The very first winner of the Palme d’Or in 1955 was future Best Picture Oscar winner Marty, which starred Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair as two lonely middle-age adults beginning a tentative relationship in search of love. Before it was called the Palme d’Or, the top Cannes prize known then as the Grand Prix, went in 1946 at the festival’s beginning to David Lean’s Brief Encounter, also the story of two adults who meet by chance and get together.
Both of those Cannes Classics have something inherently in common with Aki Kaurismaki’s wonderful, wryly funny, and poignant new film, Fallen Leaves, which premiered today at Cannes, the latest Competition entry for the master Finnish filmmaker who was last in the run for the Palme d’Or with 2011’s equally great Le Havre. Despite several Eumenical prizes at the fest over the years, Kaurismaki only came close to...
Both of those Cannes Classics have something inherently in common with Aki Kaurismaki’s wonderful, wryly funny, and poignant new film, Fallen Leaves, which premiered today at Cannes, the latest Competition entry for the master Finnish filmmaker who was last in the run for the Palme d’Or with 2011’s equally great Le Havre. Despite several Eumenical prizes at the fest over the years, Kaurismaki only came close to...
- 5/22/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we take a look at an Oscars category from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winner stands the test of time.)
Hollywood cinema of the 1950s was somewhat similar to today's film landscape. This decade was the first where movies truly had to compete with television, as they became incredibly prevalent in American households. What could the movies do to get people out of their houses and head to their local cinemas? Spectacle. You had sword and sandal epics, lavish Technicolor musicals, and the advent of CinemaScope showcasing a scope and scale that you weren't going to get on your small, black-and-white television.
The box office was burning up with the likes of "Samson and Delilah," "Quo Vadis," "The Ten Commandments," and "South Pacific." As opposed to today, these massive blockbuster successes didn't just rake in all the money. They received piles of Academy Awards.
Hollywood cinema of the 1950s was somewhat similar to today's film landscape. This decade was the first where movies truly had to compete with television, as they became incredibly prevalent in American households. What could the movies do to get people out of their houses and head to their local cinemas? Spectacle. You had sword and sandal epics, lavish Technicolor musicals, and the advent of CinemaScope showcasing a scope and scale that you weren't going to get on your small, black-and-white television.
The box office was burning up with the likes of "Samson and Delilah," "Quo Vadis," "The Ten Commandments," and "South Pacific." As opposed to today, these massive blockbuster successes didn't just rake in all the money. They received piles of Academy Awards.
- 12/1/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Much has been made about the stunning decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to shelve the 90 million-dollar DC superhero film "Batgirl" ahead of its anticipated debut on HBO Max. As it stands, the newly-minted powers that be at the studio (including CEO David Zaslav) saw fit to use a "purchase accounting" maneuver to write off the movie and not carry the losses in a limited-timeframe tax loophole. While reports on whether the film tested well or not have been mixed, the move stands as a stain on the Warners reputation and will surely put talent off of working with the studio knowing their creative efforts might never see the light of day.
Dumping a film from release permanently is a rare move by major studios, although not unheard of. In 2007 director Beeban Kidron ("Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason") began shooting the British counterculture drama "Hippie Hippie Shake" starring Cillian Murphy...
Dumping a film from release permanently is a rare move by major studios, although not unheard of. In 2007 director Beeban Kidron ("Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason") began shooting the British counterculture drama "Hippie Hippie Shake" starring Cillian Murphy...
- 9/2/2022
- by Max Evry
- Slash Film
Humble Marty Piletti finally gets to home video in its proper widescreen format. Paddy Chayefsky’s TV play-turned theatrical feature really shines in Kino’s new 4K remaster. The performances of Betsy Blair and especially Ernest Borgnine provide the gentle magic, as non-glamorous Bronx-ites learn that two lonely people can find romance. It’s a winning formula and a thoughtful meditation on social reality in the pursuit of happiness. With a new audio commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry.
Marty
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1955 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen + 1:37 flat open matte / 90 94 min. / Special Edition / Street Date July 19, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell, Esther Minciotti, August Ciolli, Karen Steele, Jerry Paris, Frank Sutton, James Bell, Jack Klugman.
Cinematography: Joseph Lashelle
Art Directors: Ted Haworth, Walter Simonds
Editing Supervisor: Alan Crosland Jr.
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Paddy Chayefsky from his teleplay
Produced by Harold Hecht,...
Marty
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1955 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen + 1:37 flat open matte / 90 94 min. / Special Edition / Street Date July 19, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell, Esther Minciotti, August Ciolli, Karen Steele, Jerry Paris, Frank Sutton, James Bell, Jack Klugman.
Cinematography: Joseph Lashelle
Art Directors: Ted Haworth, Walter Simonds
Editing Supervisor: Alan Crosland Jr.
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Paddy Chayefsky from his teleplay
Produced by Harold Hecht,...
- 7/12/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ernest Borgnine made his mark in films playing the archetypal bully before performing an abrupt about-face in 1955’s Marty, Delbert Mann’s surprise hit about a sweet-natured but shy shopkeeper. Oscars went to Borgnine, Mann, the movie itself, and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. As Marty’s equally awkward sweetheart, Betsy Blair won the British Academy Award for Best Actress.
The post Marty appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Marty appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 3/23/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Ernest Borgnine would’ve celebrated his 103rd birthday on January 24, 2020. The Oscar-winning actor kept working up until his death in 2012 at the age of 95, racking up over 200 credits across film and television. But how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of Borgnine’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1917, Borgnine turned to acting after a stint in the Navy. Though he was often cast as a supporting player, he is perhaps best remembered for his leading role in “Marty” (1955), a small-scale drama about a middle-aged butcher who finds romance with a spinster school teacher (Betsy Blair). Shot on a modest budget in just 16 days, the film was a box office smash, winning four Oscars including Best Actor for Borgnine, Best Picture, Best Director for Delbert Mann, and Best Screenplay for Paddy Chayefsky (who adapted the script...
Born in 1917, Borgnine turned to acting after a stint in the Navy. Though he was often cast as a supporting player, he is perhaps best remembered for his leading role in “Marty” (1955), a small-scale drama about a middle-aged butcher who finds romance with a spinster school teacher (Betsy Blair). Shot on a modest budget in just 16 days, the film was a box office smash, winning four Oscars including Best Actor for Borgnine, Best Picture, Best Director for Delbert Mann, and Best Screenplay for Paddy Chayefsky (who adapted the script...
- 2/20/2020
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Hollywood takes a hard look at the mundane horrors of mental asylums, and Olivia de Havilland scores another career high with her portrayal of a housewife experiencing a nervous breakdown. Some people found the show scary and a few felt it was tasteless, but Ms. de Havilland’s performance is riveting, 71 years later. Anatole Litvak’s intense direction makes good use of expressionistic visual devices, without veering into dippy Salvador Dalí psycho-surrealism.
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
The Snake Pit
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1948 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date April 22, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £15.99
Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi, Lee Patrick, Natalie Schafer, Ruth Donnelly, Katherine Locke, Minna Gombell, Ann Doran, Jacqueline deWit, Betsy Blair, Queenie Smith, Virginia Brissac, Marie Blake, Isabel Jewell, Celia Lovsky, Mae Marsh, Doro Merande, Mary Newton, Inez Palange, Mary Treen, Minerva Urecal.
Cinematography:...
- 6/1/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ernest Borgnine would’ve celebrated his 102nd birthday on January 24, 2019. The Oscar-winning actor kept working up until his death in 2012 at the age of 95, racking up over 200 credits across film and television. But how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of Borgnine’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
Born in 1917, Borgnine turned to acting after a stint in the Navy. Though he was often cast as a supporting player, he is perhaps best remembered for his leading role in “Marty” (1955), a small-scale drama about a middle-aged butcher who finds romance with a spinster school teacher (Betsy Blair). Shot on a modest budget in just 16 days, the film was a box office smash, winning four Oscars including Best Actor for Borgnine, Best Picture, Best Director for Delbert Mann,...
SEEOscar Best Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
Born in 1917, Borgnine turned to acting after a stint in the Navy. Though he was often cast as a supporting player, he is perhaps best remembered for his leading role in “Marty” (1955), a small-scale drama about a middle-aged butcher who finds romance with a spinster school teacher (Betsy Blair). Shot on a modest budget in just 16 days, the film was a box office smash, winning four Oscars including Best Actor for Borgnine, Best Picture, Best Director for Delbert Mann,...
- 1/24/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Updated: Following a couple of Julie London Westerns*, Turner Classic Movies will return to its July 2017 Star of the Month presentations. On July 27, Ronald Colman can be seen in five films from his later years: A Double Life, Random Harvest (1942), The Talk of the Town (1942), The Late George Apley (1947), and The Story of Mankind (1957). The first three titles are among the most important in Colman's long film career. George Cukor's A Double Life earned him his one and only Best Actor Oscar; Mervyn LeRoy's Random Harvest earned him his second Best Actor Oscar nomination; George Stevens' The Talk of the Town was shortlisted for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. All three feature Ronald Colman at his very best. The early 21st century motto of international trendsetters, from Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and Turkey's Recep Erdogan to Russia's Vladimir Putin and the United States' Donald Trump, seems to be, The world is reality TV and reality TV...
- 7/28/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Costa-Gavras sets his focus on right-wing political terror in the American heartland, where FBI agent Debra Winger finds farmer Tom Berenger at the head of a clan of murderous white supremacists. Our friends and neighbors! Betrayed Blu-ray Olive Films 1988 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 127 min. / Street Date April 19, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring Debra Winger, Tom Berenger, John Heard, Betsy Blair, John Mahoney, Ted Levine, Jeffrey DeMunn, Albert Hall, David Clennon, Robert Swan, Richard Libertini. Cinematography Patrick Blossier Film Editor Joële Van Effenterre Original Music Bill Conti Written by Joe Eszterhas Produced by Irwin Winkler Directed by Costa-Gavras
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Filmmaker Cost-Gavras occupies a high roost where political activism is concerned. His most popular films 'Z', Stage of Siege, The Confession and Missing put strong values before wide audiences in the Nixon and Reagan years, when few major filmmakers would go near such touchy subjects. 1988's Betrayed is...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Filmmaker Cost-Gavras occupies a high roost where political activism is concerned. His most popular films 'Z', Stage of Siege, The Confession and Missing put strong values before wide audiences in the Nixon and Reagan years, when few major filmmakers would go near such touchy subjects. 1988's Betrayed is...
- 8/6/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Home is Where the Hacker Is: Shyamalan’s Return to Entertaining Cinema
In many ways, The Visit, the latest film from once celebrated M. Night Shyamalan, is praiseworthy considering this follows on the heels of two back-to-back cinematic abominations, The Last Airbender (2010) and After Earth (2013). In a similar vein to his earlier thrillers, the director revisits tight-knit family dynamics marred by domestic dramas and supernatural/sci-fi shadings, resulting in another of his famous ‘twists’ audiences seem to hold out for. Surprisingly, it’s a found footage film, and as many films in the subgenre, falls victim to the obvious artificial editing and a legion of conveniences that tend to distract rather than compel.
Though not quite a return to form, and never quite seizing the mounting dread its narrative tends to suggest, it certainly is Shyamalan’s most entertaining film in well over a decade, and he utilizes a simple scenario to pleasurable effect,...
In many ways, The Visit, the latest film from once celebrated M. Night Shyamalan, is praiseworthy considering this follows on the heels of two back-to-back cinematic abominations, The Last Airbender (2010) and After Earth (2013). In a similar vein to his earlier thrillers, the director revisits tight-knit family dynamics marred by domestic dramas and supernatural/sci-fi shadings, resulting in another of his famous ‘twists’ audiences seem to hold out for. Surprisingly, it’s a found footage film, and as many films in the subgenre, falls victim to the obvious artificial editing and a legion of conveniences that tend to distract rather than compel.
Though not quite a return to form, and never quite seizing the mounting dread its narrative tends to suggest, it certainly is Shyamalan’s most entertaining film in well over a decade, and he utilizes a simple scenario to pleasurable effect,...
- 9/10/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock heroine (image: Joseph Cotten about to strangle Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt') (See preceding article: "Teresa Wright Movies: Actress Made Oscar History.") After scoring with The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, and The Pride of the Yankees, Teresa Wright was loaned to Universal – once initial choices Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland became unavailable – to play the small-town heroine in Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. (Check out video below: Teresa Wright reminiscing about the making of Shadow of a Doubt.) Co-written by Thornton Wilder, whose Our Town had provided Wright with her first chance on Broadway and who had suggested her to Hitchcock; Meet Me in St. Louis and Junior Miss author Sally Benson; and Hitchcock's wife, Alma Reville, Shadow of a Doubt was based on "Uncle Charlie," a story outline by Gordon McDonell – itself based on actual events.
- 3/7/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Marie Dubois, actress in French New Wave films, dead at 77 (image: Marie Dubois in the mammoth blockbuster 'La Grande Vadrouille') Actress Marie Dubois, a popular French New Wave personality of the '60s and the leading lady in one of France's biggest box-office hits in history, died Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at a nursing home in Lescar, a suburb of the southwestern French town of Pau, not far from the Spanish border. Dubois, who had been living in the Pau area since 2010, was 77. For decades she had been battling multiple sclerosis, which later in life had her confined to a wheelchair. Born Claudine Huzé (Claudine Lucie Pauline Huzé according to some online sources) on January 12, 1937, in Paris, the blue-eyed, blonde Marie Dubois began her show business career on stage, being featured in plays such as Molière's The Misanthrope and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. François Truffaut discovery: 'Shoot the...
- 10/17/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"Under the Skin"
What's It About? That's a very good question. Scarlett Johansson plays a mysterious woman who drives around the Scottish countryside looking for male hitchhikers. To reveal more would be a disservice to the movie... and difficult, since this atmospheric science-fiction film is open to interpretation.
Why We're In: Director Jonathan Glazer's very, very loose adaptation of the Michel Faber novel is disturbing and sexy. Plus, they used hidden cameras to film Johansson luring clueless hitchhikers into her big white van.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Scanners" (Criterion)
What's It About? "Scanners" are humans with special telepathic gifts, and the giant corporation ConSec wants to use them for their own nefarious purposes. It becomes a gruesome war of the scanners when one gang decides to go rogue.
Why We're In: David Cronenberg's most famous head-popping horror movie finally gets the Criterion treatment.
"Under the Skin"
What's It About? That's a very good question. Scarlett Johansson plays a mysterious woman who drives around the Scottish countryside looking for male hitchhikers. To reveal more would be a disservice to the movie... and difficult, since this atmospheric science-fiction film is open to interpretation.
Why We're In: Director Jonathan Glazer's very, very loose adaptation of the Michel Faber novel is disturbing and sexy. Plus, they used hidden cameras to film Johansson luring clueless hitchhikers into her big white van.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Scanners" (Criterion)
What's It About? "Scanners" are humans with special telepathic gifts, and the giant corporation ConSec wants to use them for their own nefarious purposes. It becomes a gruesome war of the scanners when one gang decides to go rogue.
Why We're In: David Cronenberg's most famous head-popping horror movie finally gets the Criterion treatment.
- 7/15/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
For some of the oldsters out there they may recall the 1973 Gamble & Huff-produced R&B hit single “I’ll Always Love My Mama” by the musical group The Intruders. This musical anthem was certainly a lyrical tribute to caring mothers and how their sacrifices shaped our childhood and adulthood. This finger-snapping song definitely captured the spirit of motherly guidance.
Naturally film has had its share of depicting motherhood over the decades. In fact, mothers of all types are presented before our eyes in packages of being nurturing, notorious, nutty, naive and nonsensical. However, there is something so special about the mother-son relationship that rivals the father-daughter dynamic. We have our share of proud Mama’s boys out there roaming about in society.
In Mama’s Boy: The Top 10 Mother-Son Combos in Movies we will examine some of the big screen bonds that have been celebrated between the Mommy Dearests...
Naturally film has had its share of depicting motherhood over the decades. In fact, mothers of all types are presented before our eyes in packages of being nurturing, notorious, nutty, naive and nonsensical. However, there is something so special about the mother-son relationship that rivals the father-daughter dynamic. We have our share of proud Mama’s boys out there roaming about in society.
In Mama’s Boy: The Top 10 Mother-Son Combos in Movies we will examine some of the big screen bonds that have been celebrated between the Mommy Dearests...
- 7/7/2014
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
Andy Griffith and Ernest Borgnine were early, trend-setting examples of stars who made the transition from movies to television, often (in Borgnine’s case) oscillating between them. And because they both jumped mediums, Griffith and Borgnine, who died within a week of each other (Griffith on July 3, Borgnine on July 8), had fans of every phase of their career who didn’t necessarily overlap. Yet during this last week or so, as I thought back over the many, many decades of pleasure that both these actors had given us, I kept returning to what were, for me, their two greatest performances.
- 7/18/2012
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Ernest Borgnine, the rugged, stocky actor with a brassy voice and the face of the local butcher, died today in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of renal failure. He was 95.
Borgnine was known for playing characters both brutal and gentle. On the brutal side was the cruel Sgt. "Fatso" Judson in From Here to Eternity, Coley Trimble, the right-hand goon in Bad Day at Black Rock, Dutch Engstrom, in the enduring classic The Wild Bunch and Shack, the train bull after Lee Marvin in Emperor of the North. On the gentle side he was known as the love-lorn Marty in the 1955 film of the same name (for which he earned an Oscar for Best Actor), Lt. Commander Quinton McHale from "McHale's Navy," Rogo, the cop with the prostitute-wife in The Poseidon Adventure and, to a whole new generation, as the voice of the starfish-donning, geriatric Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants."
A first generation American Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917, in Hamden, Connecticut. His father was Camillo (later Charles) Borgnino of Ottiglio, in northern Italy and his mother was Anna Bosselli, from Capri, Italy.
Borgnine showed no real interest in acting until well after a ten-year stint in the Navy. He was 32 when his mother suggested that he become an actor, observing "you like to make a fool of yourself in front of other people" so Ernie enrolled in the Randall School of Drama in Hartford and then moved to Abingdon, Virginia for Robert Porterfield's famous Barter Theatre.
Times were lean for Borgnine. He had married for the first time and moved from the Barter to New York, quickly getting noticed for his role as a male nurse in a Broadway production of "Harvey" but he soon moved back to the Barter school again. He then returned to New York but the nascent medium of television, not the stage, sustained him for a while. Borgnine prided himself on not being picky. His original TV work included a stint in the action serial "Captain Video and His Video Rangers." He was noticed by Delbert Mann, himself a budding director, who encouraged Borgnine and gave him small roles.
Borgnine's true break came when he moved to Los Angeles and landed the role of Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in Eternity, a smash hit that, in addition to launching Borgnine's helped reinvigorate numerous careers including Frank Sinatra's and Deborah Kerr's. He played the bad guy again, though one of the goons this time, in Johnny Guitar. Borgnine then parlayed his new-found notoriety with the lead in a screenplay written by Paddy Chayefsky, that of Marty, in the film of the same name, slated to be directed by his mentor, Delbert Mann. The story was about an underdog named Marty, a self-avowed ugly man, who has to evolve beyond his dedication to his overbearing mother and his bonds with his best friend, when he falls in love with Clara, a woman who is also unpopular and unattractive, played by Betsy Blair.
Marty was a surprise hit, was nominated for eight Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Director for Mann) and won four, including Borgnine's unexpected win over a very crowded field which included his co-star in Bad Day at Black Rock,Spencer Tracy, and a posthumous nod to James Dean (who had died the previous September in a car crash) for his role in East of Eden.
The Oscar helped keep the actor in the game and the next seven years included a mix of TV and film work including A Catered Affair, Jubal, The Vikings and various "Playhouse" appearances on the small screen.
1962 brought "McHale's Navy," with Borgnine assaying the role of Lt. Commander Quinton McHale, the put-upon chief of PT boat 73. The cast included Joe Flynn and Tim Conway (Conway would, 35 years later, team up again with Borgnine as the voice of Mermaid Man's sidekick, Barnacle Boy, on "SpongeBob SquarePants"). "McHale's" had a healthy following for four years.
Borgnine had a mid-life Renaissance in the late '60s and early '70s. He played a small but pivotal role in The Dirty Dozen, was Boris Vaslov in Ice Station Zebra and was Dutch Engstrom, the taciturn but decisive bandit throwing in with Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch. He also joined the capsized cast of The Poseidon Adventure, played Shack, the train bull in The Emperor of the North Pole and was the simple-minded but helpful Cabbie in Escape from New York.
Borgnine was married five times. His second marriage was to the fiery actress Katy Jurado. It began in 1959 but was over four years later. Reports differ on when he met his third wife, Ethel Merman. She claimed it was in November of 1963, the same month that he was finalizing his divorce to Jurado. He insisted it wasn't until the next spring. Regardless they were married on June 24th, the following year. It lasted less than a month. In her autobiography entitled "Merman," the actress intimated that Borgnine was abusive stating, "I just feel lucky to have been able to 'walk' away from the marriage." She devoted an entire chapter to their union, entitled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine"--it consisted of one blank page.
His last marriage, to Tova Traesnaes, lasted over 35 years and until his death. Borgnine had four children: Gina Kemins-Borgnine, the child from his first marriage to Rhoda Kemins, and three from his fourth wife, Donna Rancourt, named Diana Rancourt-Borgnine (born December 29th 1970), Sharon (born 1965) and Cristofer (born 1969). Oddly, in his autobiography, "Ernie" Bornine only acknowledged the first three children, dropping Diana out entirely.
Borgnine was known for playing characters both brutal and gentle. On the brutal side was the cruel Sgt. "Fatso" Judson in From Here to Eternity, Coley Trimble, the right-hand goon in Bad Day at Black Rock, Dutch Engstrom, in the enduring classic The Wild Bunch and Shack, the train bull after Lee Marvin in Emperor of the North. On the gentle side he was known as the love-lorn Marty in the 1955 film of the same name (for which he earned an Oscar for Best Actor), Lt. Commander Quinton McHale from "McHale's Navy," Rogo, the cop with the prostitute-wife in The Poseidon Adventure and, to a whole new generation, as the voice of the starfish-donning, geriatric Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants."
A first generation American Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917, in Hamden, Connecticut. His father was Camillo (later Charles) Borgnino of Ottiglio, in northern Italy and his mother was Anna Bosselli, from Capri, Italy.
Borgnine showed no real interest in acting until well after a ten-year stint in the Navy. He was 32 when his mother suggested that he become an actor, observing "you like to make a fool of yourself in front of other people" so Ernie enrolled in the Randall School of Drama in Hartford and then moved to Abingdon, Virginia for Robert Porterfield's famous Barter Theatre.
Times were lean for Borgnine. He had married for the first time and moved from the Barter to New York, quickly getting noticed for his role as a male nurse in a Broadway production of "Harvey" but he soon moved back to the Barter school again. He then returned to New York but the nascent medium of television, not the stage, sustained him for a while. Borgnine prided himself on not being picky. His original TV work included a stint in the action serial "Captain Video and His Video Rangers." He was noticed by Delbert Mann, himself a budding director, who encouraged Borgnine and gave him small roles.
Borgnine's true break came when he moved to Los Angeles and landed the role of Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in Eternity, a smash hit that, in addition to launching Borgnine's helped reinvigorate numerous careers including Frank Sinatra's and Deborah Kerr's. He played the bad guy again, though one of the goons this time, in Johnny Guitar. Borgnine then parlayed his new-found notoriety with the lead in a screenplay written by Paddy Chayefsky, that of Marty, in the film of the same name, slated to be directed by his mentor, Delbert Mann. The story was about an underdog named Marty, a self-avowed ugly man, who has to evolve beyond his dedication to his overbearing mother and his bonds with his best friend, when he falls in love with Clara, a woman who is also unpopular and unattractive, played by Betsy Blair.
Marty was a surprise hit, was nominated for eight Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Director for Mann) and won four, including Borgnine's unexpected win over a very crowded field which included his co-star in Bad Day at Black Rock,Spencer Tracy, and a posthumous nod to James Dean (who had died the previous September in a car crash) for his role in East of Eden.
The Oscar helped keep the actor in the game and the next seven years included a mix of TV and film work including A Catered Affair, Jubal, The Vikings and various "Playhouse" appearances on the small screen.
1962 brought "McHale's Navy," with Borgnine assaying the role of Lt. Commander Quinton McHale, the put-upon chief of PT boat 73. The cast included Joe Flynn and Tim Conway (Conway would, 35 years later, team up again with Borgnine as the voice of Mermaid Man's sidekick, Barnacle Boy, on "SpongeBob SquarePants"). "McHale's" had a healthy following for four years.
Borgnine had a mid-life Renaissance in the late '60s and early '70s. He played a small but pivotal role in The Dirty Dozen, was Boris Vaslov in Ice Station Zebra and was Dutch Engstrom, the taciturn but decisive bandit throwing in with Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch. He also joined the capsized cast of The Poseidon Adventure, played Shack, the train bull in The Emperor of the North Pole and was the simple-minded but helpful Cabbie in Escape from New York.
Borgnine was married five times. His second marriage was to the fiery actress Katy Jurado. It began in 1959 but was over four years later. Reports differ on when he met his third wife, Ethel Merman. She claimed it was in November of 1963, the same month that he was finalizing his divorce to Jurado. He insisted it wasn't until the next spring. Regardless they were married on June 24th, the following year. It lasted less than a month. In her autobiography entitled "Merman," the actress intimated that Borgnine was abusive stating, "I just feel lucky to have been able to 'walk' away from the marriage." She devoted an entire chapter to their union, entitled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine"--it consisted of one blank page.
His last marriage, to Tova Traesnaes, lasted over 35 years and until his death. Borgnine had four children: Gina Kemins-Borgnine, the child from his first marriage to Rhoda Kemins, and three from his fourth wife, Donna Rancourt, named Diana Rancourt-Borgnine (born December 29th 1970), Sharon (born 1965) and Cristofer (born 1969). Oddly, in his autobiography, "Ernie" Bornine only acknowledged the first three children, dropping Diana out entirely.
- 7/8/2012
- IMDb News
Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Marty The intro to Ernest Borgnine's Life Achievement Award segment included a speech by Morgan Freeman and Tim Conway (of McHale's Navy), in addition to an interesting announcement by Burt Lancaster, made after Marty earned Borgnine the Best Actor Oscar. "I always enjoyed working as an actor," Borgnine told the media backstage. "… It's been a thing of joy for me whenever I'm working." Advise for young actors nominated tonight: "Keep studying." Borgnine says his success was due to his "learning about what life is all about … [Regarding a screenplay that says "two people fall in love" one has to know] what brings two people together." Borgnine added that as you learn, "The first thing you know you become more involved in the script and more involved in life itself. … You gotta make people understand. … There's a lot of people in the world who are [...]...
- 1/31/2011
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
At last week's Producers Guild of America Awards, Scott Rudin made history as the first producer to have two films nominated for the best picture award. Regardless of what happened that night, Rudin was already guaranteed to go home a winner; he had also been named the recipient of the 2011 David O. Selznick Achievement Award, which celebrates a producer's body of work. And an impressive body at that: He was nominated that evening for 'True Grit' and 'The Social Network,' his 73rd and 74th films as a producer, both of which have since earned several Oscar nominations, including for best picture. Rudin's accomplishments are as legendary as his reputation; it's not hard to find stories about Rudin's temper and treatment of employees that run the gamut from terrifying to hilarious. But nobody questions his results. In a lengthy career that began as a teenager assisting theater...
- 1/25/2011
- backstage.com
Turner Classic Movies has issued the following press release:
Turner Classic Movies to Pay Tribute to Ernest Borgnine, 47th Recipient of Screen Actors Guild’s Life Achievement Award
.
Los Angeles (Jan. 7, 2011) - The evening before Screen Actors Guild® bestows its highest honor – the Life Achievement Award – on Ernest Borgnine, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to the memorable character actor with an evening of great performances. TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will take place Saturday, Jan. 29, beginning at 8 p.m. (Et), less than a week after the Oscar®-winning star’s 94th birthday. The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® http://www.sagawards.org will premiere live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. (Et)/5 p.m. (Pt).
TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will include four outstanding films, along with a special encore of TCM’s Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine (2009), in which TCM host Robert Osborne...
Turner Classic Movies to Pay Tribute to Ernest Borgnine, 47th Recipient of Screen Actors Guild’s Life Achievement Award
.
Los Angeles (Jan. 7, 2011) - The evening before Screen Actors Guild® bestows its highest honor – the Life Achievement Award – on Ernest Borgnine, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to the memorable character actor with an evening of great performances. TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will take place Saturday, Jan. 29, beginning at 8 p.m. (Et), less than a week after the Oscar®-winning star’s 94th birthday. The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® http://www.sagawards.org will premiere live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. (Et)/5 p.m. (Pt).
TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will include four outstanding films, along with a special encore of TCM’s Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine (2009), in which TCM host Robert Osborne...
- 1/16/2011
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
hollywoodnews.com: The evening before Screen Actors Guild® bestows its highest honor – the Life Achievement Award – on Ernest Borgnine, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to the memorable character actor with an evening of great performances. TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will take place Saturday, Jan. 29, beginning at 8 p.m. (Et), less than a week after the Oscar®-winning star’s 94th birthday. The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® will premiere live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. (Et)/5 p.m. (Pt).
TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will include four outstanding films, along with a special encore of TCM’s Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine (2009), in which TCM host Robert Osborne sits down with Borgnine for a one-hour chat about the legendary actor’s life and career. Films in the lineup include Borgnine’s Oscar-winning performance in Marty (1955) and noteworthy work in such films...
TCM’s tribute to Borgnine will include four outstanding films, along with a special encore of TCM’s Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine (2009), in which TCM host Robert Osborne sits down with Borgnine for a one-hour chat about the legendary actor’s life and career. Films in the lineup include Borgnine’s Oscar-winning performance in Marty (1955) and noteworthy work in such films...
- 1/7/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's A Streetcar Named Desire (top); Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair in Delbert Mann's Marty (middle); Patricia Neal, Andy Griffith in Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (bottom) Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: The Attack of the Small Screens is the next chapter of Turner Classic Movies' seven-part Moguls & Movie Stars documentary, which will be shown twice tonight, at 5 and 8 p.m. Pt. The appropriately titled "The Attack of the Small Screens" tells the story of how television got perilously close to destroying the movies in the late '40s and early '50s. Hollywood, in fact, was attacked not only by Milton Berle and I Love Lucy, but also by the U.S. government: right-wingers went after liberals ("Communists"), destroying lives and careers, while the antitrust guys demanded that the studios divest themselves from their exhibition arms. (Where is the...
- 12/7/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Best Actor Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine, Best Supporting Actress nominee Betsy Blair in the 1955 Best Picture winner Marty I skipped most of the speeches and presentations at the Oscar 2010 ceremony, but I made a point of watching the In Memoriam segment just to see who was going to be included and who was going to be left out. As usual, once it was over I was feeling more irritated than moved. One thing that always both amuses and annoys me whenever I watch that tribute is that audience members applaud the names they recognize — e.g., Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, David Carradine, none of which was an actual movie star, but whose deaths received a lot of publicity [...]...
- 3/9/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
(from left) Michael Jackson, David Carradine, Bea Arthur, Ricardo Montalban, Karl Malden, Brittany Murphy and Patrick Swayze After losing the likes of Paul Newman, Bernie Mac, George Carlin, Estelle Getty, Roy Scheider and Heath Ledger in 2008 who would have ever thought 2009 would have also taken so many recognizable and loved names. Of course, these are the things we never plan on as once again I continue the tradition I started back in 2006, remembering those we lost over the past year. Like always I will remind you this is not a complete list, but to my knowledge it is a pretty good representation of those we lost from the world of entertainment... Pat Hingle (Died January 3, 2009) - Commissioner Gordon in the '80s and '90s series of Batman movies. Died from Myelodysplasia (blood cancer).
Ricardo Montalban (Died January 14, 2009) - Played the memorable role of Khan in Star Trek - The...
Ricardo Montalban (Died January 14, 2009) - Played the memorable role of Khan in Star Trek - The...
- 1/13/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Fifty-five years ago today this very minute, Marilyn Monroe stood on a grate at Lexington and 52nd right here in NYC to film the infamous white skirt scene in The Seven Year Itch (1955).
According to This Day in History Joe Dimaggio (her husband at the time) was furious and thought the scene was exploitative. Well, duh. Who did he think he was marrying? It wasn't the first time or the last that Monroe's sex appeal was the whole point of an image or a film sequence. Alas, the footage you see in the movie was a reshoot thus ruining the point of this post --shut up, I just like talking about Marilyn. Though it's considered minor Billy Wilder, Itch was popular and the director and star would gloriously reunite for the classic Some Like It Hot (1959). This first pairing won some minor awards attention and Monroe was nominated for a...
According to This Day in History Joe Dimaggio (her husband at the time) was furious and thought the scene was exploitative. Well, duh. Who did he think he was marrying? It wasn't the first time or the last that Monroe's sex appeal was the whole point of an image or a film sequence. Alas, the footage you see in the movie was a reshoot thus ruining the point of this post --shut up, I just like talking about Marilyn. Though it's considered minor Billy Wilder, Itch was popular and the director and star would gloriously reunite for the classic Some Like It Hot (1959). This first pairing won some minor awards attention and Monroe was nominated for a...
- 9/15/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The B Noir festival is a hit! It's always a delight to hear about retrospective programming doing well. There are still people out there interested in and trying out old movies in theaters. Or maybe the San Francisco noir crowd is just that strong. I'd written about "I Wake Up Dreaming" a couple of weeks back (read it here); I have since went and saw some of the movies they're playing.
If you're in the Bay Area and you haven't spared the time, there's good news. The festival was supposed to end this Thursday, but I have just been informed that since it is selling out so well, they've decided to add another week of showings!
The list of extra screenings is at the bottom, but before that, I want to recommend trying to get to this Friday's showing of The Devil Thumbs a Ride, which I managed to catch on the fest's opening night.
If you're in the Bay Area and you haven't spared the time, there's good news. The festival was supposed to end this Thursday, but I have just been informed that since it is selling out so well, they've decided to add another week of showings!
The list of extra screenings is at the bottom, but before that, I want to recommend trying to get to this Friday's showing of The Devil Thumbs a Ride, which I managed to catch on the fest's opening night.
- 5/27/2009
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
"If I only could, I'd make a deal with God. And get him to link our places...."
This Woman's Link
fourfour has a thang for Kate Bush. So many memories are embedded in this post I felt like my heart was going to burst whilst my mind was blown. I l-o-v-e Kate Bush. That is all. Where's her biopic? And who on earth would be gorgeous enough but suitably bonkers to play her?
Wuthering Links
Blog Stage Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury: "non-divas"
Gawker is Warren Beatty holding up the rights to the Dick Tracy franchise. Did you even remember that this could have been one? Speaking of Dick Tracy...
Boy Culture Madonna as Jeanne Moreau in Bay of Angels. Sorta...
Screengrab inaugurates a new series "Not on DVD" with the bio Patty Hearst (1988) starring Natasha Richardson.
/Film the strange case of the distributorless Jim Carrey/Ewan Macgregor prison...
This Woman's Link
fourfour has a thang for Kate Bush. So many memories are embedded in this post I felt like my heart was going to burst whilst my mind was blown. I l-o-v-e Kate Bush. That is all. Where's her biopic? And who on earth would be gorgeous enough but suitably bonkers to play her?
Wuthering Links
Blog Stage Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury: "non-divas"
Gawker is Warren Beatty holding up the rights to the Dick Tracy franchise. Did you even remember that this could have been one? Speaking of Dick Tracy...
Boy Culture Madonna as Jeanne Moreau in Bay of Angels. Sorta...
Screengrab inaugurates a new series "Not on DVD" with the bio Patty Hearst (1988) starring Natasha Richardson.
/Film the strange case of the distributorless Jim Carrey/Ewan Macgregor prison...
- 3/22/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Award-winning actress Betsy Blair has died at the age of 85.
Blair died on Friday in London after suffering from a long illness, according to her daughter Kerry Kelly Novick.
The redheaded actress climbed to international fame playing Clara Snyder in the 1955 film adaptation of television play Marty, which earned her a BAFTA award for Best Foreign Actress in 1956 and Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
At 17 years old, Blair married legendary actor Gene Kelly, Kerry's father. Details of their 16-year marriage were resurrected nearly five decades after their split, for the actress' 2003 memoir The Memory of All That.
In 1940, Blair made her Broadway debut dancing in the Cole Porter musical Panama Hattie. She later took the lead in Willliam Saroyan's play The Beautiful People and understudied the role of Laura in the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie.
Blair also appeared in a handful of American films including 1948 movies Another Part of the Forest and The Snake Pit, and Kind Lady, in 1951, before she was banned from work for her political affiliations and placed on the infamous Hollywood blacklist.
She then moved to Paris and finally settled in London when roles dried up in the U.S., starring in European films including Calle Mayor, in 1956, Il Grido, in 1957 and All Night Long, in 1962.
One year later, Blair married director Karel Reisz, who died in 2002.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Blair died on Friday in London after suffering from a long illness, according to her daughter Kerry Kelly Novick.
The redheaded actress climbed to international fame playing Clara Snyder in the 1955 film adaptation of television play Marty, which earned her a BAFTA award for Best Foreign Actress in 1956 and Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
At 17 years old, Blair married legendary actor Gene Kelly, Kerry's father. Details of their 16-year marriage were resurrected nearly five decades after their split, for the actress' 2003 memoir The Memory of All That.
In 1940, Blair made her Broadway debut dancing in the Cole Porter musical Panama Hattie. She later took the lead in Willliam Saroyan's play The Beautiful People and understudied the role of Laura in the Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie.
Blair also appeared in a handful of American films including 1948 movies Another Part of the Forest and The Snake Pit, and Kind Lady, in 1951, before she was banned from work for her political affiliations and placed on the infamous Hollywood blacklist.
She then moved to Paris and finally settled in London when roles dried up in the U.S., starring in European films including Calle Mayor, in 1956, Il Grido, in 1957 and All Night Long, in 1962.
One year later, Blair married director Karel Reisz, who died in 2002.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
- 3/19/2009
- WENN
Czech-born The French Lieutenant's Woman director Karel Reisz has died in London at the age of 76. The acclaimed film-maker died on Monday, but the cause of his death has not yet been revealed. Reisz played a key role in championing the populist Free Cinema movement, along with Tony Richardson and Lindsay Anderson, starting with his 1960 debut working-class drama Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, which introduced audiences to Albert Finney. That was followed by a remake of thriller Night Must Fall, the dark comedy Morgan, which showcased David Warner and gave Vanessa Redgrave her first starring role, and the biopic Isadora, also with Redgrave. His first US film was 1974's The Gambler, starring James Caan, followed by others including The French Lieutenant's Woman, which brought Meryl Streep her first Best Actress Oscar nomination in 1981. Screenwriter James Toback says, "His films always had a look of both propriety and elegance. But it was as a superb director of actors - and a creator of stars - on which Karel's esteem rested." For the past decade, Reisz concentrated on directing plays in London, Dublin and Paris. He is survived by his wife, actress Betsy Blair, and three sons, Toby, Matthew and Barney.
- 11/29/2002
- WENN
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