30 thoughts on “Dennis Hopper Movies”

1. Dennis Hopper was the # 63 most connected actor of the 1990’s, and the # 93 most connected of the 1980’s.

   Reply

2. work has been brutal. I miss UMR and all UMR commenters. I saw 17, including top 13. 10s and favorites: hoosiers, speed, true grit(the duke, duval), cool hand luke, apocalypse now(not revised directors cut).. 10 not favorite: giant. 9s not favorites rebel without a cause, blue velvet(too weird to ever recommend). noted 8s: waterworld(hated first viewing but it grew on me with my undying appreciation of Costner) , easy rider(I saw a dozen times at midnight show only because I was stoned and it was the only show in town). sayonara a 6 (hated it, hated brandos accent, incredible dark, anti military).

   Reply

   1. Hey bob cox….we have missed your contributions as well. Your tally is pretty stout. Lots of 10s for Mr. Hopper. I think many people think the same way about Waterworld. Funny about Easy Rider….maybe you have to be impaired to enjoy that one. Good feedback. Sorry work has been so brutal. Glad to hear from you again.

      Reply

3. Thanks for your reply. I mentioned how one film historian reckoned that more “rubbish” had been written about Brando than probably any other performer. The following is an example of what the historian meant.

   O’Toole became the definitive Lawrence of Arabia but Brando was first considered for the part and although it never came to pass David Lean met him in a swanky LA restaurant to discuss possible signing. Lean told him in advance that Lawrence was a chameleon who could blend in with the desert so that he went unseen by his enemies and as Brando had usually been a “stage centre” guy in his movies he should be prepared to convince Lean that he could create on the screen the aura of one who could “hide in plain sight”.

   Lean duly turned up for the appointment and waited in the lobby but even after half an hour there was no sign of Brando. Lean decided to give it another 10 minutes and then go if Marlon didn’t show. Feeling tired David leaned [no pun!] against a wall just behind him to rest himself and was startled when the wall seemed to move. Turning round David was stunned to see Brando standing there smiling at him. Marlon had been there the whole half hour that David was and had disguised himself as part of the wall to demonstrate his credentials to play the great desert chameleon!

   If that nonsense had been true Marlon might well have turned in a performance that for once even Joel would have praised. As it was that article was written by a serious journalist in a prestigious film magazine of the time.

   A naïve 20 year old as I was I thought the story ridiculous but I’m sure there would have been those who believed it. Indeed if it were written today about Jason Statham there are those on this site – I will not “out” them but they know who they are! – who would most likely accept that Statham was the type of guy who could do such amazing things.

   Reply

   1. Hey Bob…another interesting story about Brando. Sounds like something that might be based on some truth (a meeting, Brando was late) and some fiction (disguised as a wall). Though Brando was starting to slide….at the time of Lawrence…thinking Brando had enough clout to still get most jobs. As difficult as he was to work with sometimes…I think he and Lean might have killed each other in the desert of Lawrence of Arabia. Good stuff as always.

      Reply

      1. I agree with everything you say except I don’t think Brando’s 1960s decline enters into the equation. You must remember that shooting of Lawrence started on 15 May 1961. [By the way my birthday is 15 May so wouldn’t it have had personal Dan-like significance for me if Marlon HAD started filming Lawrence on my birthday?!]

         Brando’s first three 60s films were Fugitive Kind, One Eyed Jacks and Mutiny on the Bounty. The first of those turned a SMALL profit and indeed has a Cogerson adjusted domestic gross of about $71 million. Jason Statham’s average adjusted domestic gross is approx. $58 million and films are much more expensive to make nowadays. For example a Greta Garbo movie, 1929’’s The Kiss, with an adjusted Cogerson domestic gross of just $42 million and a worldwide one of $74 million was able to turn a “significant” profit back in its day according to Wikipedia. As Cogerson records prior to Fugitive Kind Brando’s 11 1950s films sold a whopping 200 million tickets.

         The other two Brando early 60s films, Jacks and Bounty, were released in the States on 31 March 1961 and 8 Nov 1962 respectively so that their box office returns and critical reception would not have been known when in early 1961 Lean was offering Marlon the part of Lawrence.

         Indeed (1) at that juncture Marlon was able to “dine out” on his massive commercial & critical success in the 50s which as you put it he “owned” (2) although he did not make a movie in 1961, Quigley nevertheless ranked him as the 21st most popular movie star in America that year (3) for Mutiny on the Bounty released just a bare month before Lawrence Marlon received a unique mega salary – see Part 2 (4)and film historians define his period of decline as 1963 [2 years after the Lawrence contract negotiations] until 1971.

         In short at the turn of the 1960s nobody could have dreamt that Brando would have such a severe decline that decade so I can’t really let you get away with going all the way in “out-Brandoing” me about Brando!! However your implication about him still being able to write his own ticket is astute see Part 2

         Reply

         1. BRUCE

            Still being hit with spammer accusations when I try to submit posts .

            Part 1 of a Brando post didn’t go through yesterday but Part 2 did.

            This morning to have them situated together I tried to resubmit both of them but this time Part 1 went through and Part 2 didn’t!

            As it is, now Part 2 is on Brando’s page and Part 1 on Dennis Hopper’s page. Marlon wouldn’t have liked a Hopper page of all pages sharing in posts meant for a Mumbles page!

            Reply

4. I have seen 10 Dennis Hopper movies. Seven of these are in the top 10.I have not seen any of his bad films.

   The HIGHEST rated movie I have seen is Apocalypse Now.

   The highest rated movie I have NOT seen is Speed.

   The LOWEST rated movie I have seen is Basquiat.

   Favourite Dennis Hopper Movies:

   Gunfight at the OK Corral
   Cool Hand Luke
   Giant
   Apocalypse Now (saw for Martin Sheen)
   Rebel Without a Cause

   Other Dennis Hopper Movies I Have Seen:

   Easy Rider
   True Grit
   Hang em High
   Rumble Fish
   Basquiat

   Reply

   1. Hey Flora. Thanks for the thoughts on Dennis Hopper and his massive movie career. I have seen 9 of the 10 you have seen. I have not seen Basquiat…or if I did….I have no memory of the movie at all….lol. Of your favorites….3 from the 1950s, 1 each from the 1960s and 1970s. Martin Sheen was in Apocalypse Now….I thought that was a Harrison Ford movie….lol. By my rules….I should have not included Rebel Without A Cause…but it is such a classic movie….and I always notice Hopper when I see it, that I had to include it. No Speed for you? That is a classic action movie. I really like it….I would probably love it, if it had a better ending. They decided to tack on one more massive action sequence after they get off the bus….it almost seems anti-climatic. Good feedback.

      Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.