193 thoughts on “Marlon Brando Movies”

1. Most of what Brando said was clear to me and the “mumbling’ accusation arose when he broke through and changed American acting forever by among other things speaking in a fashion that suited the characters he was playing – Shakespearian dialogue for his Oscar-nominated Antony in Julius Caesar for example

   Filmgoers and critics had hitherto been used – invariably -to the cultured speech of Al Leach and Olivier; the western drawls of Jimmy Stewart and The Duke; the gangster slang of Bogie and Cagney.

   However the slob Stanley in Streetcar would not have talked like Grant or Olivier; The Wild One would not have used a western drawl; and Waterfront labourer Terry Malloy would not have spoken in the clipped confident tones of Burt and Kirk. Hence Brando was considered to be mumbling by those not used to a major star varying his speech in movies and talking colloquially.

   When he played Don Corleone he DID though speak like a gangster and it earned him the 3rd spot listed above – not to mention an Academy Award as did the contender speech!

   Is it not ironic though that 2 of the top 3 quotes on the prestigious AFI list come from Brando “the mumbler”; and no 45 on the list is “StelaHHHHH Hey StelaHHHHH from Brando in Streetcar!” – so what should we takeaway from THAT?”

   In my view it is: listen to what your own ears tell you as it is human instinct to go with conventional wisdom which can often be wrong.

   Above all don’t listen to Hirsch-types who appoint themselves as experts but who are just going with the perceived flow and often parroting old incorrect myths. I beleive in quoting relevant examples and not makin sweeping statements like Joel and his ilk often do.

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   1. Hey Bob… When I read that title…I thought…I wonder if they are going to mention Brando in the article. It did not take long. You make good points….and I will say I agree with them. As for Hardy….I was in theaters watching The Dark Knight….and I could not understand what he was saying at all. I do not put that down as mumbling…just poor choice of costume.

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2. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/speak-tom-hardy-mumblecore-took-060000870.html

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   1. “Icouldabeenacontender” was perfectly clearly heard by audiences Indeed how could it have been mumbling when it is ranked 2nd in the American Film Institute’s Greatest movie quotes of all time, the top 6 being:

      1/GWTW 1939 “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn!” [The King as Rhett Butler]

      2/ON THE WATERFRONT 1954 “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could have been somebody, instead of a bum ,which is what I am.” [Brando as Terry Malloy]

      3/THE GODFATHER 1972 “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” [Brando again as Don Corleone]

      4/THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939 “Toto I’ve a feeling we’re not in Virginia anymore.” [JUDY as DOROTHY]

      5/CASABLANCA 1942 “Here’s looking at you kid.” [Bogie as Rick]

      6/SUDDEN IMPACT 1983 “Go ahead, make my day!” [Clint as Dirty Harry]

      Of the top 6 the Waterfront quote is the longest and was obviously clear to audiences or it wouldn’t have been so often repeated and mimicked. DeNiro as Jake LaMotta recited it word for word [without swearing!] in 1980s Raging Work Horse.

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3. 1/When Huston spoke of the quality of Brando’s performance in Reflections and how he, John, could never do better though others might, he was being interviewed for television bizarrely lying naked in a hot tub and smoking one of his trademark cigars.

   2/Those who, like John himself, admired Brando’s Reflections performance tend to especially highlight 2 scenes: the monologue that his Major Penderton gives on the value and power of leadership; and Pendertons’ preening himself in a mirror and if I recall correctly practicing smiles . Via these scenes, the admiring critics argue, Brando was demonstrating that in reality Penderton was a pseudo “little Martinet”. ***

   3/Certain health authorities who teach unfortunate deaf and/or dumb citizens to communicate with others are said to use videos from some of Brando’s films because via Marlon’s silent gestures and expressions [referred to by Burton in his diaries] the afflicted pupils are able to learn for themselves a silent way of communicating their own meanings.

   Anyone wishing to see a prime example of this is advised to watch the cat scene at the start of Godpop where Marlon has the cat on his lap and stokes it so that its purring chimes with the particular rhythm of his own voice, Brando’s hand-gestures demonstrating how easily a Mafia chieftain like Don Corleone can exercise power over other beings. The facial expressions of Brando’s Paul in the scene in Last Tango where he rants over the body of his dead wife is another masterclass in ‘silent screen’ acting.

   ***Jean Martinet (died 1672) was a French lieutenant-colonel and Inspector General, and one of the first great drill masters of modern times. Martinet served during the reign of Louis XIV and made way to French conquest in the Holy Roman Empire. He was a severe drillmaster, which made him unpopular among his troops. Martinet revolutionized the early modern army by instituting a standardized system capable of turning raw recruits into a disciplined fighting force, thereby eliminating the mercenaries and soldiers-of-fortune who had been the mainstays of earlier armies.

   To be fair therefore it is probable that many critics who were not broader historians such as, say, maybe Joel Hirschhorn (who was foremost among Brando’s critics) were not aware of the chance that in Pendleton’s mind HE was another Jean Martinet. Lord Olivier reviewing Brando’s Napoleon was able to identify how Marlon brought out in his characterisation the “little poseur” that Nappy alleged was. That though is another detail which might well have passed over critics like Joel as Brando’s Napoleon was another performance that Hirsch savagely attacked.

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   1. Hey Bob….just looked up Brando in Joel’s classic book Rating The Movie Stars…he gave Marlon 3 stars for Reflections….so you and Joel are standing side by side and arm in arm with this movie. That makes “me heart warm”…that was said in my best Irish accent….lol.

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      1. Joel and I agreeing on a Brando performance! Can’t have that. It is parallel universe stuff.

         Dammit I am now gotta have to sit up all night watching it again and pick as many holes in that performance as I can to see if I can beat it down to just 1 star !!!

         By the way I see that your sources give Reflections a 63% rating which makes the movie “good” under your own general measurement criteria. So it seems that among all of us the views are very much a mixed bag.

         Flora is like my father was: she doesn’t seem to like Marlon in anything so there is no point in asking her for a tie-breaker. Ah well she and I agree on Greg, Glenn and Widmark – and we even agree that Royal and Greg are not lookalikes-so I can’t have everyhting.

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         1. Hey Bob….you know it feels good to stand beside Joel….lol. My review is just my opinion….which was designed not to influence the ratings…..63% is solid but far from stellar. Good stuff.

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4. “Confuses he say it is not great art if it does not provoke controversy and differing opinions. In the absence of that – if everything heaped upon it is praise -it is usually sycophancy or idolatry such as a pop star with limited real technical singing ability might enjoy because of his sex appeal. REAL art though will always lend itself to vigorous dissection and some very strong conflicting appraisals.”

   I first came across that way back in 1963 when I was serving with the British Royal Air Force and keeping the world safer than Arnie or Sly could keep it in their films. I quickly jotted it down in my diary aboard an aircraft but in my haste forgot to note down who said it. The Work Horse’s appraisal of Reflections reminded me of that dear old quote of yesteryear so I managed to fish out again.

   I am never very good at interpreting the deeper thoughts of wiser heads than my own -it’s ALWAYS very clear to me what Hirsch was saying – but I think that what the author above is saying is, if we can relate it to our own passion for movies, that if you like one Abbott and Costello you will like them all and vice versa. [I am in the vice versa club].

   It must be remembered that some movies don’t date well. For example whilst the new wave of acting that Brando brought in lives on today via the likes of DeNiro and Pacino -if there had been no Brando there would have been no Anthony Hopkins one historian said and Sir Anthony himself has agreed in public statements- the screwball comedies of the classic era were very repetitive and audiences today wouldn’t be interested in them.

   Historically they were a euphemistic titillation for audiences whom the notorious Hays Office wouldn’t let see or hear sex on the screen and today’s audiences want the “real thing”. Cary Grant’s reputation has survived though because he transcended the genre by being able to do other things on screen –“A Great actor” opined legendary Italian actor/Director Vittorio De Sica.

   From 1953 until 1978 Richard Burton received an awesome 7 Academy Award nominations and one of them was for 1964’s Becket. Yet on TV I saw him give an interview in which he pointed out his own perception of the serious flaws in that performance, actually used the term “bad acting” and mentioned how he thought some actors could have done it better.

   So clearly he did not see ANY performance being set in stone and felt it could be interpreted in different ways. Hence Huston put Brando’s performance in Reflections above even the great ones he wrung from Bogie.

   As John during his lifetime and career bult up enormous artistic capital in Tinseltown I think that we should at least respect his opinion even if we do not agree with it.

   Let’s though leave the last words to Richard Burton [which I think were in his famous diaries] “With the power of his facial expressions and physical gestures Brando would have been the greatest silent actor ever if he had been about in the silent era of movies.”

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   1. One might have to ask is John Huston biased when it comes to Brando’s performance in Golden….he did direct that one….so that is one of his “movie children”….which a good parent loves all their children.

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      1. HI BRUCE

         Fair point: Orson Welles for example designated his mate Joe Cotton “America’s Greatest Actor” and Joe returned the favour by calling Welles “The Boy Wonder”!

         However I would have thought that John had a greater affinity with Bogie than with The Great Mumbler so that if bias had come into it John would have gone for one of Bogie’s classic performances.

         By the way I have done a longer, separate reply to you but it was marked spam ???

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         1. I will check out that Spam comment.

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5. Diverse General Comments:

   1/Brando was named the fourth greatest male star whose screen debut occurred before or during 1950 by the American Film Institute;[ he was one of just 6 actors listed in TIME magazine’s Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century from all walks of fame in all walks of life; and he was also named one of the top 10 “Icons of the Century” by Variety magazine along with the likes of Elvis, Sinatra, Bogart, Monroe and Chaplin.

   2/”Who’s the greatest actor in America you ask? BUD – when he wants to be.” Henry Fonda. NOTE: Bud was Brando’s nickname.

   3/” Because he takes way-out chances Brando has at times made some bummers, that’s true. But when he’s on song he’ll hit the moon and you just know that nobody else will be able to give THAT great performance!” Jack Lemmon

   4/”There is before Brando and there is after Brando. THAT’s it! HE is the marker. I used to lie awake at night wondering when he might next appear and in what new guise.” Martin Scorsese.

   5/”What do I think of him now he’s gone? I loved him – and there will never be his like again!” Elizabeth Taylor

   6/”When I first saw him on stage in Streetcar -and I was one of the earliest to see him perform though I don’t claimed to have “discovered” him– I didn’t know who he was but I immediately knew that I was watching someone very special.” Maureen O’Hara

   7/”Everybody has their own favourite actor. Mine is, I suppose, Marlon Brando.” Yul Brynner

   8/”Brando dimmed the lustre of virtually every other recognised great actor before him. Even Frederic March became antiquated; and in fact [leaving aside the more theatrically-orientated Laurence Oliver] only Spencer Tracy’s reputation has survived Brando.” Wikipedia.

   9/”I, it is true, have been very successful – but Brando and Elizabeth are in a different league as great Hollywood stars.” Richard Burton. NOTE Burton and Lee Marvin were both initially considered for the Brando role in Reflections in a Golden Eye but it was decided that Richard and Liz had made too many films together and indeed more were in the pipeline.

   10/Now that he has passed-on America will miss Marlon Brando – President George W Bush 2 July 2004.

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   1. Despite Joel and other comments I have made in the future….I have not thought Mr. Marlon Brando was overrated….he is one of the all-time greats. Good stuff as always.

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