrible job as leader.  Mufasa with the Jones voice is heard once again in the real life version in 2019. And there are lots of other Lion King opportunities for Jones. 

He was born with a debilitating stutter. He hardly spoke at all until he was 8 years old and spoke very little until high school. A high school voice teacher taught him how to deal with his problem. Jones had written poetry and the teacher convinced him to read it aloud in front of the class. He did so and didn’t stutter at all. The rest, as they say, is history.  His overcoming this condition all the way to narrating films is an inspiring story. He can also be heard in The Sandlot, Our Friend Martin, Merlin and several other films. He has recorded the entire New Testament.

Next time: James Earl Jones the actor. 

                                                     YET MORE SPORTS!

    There’s another good bunch of sports movies recommended by my editor, Ray.Any other readers who feel called up to furnish material should step right up!

    North Dallas Forty (1979) is based on a book by Peter Gent, who was a genuine NFL player (also a good writer). Nick Nolte stars as wide receiver Phil Ellliott, who still has good hands but not much else as he ages ungracefully. The film, and book, expose the seamy underside of pro football, where players are encouraged to play hurt and just take more pain pills. Has that much changed in 45 years? 

    Rush (2013) is recalls a real rivalry between Formula 1 racers. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) is a canny Brit who takes huge risks but often wins. Nikki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) is a sophisticated Austrian who is a technical genius and an exceptional driver. They both win often in the 1976 season, only a few points from each other. The racing sequences in this film are just outstanding and the personal stories are almost as fascinating. Ron Howard (yep, Opie) directed superbly well.

    Ford vs. Ferrari (2017) has Christian Bale as British Formula 1 driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon as Carol Shelby, former driver and now race car designer and builder. Lee Iacocca, then head of Ford Motor Co. tries to buy Ferrari racing and is foiled at the last minute. He then hires Shelby to challenge Ferrari’s domination of Formula 1 and the race is on! Both companies suffer mishaps and failures but the competition creates a media sensation. The 24 hours of Les Mans is the goal of both companies. 

    Any Given Sunday (1999) is entirely fictitious and boasts a field full of A-list stars. Al Pacino is Tony D’Amato, coach of the Miami Sharks. Cameron Diaz is Christina Pagniacci, owner and general manager of the team. Dennis Quaid is Cap Rooney, the starting, but aging, starting quarterback. James Wood is Dr. Mandrake, unscrupulous team doctor, well versed in hiding sever injuries and patching up badly injured players. Jamie Foxx is Willie Beaman, third string quarterback who gets his chance because of the injuries of those ahead of him. Also appearing are real players Lawrence Taylor and Jim Brown, both of whom can act convincingly. The story involves a season in the league, with the requisite passes and completions. 

    Dodge Ball (2004) is a hoot from start to finish. Vince Vaughan plays Pete LaFleur, unconscious owner of Joe’s Gym, which he is about to lose. Ben Stiller is White Goodman, owner of a rival gym and wannabe owner of Joe’s. Somehow this develops into a professional dodgeball game. ESPN 8 (not there quite yet!) covers the league and the championship game will determine Joe’s ownership. Memorable line: “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball”. So, is there really such a thing as professional Dodgeball? Absolutely, you can look it up. 

    And finally, Ray wasn’t talking about the 2024 version of Victory, which I panned. He meant the 1981 outing, with Stallone and Michael Caine. And yep, I liked it! 

                                                                      OTHER SPORTS

                                                                          Part 

    People sometimes ask me: “Where do you get your ideas?”. Well, recently my source was my editor, Ray. After my articles about sports other than baseball, he emailed me a whole fistful of movies I had not included. He was right! So here, thanks to Ray, is another bunch of really good sports films.     Million Dollar Baby (2004) is so good it won four Oscars: Best Movie, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Actress (Hillary Swank) and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). Eastwood portrays Frankie Dunn, a somewhat cranky and certainly older trainer of boxers, who swore he’d never train a girl. Hillary Swank is Maggie Fitzgerald, maybe a little old for the fight game, but determined to make it. Freeman is Scrap Iron Dupris, Frankie’s corner man and assistant. Swank put on 19 pounds of muscle preparing for this role. Maggie makes it into the professional ranks. She is terribly damaged in a bout. The ending sparked controversy. You’ll have to watch it. I’m not telling.     

    The Replacements (2000) are a ragtag bunch of former football players who get a second chance when the regular players go on strike. Keanu Reaves plays Falco, a beat up quarterback who lives on a houseboat. Gene Hackman is Jimmy McGinty, the grizzled coach of the replacements. Head cheerleader Annabelle Farrell has to replace the original cheerleaders who are striking in sympathy with the players. She hires strippers. The season is played out with many a laugh. The replacements surprise everyone by playing well. 

Tin Cup (1996) stars Kevin Costner as Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy, a failed pro golfer who owns a ragged driving range. Don Johnson plays David Simms, a top pro golfer who thinks a lot of himself. Rene Russo is Dr. Molly Griswold a psychologist who comes to Roy’s course looking for golf lessons. She has been dating Simms. She and Roy are attracted to each other and a rivalry is born. Roy has always lost by taking risky shots. He qualifies for the US Open and has a chance to win with a nearly impossible shot. 

Creed  (2015) , as Ray said in his email, is a lot better than you thought it would be. It is, after all, yet another Rocky offspring. And Sylvester Stallone shows up in this one as a trainer. Michael B. Jordan is Adonis Creed, illegitimate son of the late, great Apollo Creed who fought Rocky years ago. Stallone was nominated for an Oscar but lost to Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) is really more about a Sikh family dealing with ancient prejudices and a daughter wanting to break out as a soccer player. The title comes from star David Beckham’s ability to curve the ball into the goal. There’s lots of interplay with the girls an the team and their friends. The daughter turns out to be a superb player, and is offered a scholarship in the US. This is a charmer!

Ray also recommended Victory (2024). Alas, I cannot. 

All of the films in this article are available to stream. Only Bend It is ok for kids.

                                                                        Alain Delon

    Alain Delon parlayed his smoldering good looks and considerable acting ability into a very good career. Though most of his films were French in origin and language, he made a big dent in American cinema as well. 

    He first appeared on the American film-goer’s radar in Purple Noon (1960). Delon portrays Tom Ripley. He is hired by Phillipe Greenleaf’s father to go to Italy and persuade Phillipe to return home and run the family business. Phillipe isn’t interested. Tom hatches a plot to murder Phillipe and pretend to be him. This works for most of the film, with Delon acting up a storm as he switches personae constantly. Things come apart for Tom at the ending. No more from me. The film is based on Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. It was made as a movie in America in 1999. I don’t think it is as good as the French film. 

In that same year Alain Delon plays the title character in Rocco and His Brothers. Rocco is one of five brothers in a poor Italian family. They head for Milan to get work and change their circumstances. Each brother has an adventure of a different kind, while Rocco works to hold the family together. Finally Rocco agrees to become a professional boxer to make the much-needed money for the family. This film got a shaky start but as time passed became a much loved Italian classic. 

The Leopard (1963) is considered a great film. OK, a warning: It was released in America with 35 vital minutes cut and with dubbed dialog. Mr. Movie hates cutting and dubbing. So be sure you watch a version of at least 195 minutes and with subtitles. Burt Lancaster is the Prince of Salina who considers himself as a leopard, a dying breed of powerful aristocrats being replaced by  bureaucratic jackals and hyenas. Alain Delon is his headstrong, ambitious and very opportunistic nephew. Italian Claudia Cardianle, is the love interest. With a good bit of authentic Italian history and a good story, this is a winner.

A signature Delon role is as the deadpan contract killer Jef Costello in Les Samourai (1976). Managing to look devastatingly menacing and handsome, Delon carries this thing on his back. The machinations leading up to the grand finale are fun to watch. 

Is Paris Burning? (1966) are the words Hitler famously asked his commanders toward the end of World War II. The film is a faithful recreation of the novel about the liberation of Paris and the saving of most of the city’s iconic buildings. Alain Delon is quite good as a Free French Colonel. Not a great film, but good enough. 

Alain Delon’s appearance in The Swimming Pool (1969), as a somewhat laid back murderer and bon vivant, is strictly for Delon fans. 

All of the films in this article are available somewhere. They are all for adults. 

                                                               Gena Rowlands

    Like so many actors (e.g. Steve Martin, Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones) Gena Rowlands was awarded one of those “lifetime achievement” Oscars instead of for the roles for which she was nominated. This is often the Academy’s way of saying “oops, we should make this up to her”. 

Gena Rowlands died at 94. She had over 200 movie and TV appearances, and she worked until 2017 when ill health finally sidelined her. She famously married maverick director John Cassavetes and acting in his films brought her two Oscar nominations. In all she appeared in 10 of his films. They were together until his death in 1989. In 2004 she got to act in a film directed by her son, Nick. 

Her acting in A Woman Under The Influence (1974), directed by Cassavetes, brought her first Oscar nomination. She lost to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More. As Mabel, Rowlands runs the emotional gamut from calm and loving to drunk and disorderly. She is institutionalized and returns home different, but not in a good way. She makes you believe this damaged, hurting woman. 

As the title figure Gloria (1980) Ms. Rowlands is the neighbor of a couple in trouble with the mob. She is convinced to take their son, Phil, and try to look after him. She also takes the incriminating ledger the neighbors had given her. Gloria and Phil run and hide from the gangsters and she proves as tough as the pursuers. Cassavetes also directed this one. Though again nominated for Oscar, this time Ms. Rowlands lost to Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner’s Daughter. 

Later Ms. Rowlands got the actor's chance of a lifetime, acting in a film directed by her son, Nick. The Notebook (2004) is a real tear-jerker based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel. Allie, Ms. Rowland’s character, was once in love with Noah, a boy from a wealthy high society family. They part when he goes to fight in World War II, still much in love. He writes to her every day but his hateful mother intercepts all the letters and Allie becomes engaged to another man. But when she sees his picture in a newspaper story, she realizes she still loves him. Allie goes off the deep end and is institutionalized. Her memory comes and goes, but she manages to reunite with Noah. 

In Cassavetes’ far-out Faces (1968) Ms. Rowlands portrays Jeannie, a friend of Maria, whose marriage is dissolving. Another Cassavetes outing with Ms. Rowlands is the frenetic Minnie and Moscovitz (1971). She plays the title character, a museum curator with multiple romantic entanglements. 

Ms. Rowlands’ last appearance of note is as Violet Deveraux in The Skeleton Key (2005). She plays the matron of a decrepit southern mansion (haunted, of course). She does a good job but this one is not my cup of tea. If you like spooky, dig in.

All of the films in this article are available somewhere for streaming. All are for grown-ups. 

                                                      OTHER SPORTS- PART 2

As promised, here is the rest of my list of the best sports movies that are not about baseball. 

6. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962). Believe it or not, this is a movie that is based on an original television play.  Both were written by Paddy Chayefsky, one of the best.  Only a cut below Raging Bull, if that.  Anthony Quinn is excellent as the used and abused fighter, and Jackie Gleason is good as his manager, and user. Gleason was about the biggest TV star of them all when I was growing up. It seems almost unfair that he was also a very gifted actor! 

7. The Hustler (1961). This movie made Paul Newman a star and demonstrated that Jackie Gleason was more than a comedian. Loosely based on a true story, it is about a pool player who wants to beat the best and strike it rich.  This film is superbly shot in smoky black and white; color would ruin it. The character Gleason plays, the legendary Minnesota Fats, died at 82 but certainly lived to see the movies based loosely on his life.  The Color Of Money (1986) is a worthy successor, with Paul Newman now a middle-aged Fast Eddie Felson, mentor to Tom Cruise as his cocky student.

8. Heart Like a Wheel (1983) features Bonnie Bedelia as drag racer Shirley Muldowney.  This is as good a film as we have about a woman trying to make it in a man's world.  It is reasonably close to the facts of Muldowney's life. A superb antidote to the “girls can’t do that” crowd. Excellent action footage. Beau Bridges is fine as her husband.

9. White Men Can't Jump (1992). Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes having a big time as basketball hustlers, and throw in Rosie Perez as a Jeopardy hustler.  A funny story without much substance, it is just plain fun. 

10. Rocky (1976). Because Stallone cranked out so many sequels that the whole thing became sort of a national joke, you tend to forget just how good the first one was.  Rocky is the American hero story, about the little guy winning against impossible odds with a little luck and talent and a lot of hard work.  The wonderful theme music lives on. Forget the sequels.

Honorable Mention: Phar Lap (1983) horse racing; Semi-Tough (1977) football; The Harder They Fall (1956) boxing; The Longest Yard (1974) football; Hoosiers (1986) basketball;, Rudy (1993) football, This Sporting Life (1963) soccer, Invictus (2009) rugby.

All of the films in this column are available for streaming.  Google the title and click on “watch movie”. All are really for adult audiences.