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1-9 of 9
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Timothy Carey had one of the most unusual careers of all Hollywood character actors, obtaining full cult status for his portrayals of the doomed, the psychotic and the plain crazy. Carey's career was an "only in America" type of story, and he retains his status as a great American original many years after his death.
As a 22-year-old acting school graduate, Carey made his film debut in 1951, as a corpse in a Clark Gable western, but it was his brief, uncredited part as Chino's Boy #1, a member of Lee Marvin's motorcycle gang The Beetles in The Wild One (1953) which made an impression, and was a harbinger of the unsavory characters to come.
Prone to improvising, it was the fearless Carey who came up with the idea of squirting beer in Marlon Brando's face, even though the great methods actor himself had expressed reservations about what Carey was up to.
Carey registered the same year as the bordello bouncer who threatens James Dean in East of Eden (1955), making his face, if not his name (he was uncredited in both parts), known to the mass audience.
Carey followed this up with superb acting jobs in 2 Stanley Kubrick films; The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
In the former he played the sociopath, Nikki Arane, who 's contracted to shoot a race horse, which he does with great glee. In Paths of Glory (1957), Carey had an atypically sympathetic role as French soldier, Pvt. Ferol, unjustly condemned to be shot to atone for the stupidities of his generals during World War I. However, it was in Bayou (1957) in which Carey reached what must be considered good apex as an actor: as the psychotic Cajun Ulysses, he crafted an indelible performance that went beyond the acceptable limits of cinema scenery-chewing. He became Ulysses, on-screen, the mad Cajun who epitomized evil, his insanity perfectly encapsulated in the psychotic jig Carey danced to more fully limn his character's madness. This classic exploitation film was re-cut and re-released as "Poor White Trash" (1961), and became a grind house Gone with the Wind (1939), playing to crowds throughout the decade.
With these performances, Carey's career as a Hollywod heavy was established, though many directors saw the talent lurking within his physically forbidding, 6'4" frame. His former co-star Brando directed him in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (Brando's sole directorial effort), gunning down the shotgun-wielding heavy in the process. Francis Ford Coppola tried to hire him for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), but Carey was working on his own project during the shooting of the first classic, and turned down the opportunity to appear in the second. He did agree to appear in Coppola's The Conversation (1974), yet another classic, but walked off the set during filming. John Cassavetes gave him a prominent role in Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and cast him as the second lead in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976).
Carey's penchant for improvising (in the execution scene for Paths of Glory (1957), his character was supposed to remain silent, but Carey began moaning, I don't what to die,', and Kubrick kept it in the film) coupled with his eccentric behavior gave him a reputation as difficult to work with in the 1960s.
During that tumultuous decade, Carey spoofed his psycho screen image in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), playing South Dakota Slim, who - like villains of old flickers - straps the second female lead to a buzz saw. As the heavy Lord High-and-Low, he menaced The Monkees in the Jack Nicholson-penned Head (1968). Nicholson was one of his biggest fans.
Carey's greatest role was in a film he produced, wrote and directed himself, The World's Greatest Sinner (1962), in which he played a rock 'n roll-singing evangelist who, in a burst of hubris, names himself "God," runs for President and is struck down by God himself at the film's climax.
As Clarence Hilliard, the insurance salesman who drops out of straight society, starts his own evangelical religion (using rock 'n roll music played by himself and a band featuring a woman saxophone player to whip up the crowds and manipulate the masses) and eventually runs for president, Carey fully realised his talent, a grind house, exploitation circuit John Gielgud assaying his Hamlet.
Filmed fitfully between 1958- 61 for a total cost of approximately $100-thousand (the shooting was sporadic, as the production kept running out of money), it remains one of the most notorious works in grind house cinema--even Elvis Presley himself asked Carey for a copy! (Carey, always in character as the Jester, refused The King's request).
Carey's last film was Echo Park (1985). A favorite actor of cineaste/video store clerk Quentin Tarantino, he tested for the role of crime boss Joe Cabot in Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), but the tyro director didn't think he was right for the role. Instead, he cast Lawrence Tierney (equally great in the movie heavy and eccentricity departments) and dedicated the film to Carey.
Timothy Carey taught acting in his later years. This true American original died of a stroke on May 11, 1994, age of 65. He's sorely missed, as his like will not be seen again.- Actor
- Stunts
Romano Puppo was born on 25 March 1933 in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. He was an actor, known for Robowar (1988), Escape from the Bronx (1983) and Tough Guys (1974). He died on 11 May 1994 in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.- Micheline Kahn was born on 18 September 1949 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for La grotte aux fées (1972), The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973) and The Umbrella Coup (1980). She died on 11 May 1994 in Paris, France.
- Alfred Thomas was yet another black actor who made a career for himself in Rome. An instantly recognizable and highly sympathetic presence, he was active in cinema, television, theater and even photo comics from at least the late 1950s and up until the mid 1980s. He often appeared in several westerns and peplums, and was especially active in the jungle adventures which were popular in the 1960s. He was also a singer and musician, something which was occasionally reflected in the roles he played. As with most black actors working in Italian cinema, the majority of Thomas' roles were uncredited.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Henri Guisol was born on 12 October 1904 in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was an actor, known for The Story of the Count of Monte Cristo (1961), Bed for Two (1950) and Meurtre en 45 tours (1960). He was married to Marthe Alycia. He died on 11 May 1994 in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France.- Wick Ederveen was born on 24 June 1953 in Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for Medisch Centrum West (1988), Romeo (1990) and Op leven en dood (1991). He died on 11 May 1994.
- Animation Department
- Director
- Art Department
Nikolay Petrovich Fyodorov is Soviet animator, screenwriter. In 1934 he graduated from courses at the magazine "Crocodile". Since 1934 he worked in the 5th Mosfilm studio as a phase artist, since 1935 he was an animator and phase operator in an experimental studio at the Main Directorate of the Film and Photo Industry (GUKF), directed by Viktor Smirnov, since 1936 - Soyuzmultfilm. Member of World War II. Fyodorov led a group of combined shootings of Soyuzmultfilm, was a member of the research group for the development of cartoon machine (1951), and was a member of the artistic council. In 1957 he made his debut as a director, made hand-drawn films, worked mainly with production designer Mariya Rudachenko. From 1980 - retired, until 1986 he worked at Soyuzmultfilm as an animator under contracts.- András Tarján was born on 19 January 1933 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Gyula vitéz télen-nyáron (1970). He died on 11 May 1994 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Leonard Friedman was born on 11 December 1930 in London, Greater London, England, UK. He died on 11 May 1994 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.