Dennis Hopper Threatened James Dean In The Back Of a Car | The Dick Cavett Show

Dennis Hopper discusses how he learnt his acting techniques from the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando.
Date aired - 12/9/1994 - Dennis Hopper
#DennisHopper #JamesDean #DickCavett #MarlonBrando
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow

[@ifragpsn6431]

"It helps to be OJ Simpson if you're playing Othello." That's like, the deepest, coldest, casual burn ever.

[@kev3d]

You'd have to know the plot of Othello (more or less), you have to know who OJ Simpson is, who his wife was, how they relate physically to Othello and Desdemona. So you are right, that's a some seriously layered, ice cold humor right there.

[@michaeljay3044]

@@kev3d WHO?

[@ltopomcfly5583]

@@kev3d Just say they're both black guys

[@lewstone2]

Tired of hearing that crap. O.J. was found not guilty.

[@dcdad556]

Worked with Dennis On "Speed." He was the only film or TV actor I ever worked with with whom I could have political discussions. We'd talk before clocking in and he was at his makeup table on set. Like this Cavett piece, he was controlled, personable and he really listened and processed what I was saying. He took you in and won you over with his charm. He was charming and never was the ranting freak people thought him to be. That's only in the movies.

[@johnvictor1]

Well said my friend.

[@JeffRebornNow]

Hopper first came to my attention when I was at university and I saw "Blue Velvet," in which he's brilliant. And I thought he was even better (though he had a smaller part) in another indie film, "Rivers Edge." It never occurred to me that the actor behind those two dissimilar roles was anything like what he portrayed on screen. I don't know why anyone would assume that. I wonder if people think that Carroll O'Connor was a bigot who never read a book? I'm sorry you had to work with Hopper on such a crummy vehicle as "Speed." His performance is probably the only thing that slightly redeems the movie, though it's counter-balanced by Bullock's horrible performance. I think academic theater departments should show her movies under the category of "what not to do."

[@jimsmith9301]

Some actresses are just used as eye candy no matter if or how much ability they have. That's Hollywood.

[@thehouseofcm]

What an amazing life Dennis Hopper had. Meeting legends like John Wayne, icons like Marlon Brando and James Dean. Being in a revolutionary film, Easy Rider and working with true artist like David Lynch.

[@scottmasson3039]

Plus all the visual artists he used to hang out with like Warhol, etc. Dennis hopper was a great painter. What a wild life he had.

[@fernandomaron87]

Yeah, he had an epic life.

[@jonnybirchyboy1560]

Um, he wrote and directed Easy Rider, lol

[@sarahgomez6740]

I heard John Wayne got so mad at Dennis on set in true grit that he chased hopper with a loaded pistol cause Dennis was wasted most of the time. No disrespect to either actors, it was a great story.

[@thehouseofcm]

@@jonnybirchyboy1560 Yes the revolutionary film part.

[@Mulder-Scully]

So in other words James didn't even try to act, he just lived.

[@Tervamursu]

Method acted maybe.

[@wolfborn6483]

I liked James Deans movies...but... he copied Marlon Brando. Full on stole Marlon Brando's manerisms and behaviour. He could have been great in his own right but i imagine he was so enamoured with Brando he couldnt help himself. If you havent seen it there is a Brando intervie where he talks about confronting James Dean about his copycat behaviour.

[@evanseago2301]

Wolf Born me personally James was the better actor. James was very raw when expressing his emotions on screen. Not saying Brando didn’t do that as well, but there was something different about the way James did it, for me. Plus he was more charismatic of an actor. Copycat is a strong word, I would say emulation. All actors, actually almost every performer emulates someone they admire and somewhat copy how they would perform. I admire/emulate lots of actors and their performances when I act, James Dean included because he’s my all time favorite actor!!👍🏼

[@wolfborn6483]

@@evanseago2301 Theres a Brando interview where he supposedly confronted Dean about copying him. I like them both actually. Real tragedy about Dean's death, wonder what he would have developed into..

[@spencerdore2145]

mhm

[@klauspendolo1393]

Dick Cavett was in a league of itself, that’s why all those actors flocked to get interviewed by him. He was absolutely great ! 🙏 you can really see the magic here and the connection to Hopper. He felt relaxed, at ease and “connected” with Dick Cavett. Cavett was a master of his art...

[@scottmcman7659]

He was so extreme left, it was irritating. He also thought he was funny. He often did obscure dry humor, which I love, but not when he did it. Just never liked Cavett and frankly, I don't think he was all that special in interviews either. Ehh, different opinions....What can you do?

[@scottzundel3870]

As for Cavett it was a time when substance, depth, excellence mattered. Now it is all show, looks, slam, glitz and slick.

[@JudgeJulieLit]

@@scottmcman7659 How, in what ways was he "extreme left"? Do you regard all the arts, such as the cinematic, and analyses of how they create their results (good and bad) as "extreme left"?

[@scottmcman7659]

@@JudgeJulieLit - I grew up with Cavett. We didn't have hundreds of channels to chose from, so sometimes you watched things you wouldn't normally watch. Cavett made his feelings known regarding his position on politics and other areas that are heavy to the left. As for your latter question: That's just absurd. Why in the world would I do that?

[@jeffreybeadle9743]

Yes, I've heard Hopper talk about James Dean before, but first time I heard the story about throwing him in the car. Must have been Cavett's understated charisma that drew it out.

[@akumar7366]

Just the thought he met James Dean is incredible in itself.

[@davidbcalhoun]

They were both in Rebel Without a Cause, too!

[@akumar7366]

@De StMy point is just knowing that is exciting,, James Dean is and always will remain a fascinating figure, so hearing from someone who knew him well is great to hear about.

[@richardgray8593]

@@akumar7366 Not incredible at all. Now, what IS incredible is that the actress that plays Jerry's mother in _Seinfeld_ used to have coitus with James Dean.

[@akumar7366]

@@richardgray8593 What ever turns you on, not my cup of tea thanks bud.

[@richardgray8593]

@@akumar7366 Who said anything about being turned on? I would not have had coitus with that actress even when she was in her prime back in the 50s, and I'm not all that picky. James Dean, on the other hand, apparently didn't care where he put it.

[@classicartfoundation639]

That's so true, the best actors are so natural you forget they're acting

[@chm97chm97]

Lock down .. it's like any great professional they can make it look so easy that anyone can do it. Golfer , stock investor, Dr, Salesman.

[@ceejay1794]

Dennis a most underrated actor, miss him

[@0Imtheslime0]

Underrated because he was a troublemaker in Hollywood in the 60´s-70´s. But he grew up eventually and became respected in my book. I still think the scene in True Romance before he dies is some of the best scene ever shot in the 90´s.

[@johnnyhammer]

Who underrates Dennis Hopper, exactly? Please, everyone, stop calling famous, critically acclaimed people who have outstanding bodies of work underrated ffs.

[@themerge3933]

Incredible photographer as well.

[@afonsolucas2219]

Josef Shaw I think it’s underrated as in they’re respected and talked about but not one of the go to examples when discussing a subject.

[@ceejay1794]

Afonso Lucas exactly. Thank you for jumping in. My belief is that neither he nor peter Fonda ever received the industry or public accolades which they deserved. Hopper is a fav. Will watch anything he is in. One of the greats.

[@moontrolls1]

that OJ simpson line is amazing

[@gonzolonzo1383]

This needs more likes

[@elvicare35]

mY BRAIN...My BRAIN, OKAY, try again, see, SEE, Ugghhh...My brain isn't as functional as MOST of y' all's, ah, what is AMAZING about the OJ line???

[@Dargyful]

How wonderful to listen to such intelligence and not hear annoying fake audience laughter and unfunny jokes . Love everything about this interview 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@antonchigurh3794]

Hopper did age well. Hard to believe that he was in a movie with James Dean , who died in 1955.

[@viewericeberg]

So much for the story about Brando and Dennis not getting along on the set of Apocalypse Now. Mr.Hopper speaks very highly of him.

[@escaton74]

Lynch also gave Dennis that "acting in the moment" gift when he secretly told Isabella Rossellini to wear no knickers in THAT Blue Velvet scene

[@ditchweed2275]

Damn looks ancient yet 1994 feels like yesterday

[@jonmcclane7433]

Ditch Weed I thought so too,, I think all that damn wood in the background adds to an older feel.

[@themaggattack]

It doesn't look ancient to me.... I guess I'm just old.

[@Ozziemick]

I remember Marlon Brando said to an interviewer that “everybody is acting” . That blew me away. And I thought he is right. I’m doing it now right now typing away here on KZbin. He is so right.

[@keithm9337]

I am acting when I say "I am interested in your story".

[@Ozziemick]

@@keithm9337 yes you are. Cut! Excellent well done!

[@Tmanaz480]

Sometimes when I'm going through "real life" I'll try to become aware of what it feels like without changing my behavior.

[@Ozziemick]

@@Tmanaz480that’s a good interesting way to experience life.

[@rockybarzini8786]

This is Dennis Hooper's most normal interview,The first time he did not shout or get mad or beat the host,Its shoking how Dennis talking about Brando with admiration and respect after he fight with him on set

[@Nikes62]

Dennis Hopper is not normal, so that's not possible.

[@rockybarzini8786]

@@Nikes62 it's impossible

[@vb8428]

He's completely nuts such that people here ain't even commenting how weird what he did to Deen was.

[@michaeljay3044]

@@vb8428 BECAUSE ITS WASNT A BIG DEAL.

[@ARIZJOE]

"Daddy wants blue velvet!"

[@kevinburnes3216]

I can't tell you how many times I have referred back to this video before a read or the few times that I have been blessed to be in front of the camera to find the "moment"! This is actually a master lesson in acting!

[@MadMax-dr6mf]

What's particularly nice about this interview, and gyou see it on TV only rarely, 8s that it's like a fascinating conversation you overhear in a pub: each is equally intrigued by what the other has to say, they're both enjoying themselves with viewers as grateful beneficiaries.

[@rob_3417]

Exactly. Now we have presenters playing games and singing songs

[@TaichiStraightlife]

They're both in the moment!

[@abyteuser6297]

Joe Rogan has some of that quality too

[@dereklong801]

Such a smart interview Cavett always managed. There's nobody out there doing thoughtful work like this anymore.

[@ichbin4122]

nope...only 000,005% of French telly...Maybe some Internet shows and...watching all thee olde CAVETT shows available online, always a treat

[@claudiasimpson4386]

Dennis is so relaxed, love him in Easy Rider !!!.

[@cybrunel1016]

Hopper was also in " Giant " so that's 2 out of three with Dean. Not bad at all.

[@waynej2608]

And, Hopper was in Apocalypse Now, with Brando. But, apparently Brando was not amused with Dennis. Too bad, as they were both awesome in that film.

[@metalinyourhead3604]

I had no idea till now. And I just watched Rebel last night.

[@Saturnia2014]

​@@waynej2608 Two giant egos clashing Hopper was also heavily and deeply into drugs by that point in his life, so even while filming he was high on drugs, and Brando didn't really want to be on the set of that film in the first place, which is why he gained so much weight for his role (even though Brando was told to lose weight for his role, Brando gained weight on purpose) The cast and crew were all on drugs, now that I think about it

[@yicama2098]

Dick Cavett was certainly the best! He simply loves to talk about the industries.

[@marklesmarket]

A brilliant comfortable interviewer .

[@johnmacfarlane6444]

Dennis hopper totally brilliant loved his acting

[@BRD379]

I miss Dennis hopper

[@hippywizard629]

"On the Waterfront" is in a class all by itself. Moviemaking at it's zenith.

[@okjoe5561]

A lot of over-acting in that film but it worked.

[@user-nw6qp1ki2n]

Dick Cavett is the best interviewer I have ever seen 🧡 He used to be always smart and well-prepared to sail it smoothly with any guest ⛵️

[@JudgeJulieLit]

He still is "always smart." And too well handled guest "curve balls" such as spats, and once one dying on set.

[@Kendo121e]

yea...it really is great to watch. I like the way he speaks

[@socrates1818]

Charlie Rose

[@fernmann7]

Charlie Rose??? Lol lol minor league compared to DC

[@RTH-xo6gl]

Acting is learning how not to act.

[@funkyalfonso]

R.T.H. That's so Zen.

[@jmadratz]

That was Jason Alexander’s coffee table book’s name from season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

[@wurstofall]

@@jmadratz It was a pamphlet

[@jmadratz]

@@wurstofall so says Jerry (or was it Larry) but Jason called it a book.

[@Tmanaz480]

If you've ever tried, the first thing that hits you is Damn, why can't I do this?

[@Hal9000ize]

A candy colored clown they called the sandman...

[@noahfallon8440]

Tip toes to my room every night

[@ceejay1794]

😂

[@jwight8509]

HERE'S TO BEN

[@MrAussieUK]

Just to sprinkle stardust and whisper. I like that film although It was Dean Stockwell that mimed to that song in the film not Dennis Hopper.

[@twomindz79]

Pabst. Blue ribbon !!

[@YinzerSteel]

The photojournalist be looking like Colonel Kurtz.

[@paolo-n2000]

"It helps to be OJ Simpson, if you're playing Othello".... Wow! Dennis Hopper...

[@elguapo42]

Savage

[@DavenHiskey]

@@elguapo42 So the two get into a knife fight?

[@Salamander676]

😂

[@okjoe5561]

I think he meant Othello is a Moor, who is black, and Simpson is black.

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

I have read a lot of autobiographies and “Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me” is still my favorite.

[@williamstdog9]

YEESSS BROTHER!!! Me too!! I am the biggest Brando fan EVER!!

[@ADAPTATION7]

This is very interesting. This interview shows you just how much acting can be a challenge and is not necessarily given to everyone. To be able to act without being self-conscious, that's what it's all about.

[@ericlloyd7981]

Wow, what a concept eh?,...Thats all? Ok then I'm going home now.

[@datman3416]

I was so surprised when i saw Hopper in the original True Grit

[@datman3416]

@Tom Wood sounds about right

[@waynej2608]

@Tom Wood and if we're getting into labels, some may argue that John was an alcoholic, fascist leaning war monger, who never saw a battlefield. Only acted in one.

[@datman3416]

@Mark Richards Yeah pretty much

[@HoldenNY22]

@@waynej2608 True. A Chicken Hawk as they say.

[@davidrobinson2776]

James Dean was almost the perfect actor. I say almost because he left us far too soon. About 30 years later I saw Mickey Rourke and he had that same charisma on screen, that same natural style. Sadly, the industry couldn’t handle him. If Dean had lived, maybe Rourke would have found it easier. Natural ability has always scared people in the same profession who don’t possess it.

[@Proof77777]

Wow

[@stephaniecostello2262]

Well said.

[@skywoif6387]

Dennis has great mannerisms his hands the way he signals his thinking with them.

[@edwardscott2498]

"It helps to be OJ Simpson when playing Othello" haha!

[@chaptervixo]

It was simply a different kind of personality inside a great actor. You can't teach someone to be different.

[@Tmanaz480]

Some can do it. There are two different types of actor. The ones who bring their own personality to each role and the ones who take on a different personality. Jimmy Stewart vs Daniel Day Lewis.

[@r13hd22]

Oh just dropping that OJ line so casually like that...priceless.

[@Richbund]

I remember as a kid my parents watching Dick Cavett and not always paying attention to the show because it may not be in my scope of understanding or at a young age not particularly interesting. I am so glad someone is posting them to KZbin and having the opportunity to watch interviews for the first time, and enjoy how interesting they were/are including Dick Cavett's subtle sense of humor. I never realized how thoughtful Dennis Hopper was. He always played out of control and unpredictable characters. I guess it shows what a good actor he was and is on screen.

[@williammartin4368]

Dude I didn't remember this show still being on when I was a kid. Him and Carson over Leno and lettermen any day.

[@aisforamerica2185]

this conversation seems so natural. I really enjoyed listening to this

[@radioactivehalfrhyme]

Actual footage of Dennis Hopper coercing acting advice from James Dean: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX7KZWp3d998hNk

[@robertludwig1278]

Dennis Hopper could be Owen Wilsons father or at least a relation

[@stevennieto9898]

Wow

[@willeveryday]

Someone should ask. I'm sure dennis nose more about it.

[@CGOlde]

So that would make Aleister Crowley Owen's grandfather or great grandfather?

[@Iffy]

There's some Woody Harrelson there too

[@_MrJA]

I hope I don't ruin Dennis Hopper for anyone... but if they ever make a movie about Trump...

[@runawaytrain9794]

Glad they showed the interview date below the vid...I was right in guessing this looked like Dennis Hopper in the early-mid 90's, but wasn't sure if he made before or after 'True Romance'. It was not too long after TR, 12-9-94.

[@Bostonharborwater]

Head all shaved up for “waterworld. “.

[@samanthab1923]

What's that cousins name?

[@sharonramone7186]

"...assuming you'r not O.J. Simpson..." I laughed out loud. No one was better than Dick Cavett!

[@erikrhafer6644]

Fantastic interview !!!

[@iseeolly9959]

Acting depends on how much you pretended as a child and how much you play with your own kids, when my own daughter was a child I'd start every Saturday in a character she suggested and be in that person all day long. Happy days !

[@tadkingsbury79]

Dennis Hopper was convincing to me in True Grit ,1968 .........well done .

[@visualonestudio]

Dick is such an amazing interviewer and so knowledgeable. I miss the times were talkshows had smart, calm, intellectual conversations.

[@roncheshire4140]

James dean would have kicked his ass!!! He didn't get violent, all he did was whine and ask for help acting

[@billg5710]

I remember seeing Hopper in lots of Country Westerns like Rifleman then movies when he was younger.

[@nirvana4230]

Great interview and insightful

[@jamesfrench7299]

I always enjoy Dennis Hopper's presence in a film. I liked him in Texas Chainsaw Massacre II.

[@feralkid7025]

I miss Mr Hopper so much...

[@lucaslaino7292]

He was a.rock star inside holluwood. I admmire him so much

[@dogdog6815]

Is he dead

[@spaceghost8995]

Hopper was 58 in this video. Looks good.

[@Tmanaz480]

The thing about Brando and objects...I immediately thought of the cat in The Godfather.

[@rhinoknife]

Dick Cavett is an American treasure

[@dewfall56]

What a calm, pleasant, listener type of person Mr. Hopper is. Very interesting how he talks about doing things very naturally, because Brando said something very similar in an interview where he said anyone can be an actor. He implied the trick is to be yourself and act natural. Viewers can always tell when an actor in film is overacting, and it is hard to watch.

[@scottspooner6070]

I remember Dennis when he was a kid on the Rifleman.

[@pappy451]

@Scott Spooner . . . man that was a long time ago . i remember the same show .

[@rickrick5041]

Being the son he was in every show

[@scatdog1]

He was on the twilight zone as well.

[@p.j.gannon1646]

James Dean was the best just three movie all brilliant and he was so gorgeous he will never be forgotten just love him xx

[@fordxbgtfalcon]

P. J. Gannon He was a great looking sodomite, one of a kind.

[@opinionday0079]

I wonder if he had lived to be 88 would he still be remembered as the best. Funny how ageing seems to erode the legendary status. Imagine if Paul Newman had died at 22 how would we deal with him,,,, as it is he seems almost forgotten.

[@J_Braz_]

the scene in east of eden where hes laying in the bean field gives me chills.

[@joekurtz8303]

When he smokes inTrue Romance, you Hear the draw and burn, and the lip smacking in the moment, makes you really want that Chesterfield, even if you don't smoke🚬...anymore🚬💨

[@br1472an]

Classic scene himself and Chris Walkin really made that movie something special

[@jasonharkin2209]

You're an eggplant

[@jasonfallon4968]

One of the greatest scenes of all time.

[@silvervalleystudios2486]

He knew he was screwed so he insulted Walken with that Sicilian joke.

[@lilchaos4792]

Blue velvettttt

[@brodieroomojo]

LOL OJ line was awesome

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

7 and a half Minutes of pure greatness.

[@archenema6792]

"Could I have that cocktail?......Thaaanks!" "And keep 'em comin''!"

[@octaviof.g.7316]

hahah perfect.

[@TittyTittyBangBangXX]

So awesome, Thank you

[@laserluver1]

Dick might not have been the best talk show host or the best comedian but he was the best interviewer.

[@jornfox3545]

'Acting is the easiest thing to do in the world, just don't let anyone catch you doing it'. - S. Tracy

[@MrYale007]

Great clip!

[@kickinvideo333]

Three of the absolute best natural actors that I've ever seen are Ed Asner, James Garner and John Denver in "Oh, God!"

[@fishhookism]

Denver was fantastic in "Oh God!"

[@asphaltcowboy7567]

Ed sux

[@JudgeJulieLit]

John Wayne once said that James Garner was his favorite film actor.

[@kickinvideo333]

asphalt cowboy kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ2znmBslLirlaM

[@TralfazConstruction]

@@fishhookism Thanks for the memories. I hadn't thought of that movie in several years. Thinking of it now caused me to recall the night I went to see it with my girlfriend, where we had dinner and what we ordered.

[@mikepersich3148]

Good interview.

[@thebarrochannel]

2:22 “it helps to be o j Simpson” lol boom roasted

[@somethingyousaid5059]

From the neck up he's the spitting image of Marlon Brando in the movie Apocalypse Now - - - sort of. -

[@benanderson3791]

Yes, I do see it

[@kamuelalee]

The Horror, the Horror!

[@ulyssesfelicio9916]

Definitely a transforming experience.

[@lsb2623]

The man... he goes too far.

[@J-R__]

He looks more like the photographer in Apocalypse Now

[@williesmall3855]

James dean as well as Dennis hopper there legends

[@VoIPPortland]

Loved Hooper in Hoosiers. Still the best basketball/sports movie ever.

[@-C.S.R]

Marlon Brando was offered the role first but refused it. Sinatra was offered the part but no contract was signed because the director still wanted Brando because he knew he could do the role more forcefully than Sinatra. The Director got Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward from the actors studio to film a scene from the movie just to show to the producer a similar acting style that Brando would do in the movie. This convinced the producer that Sinatra might not be right and gave the Director another opportunity to give it another shot. With some convincing Brando finally agreed and the rest is history.

[@tomitstube]

dean, hopper, brando all had it, acting without looking like they were acting. totally emmersed in the character.

[@mrjagriff]

Yeh it’s called acting 🙄

[@maggiemae7749]

Daniel Day Lewis is way better than them.

[@kamuelalee]

@@maggiemae7749 English actors don't count

[@tomgrasso4818]

Takes me back to the Curb Your Enthusiasm scene where Larry and Jerry make fun of Jason's book on acting called "Acting Without Acting" 🤣

[@AnnusMirabilus]

Most of the comics who have done stand up comedy for years will understand when I write that the "do it, don't show it" rule applies very much to stand up as well. There is a point *with most comics* when you're not so deliberate and preconceived after a while-- that's when you can't even hear yourself speaking anymore because they're laughing so loudly.

[@drumsport]

It's been said that great actors make it look like they're not acting......greats like Brando, Cagney, and Tracy. RIP gents.

[@mandolindleyroadshow706]

Sinatra was not the first choice for Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront (1954). Brando was, but he initially turned it down. Kazan then asked Sinatra, who accepted; then Brando changed his mind and Sinatra was let go. Sinatra never forgave Brando. But it gets worse. Sinatra wanted to play Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (1955), and Brando, who was not a trained singer or dancer, took that role too (Sinatra got second billing as Nathan Detroit). Then to rub salt into the almost healed wound, 16 years later when Francis Coppola was planning The Godfather he went to Sinatra to assure him that the part of Johnny Fontane would not mirror Sinatra's career. Sinatra was touched by Coppola's graciousness and told the director, "Anything you want. If you want me to play the lead in the movie, just ask." Of course, that role went to Brando too.

[@Laudon1228]

I care how actors act. Superb!

[@jamesmcginn6291]

Timeless.

[@bigbee9878]

Very interesting advice about acting - you have to temporarily almost become the person you are portraying. Faking is too often bad acting.

[@akemdam9824]

@Jay Arre dumb

[@gillesleduc6363]

I did some acting on stage and had no training. I was always fascinated by actors who had trouble doing the simplest of things because they had mapped out everything in advance - sometimes because the director thought that way also. Later on, as a director, I might change a scene a little by asking an actor to walk over to the bar to get a drink while talking instead of waiting until they finished talking - the old joke about not being able to walk and talk at the same time comes to mind - and I saw actors totally out of sync. I once played a cop doing an interrogation while eating slices of pizza, holding a file folder and walking around and thought nothing of it. Other actors and audience members I knew and didn't know would comment on that scene more than any other I did by saying how amazing it was?! Really I thought! I don't say this to pat myself on the back but to indicate that if an actor is thinking about anything other than being as authentic as possible in the moment you can "see them acting" as Robert Mitchum is reported to have said when asked what he didn't like about certain actors. Finally, I personally don't really like James Dean's acting BECAUSE I can see him acting. It's all a matter of personal connection with a performer.

[@blueberrycobbler]

Gilles Leduc As it pertains to Dean, he was in the process of evolving given his age. He had 33 acting roles, not including a couple of plays. Some of his television appearances, 30 of them, show his potential. Brando you can also “see” his acting at times..it can be said of a lot actors due to none of them being perfect in their profession.

[@gillesleduc6363]

@@blueberrycobbler I agree that Brando's roles don't always age as well also. Certainly there are real true moments in their performances that opened the door for other actors to be more authentic and less theatrical. It's always tricky for stage actors to transition to screen with all the medium and close-up shots - you aren't playing to the back of the room, you're kind of standing right in front of me with a close-up.

[@alainconnelly8870]

Love Dennys Hopper. American icon.

[@tmoonjumpr]

Great stuff. I tend to watch anything with Dick Cavett! With regard to Sinatra, though, I so highly recommend The Man With the Golden Arm (directed by Otto Preminger). He is absolutely riveting. You can see what Elia might have seen in him. Of course, Frank didn't like being told what to do, and for whatever reason, applied himself for Preminger, which everyone found surprising. Although the film feels dated, Sinatra (in this, at least) seems ageless.

[@tremolux13]

Todd DeMartinis one of my favorite films!

[@JudgeJulieLit]

That 1955 film was a year after On the Waterfront. Likely Sinatra wanted to reprise his 1953 From Here to Eternity acting success, so let the serially intimidating Preminger dictate.

[@tmoonjumpr]

@@JudgeJulieLit Great point! I don't know if you've read James Kaplan's bio on Sinatra, but he covers that time period with some great details! My favorite is Frank being cast as the lead in "Carousel" and he shows up in Maine to film ... and sees *two* cameras ... and says, "What's this about?" And the director says, "We'll need to film each scene twice." Sinatra got back in his helicopter, and was never seen on set again! (One-take Frank) ... I guess not a "director's actor!' ... unless the director was Frank! :)

[@tmoonjumpr]

@@tremolux13 I so agree! "Frankie Machine" - feel so much his empathy for this guy. Whole cast is top-notch. Stay safe out there!

[@waynej2608]

Frank was also quite compelling in the original, Manchurian Candidate. He was a solid actor. But, still, I'm pleased that Marlon was Terry Malloy.

[@ypure3859]

Fan of Dennis..saw him at South Bank London lecture. Had to ask him a question..hmm forget

[@tom_olofsson]

Cavett and Hopper, excellent.

[@TheLeogets18]

"why can't I be you ". Dennis wasn't the only one who dream of being jimmy.

[@jamest681]

John Garfield once said that when he was acting a scene it was real life to him. That was real to him. And real life was just like a preparation for acting. No wonder actors can just live the moment and not seem like they are acting. I always wondered when actors are acting are they thinking about what they have to buy at the store later.

[@claudemaassen2963]

Brando being the best actor in the world is a myth. I've seen him over acting and getting the part very wrong. His performance as Fletcher Christian in The Mutiny on the Bounty is a perfect example.

[@janso7979]

He had plenty of talent, but he was also lazy and undisciplined. He coasted through plenty of roles just for for the paycheck. He was also hugely charismatic, especially when young, which made him seem more gifted than he probably was.

[@marsoblivi0n945]

I agree Dennis was light years ahead of his time & more modest than he should have been.

[@jeffreydevoti8528]

Doesn't matter when Charles Laughton is Captain Bligh, he steals the scene and makes you hate him. Also that Bugs Bunny imitates him as Captain Bligh to intimidate Yosemite Sam into submission.

[@TaichiStraightlife]

3:30 in, when they're talking about Brando connecting physically with found objects on set (ala Stella Adler), I immediately thought of Brando putting on Eva Marie Saint's glove in On The Waterfront... classic, classic scene; it said so much about the inner life of Terry Malloy, and what his yearnings & dreams might be...

[@JudgeJulieLit]

And in A Streetcar Named Desire, picking Stella up, and overturning a table. And in The Wild One last scene before he leaves the town, he saunters back into the luncheonette and, faintly smiling at the counter girl he'll leave behind, sets his race trophy on it for her as a souvenir of their opposites-attract, almost fling.

[@TaichiStraightlife]

@@JudgeJulieLit That's cool; I'm not really familiar with either of those two, though of course I know of them; I read Streetcar and really didn't look forward to seeing her destroyed onscreen... I also didn't want to see what happened to Vivian Leigh, remembering her transcendent beauty in Waterloo Bridge; I'm not into motorcycle gangs either. But Waterfront really spoke to me, I've seen it many times, and that scene always got to me, since you could see: he's trying on a woman's glove, this alpha male; you could see he was doing it in front of her, possibly as a kind of secret (in the sense that he'd never do something like that where his 2 gangs could see him do it {the Johnny Friendly gang and also the boys gang that took care of the pigeons & would soon turn on him}), and a sign, also, that he's really ready (possibly) to BE less of an alpha male, that he's possibly capable of being more flexible than he lets on (as opposed to everyone else in the movie: nobody changes in that movie but Terry)...which flexibility The Waterfront Commission and the Priest would soon use as a weakness to wedge him open, using the girl as lever, to testify, and which would destroy him in his neighborhood forever. Terry's also saying, possibly, by putting on her glove, that he wants to get in her skin, in all the ways that he can; to love her or possess her or control her or simply see the world through her eyes, perhaps... I've only come up with a few thoughts, and I'm sure there are many others; who could imagine that simply putting on a glove could be such a powerfully symbolic act... and I heard somewhere that it wasn't even in the script. And now for something else. Max Von Sydow has just passed on, several days ago, sadly... and he, too, was a truly great actor who seldom was given material that was equal to his abilities... I recommend his work in the small role of the assassin in Three Days Of The Condor, a fine movie, maybe even a classic, or at least a classic of its decade. There's a GREAT (very clean, in gorgeous black & white) copy of The Seventh Seal here on KZbin... (& seeing Bibi Andersson again was a real treat, as she passed last year... actually, Bergman's whole company of players is always wonderful to see, and here it's the knight's squire (Gunnar Björnstrand) who speaks so eloquently to our modern (& postmodern) sensibility and it's another towering classic of world cinema; a great movie... I think they spent about a buck and a quarter on special effects (the plague was everywhere, yet surprisingly enough, no one suffering from it showed any signs of illness... almost like a mental illness, in fact) , & I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Max's mother knitted his crusader tunic for him... the power of the movie is (besides the acting) the ideas that've been plaguing (pun) men since Adam, and for which there are no answers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5PKmoqGf7GGqa8 Ingmar Bergman interview on The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries & more kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX25fX6HbbOblaM

[@kurt11110]

TaichiStraightlife and the kitty at the beginning of the godfather

[@TaichiStraightlife]

@@kurt11110 I don't know... there's found objects, which is the actor's creativity, and then there's the script, which is the writer or director's creativity. For example, when the Godfather is shot, he pushes and scatters the oranges. That's a physical act, but I'm sure it was in the script, because oranges appear when death is immanent; that was probably Coppola... the kitty? And Julie's racing trophy example, and maybe the table from Streetcar? Probably in the script.

[@kurt11110]

TaichiStraightlife i read that the cat had been hanging around the set for a couple of days, and brando befriended it.

[@johnpoop5237]

Cavett looks more refined with age

[@blackbelttroll4008]

Loveletters stright from heart .......!

[@CailenCambeul]

AHHHH Speed. Finally. Thank you.

[@J_Braz_]

Giant was my favorite Dean movie. Hopper was also in it.

[@donna25871]

Plays the son.

[@kathrynj.hernandez8425]

Not enough of Dean in Giant tho. When they filmed him, he was absolutely breathtaking. And he stole Hudson's thunder big time.

[@wovokanarchy]

Hopper is always doing Clift.

[@Tmanaz480]

Did they ever work together?

[@ParkerPPipe]

It’s like someone gave James dean the power of now before it came out