Marlon Brando: Appreciating "Mr. Mumbles"

[ClassyCo]

When I think of Marlon Brando, I think of two things: first I think of how Ricky fancied himself a peer of Brando's in an episode of I LOVE LUCY, and second I think about Frank Sinatra calling him "mumbles". Brando and Sinatra co-starred together in GUYS AND DOLLS, and they were not close. Rumors abound that they feuded (using that term loosely) on the set of the picture.

Marlon Brando is one of those Old Hollywood movie stars that's always been tucked away in my mind somewhere. I don't ever remember not knowing who he was, or at least knowing he was a big deal for a really long time. I had a generic pop art picture that I got from a yard sale once that had Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Elvis Presley, and Marlon Brando pictured at a Hollywood-style diner. It hung on my closet door for years.

Even so, it was a long time before I really knew who Brando was and what he was known for. About all I knew about him was he was considered a Hollywood rebel, and that he did movies called THE WILD ONE, ON THE WATERFRONT, and ONE-EYED JACKS. That's about all I knew though. I got to watching documentaries on YouTube about Brando, and I've come to appreciate him as an actor. His work is quite extraordinary, with the obvious valleys tossed throughout, and I want to know more about him. My viewing knowledge of his movies is still relatively low, but I am intrigued by his talent and behavior. I do thoroughly enjoy A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, an early role for him, which perfectly showcases why Hollywood and teenage America went crazy for him.

Any other Brando fans here?

Do you have any favorite movies of his and suggestions as to where I should start?
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[DallasFanForever]

When I think of Brando, I think of The Godfather, one of my all time favorite films. I feel as though he is such an under appreciated actor of his time. It seems to me that even when people speak of The Godfather movies they mention Al Pacino and Robert Deniro before Brando. I look at his performance in that first film and I’m just amazed at how great he was as Don Corleone. It was a movie loaded with great talent onscreen and terrific performances but to me he still stands out above the rest.

Even the opening scene where he’s stroking a cat on his lap while Bonasera the undertaker asks for his help amazes me to this day. We’re looking at the scene over his shoulder and when he’s done petting the cat you just know this guy is done listening after he feels he has been insulted.

The scene sets the tone for the whole movie and to this day I think it’s one of the greatest opening scenes in movie history. And I attribute that all to Brando.

 

[ClassyCo]

When I think of Brando, I think of The Godfather, one of my all time favorite films. I feel as though he is such an under appreciated actor of his time. It seems to me that even when people speak of The Godfather movies they mention Al Pacino and Robert Deniro before Brando. I look at his performance in that first film and I’m just amazed at how great he was as Don Corleone. It was a movie loaded with great talent onscreen and terrific performances but to me he still stands out above the rest.

Even the opening scene where he’s stroking a cat on his lap while Bonasera the undertaker asks for his help amazes me to this day. We’re looking at the scene over his shoulder and when he’s done petting the cat you just know this guy is done listening after he feels he has been insulted.

The scene sets the tone for the whole movie and to this day I think it’s one of the greatest opening scenes in movie history. And I attribute that all to Brando.

THE GODFATHER is like prototypical Brando. I've only seen pieces of the movie itself, but what's more interesting, to me anyway, is the fact that Brando rejected his Oscar because of the mistreatment by the American film industry towards American-Indians. ​

 

[Barbara Fan]

Ive never really been a fan and always thought he was a little over rated except in his 1950s films like A streetcar named desire and On the Waterfront

Stuff from the later years left me cold and always felt his mouth was stuffed full of cotton wool balls!

I did watch this on the BBC a while back and he was way ahead of the game though in terms of Conservation so i take my hat off to him for this

The Brando, French Polynesia​

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby Series 2

In the first episode of this entertaining and insightful series, Giles and Monica fly to the other side of the world to work in one of the world's most luxurious eco resorts on the small island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia, not too far from Monica's birthplace - Samoa. Here, surrounded by a beautiful coral reef and an abundance of marine life, they both work alongside the staff of the exclusive Brando Resort to serve 5-star luxury to guests paying up to an eye-watering £11,000 per night. The hotel was the brainchild of Hollywood star Marlon Brando, who wanted to preserve Polynesian culture and marine life - and Giles meets Tumi, Brando's granddaughter, who strives to deliver his vision. Infused with Brando's environmental ethos, the resort is now one of the favourite hideaway destinations for the rich and famous - from Pippa Middleton to Leonardo diCaprio and Barack Obama.

Giles becomes an enthusiastic docker and crane operator as he joins the logistics team to collect supplies using a special concrete platform built to protect the integrity of the reef. Monica joins a veteran beekeeper, harvesting some of the purest honey in the world, and forages for indigenous plants with which to wrap food in a traditional BBQ. Together Giles and Monica gut parish surrounded by local refuse-collecting shark babies, and join the resort's own environmental research team on an extraordinary boat trip to monitor local whales - and experience an unexpected once-in-a-lifetime denouement.

 

[Crimson]

I think Brando gave a few spectacular performances early in his career and a couple later on, but otherwise -- like Richard Burton -- he seemed like a lazy actor who coasted by on his fame and reputation.

 

[ClassyCo]

I think Brando gave a few spectacular performances early in his career and a couple later on, but otherwise -- like Richard Burton -- he seemed like a lazy actor who coasted by on his fame and reputation.

I can jive with that perception. While Brando was talented, he did like he rode on the coattails of his reputation long after he started "phoning in" his performances. Most of his movies in the sixties were rubbish and critics complained about his dull performances. He was an intriguing individual, but his acting wasn't always stellar. ​

 

[Barbara Fan]

I think Brando gave a few spectacular performances early in his career and a couple later on, but otherwise -- like Richard Burton -- he seemed like a lazy actor who coasted by on his fame and reputation.

I agree there and i think in later years it was the number of 0000 on his pay cheque

At least his sister did appear in Dallas tho!!

 

[DallasFanForever]

Thank you @Barbara Fan. I never knew Mrs. Reeves was Jocelyn Brando. I just never made the connection. I always learn something here.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Thank you @Barbara Fan. I never knew Mrs. Reeves was Jocelyn Brando. I just never made the connection. I always learn something here.

My aim is to please and educate

By chance this was on the Follies of God FB page yesterday (and she looks a little less severe than Mrs Reeves)

I have found that most of us who want to act or write or make music or paint things or sculpt things are trying to remember, re-create, share, and pitifully hold on to a particular memory or memories that allowed us to continue living with some comfort. In everything I've done as an actor, I want to tell people, somehow, how it felt to feel my mother's hand on my forehead when I was sick. I want to tell people how it felt when I protected my mother from my father's rage. I want to tell people how it felt--how it changed my life--when my sister came to my aid, over and over again. Art is autobiography made flesh. Art is sending the message that life has merit, that people have merit. I think we should see things that make us all want to go out and live better and share the good things we have seen. I think we should, without ever meeting, let it be known that we are here to support and protect each other."--Marlon Brando/Interview with James Grissom (Photo of Marlon Brando and his sister Jocelyn)

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm sitting at work today fairly bored and I decided to do some more digging into Marlon Brando's movie career. Being a popular star that he was during his heyday, he was naturally offered a lot of film roles. Likewise, being temperamental, he turned down many that he was offered. I felt like compiling a list of movies Brando ultimately decided not to make during his film career.

I've found a relatively long list, so I'm going to try and make this a simple as possible.

Key: Movie / Year/ Intended Role / Who Replaced Him

SUNSET BOULEVARD / 1950 / Joe Gillis / William Holden

HIGH NOON / 1952 / Will Kane / Gary Cooper

THE EGYPTIAN / 1954 / Sinuhe / Edmund Purdom

THE RED AND THE BLACK / 1954 / Julien Sorel / Gerard Philipe

A STAR IS BORN / 1954 / Norman Lester / James Mason

EAST OF EDEN / 1955 / Cal Trask / James Dean

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM / 1955 / Frankie Machine / Frank Sinatra

BABY DOLL / 1956 / Archie Lee Meighan / Karl Malden

THE CONQUEROR / 1956 / Genghis Kahn / John Wayne

GIANT / 1956 / Jett Rink / James Dean

A FACE IN THE CROWD / 1957 / Larry Rhodes / Andy Griffith

THE DEFIANT ONES / 1958 / John Jackson / Tony Curtis

BEN-HUR / 1959 / Ben-Hur / Charlton Heston

JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG / 1961 / Hans Rolfe / Maximilian Schell

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA / 1962 / T.E. Lawrence / Peter O'Toole

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO / 1965 / Victor Komarovsky / Rod Steiger

THE GRADUATE / 1967 / Mr. Robinson / Murray Hamilton

PLANET OF THE APES / 1968 / George Taylor / Charlton Heston

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID / 1969 / Butch Cassidy or Sundance Kid / Robert Redford

THE ARRANGEMENT / 1969 / Eddie Anderson / Kirk Douglas

LITTLE BIG MAN / 1970 / Old Lodge Skins / Chief Dan George

RYAN'S DAUGHTER / 1970 / Major Randolph Doryan / Christopher Jones

DELIVERANCE / 1972 / Lewis Medlock / Burt Reynolds

CHILD'S PLAY / 1972 / Joseph Dobbs / Robert Preston

FAT CITY / 1972 / Billy Tully / Stacy Keach

THE GREAT GATSBY / 1974 / Jay Gatsby / Robert Redford

THE GODFATHER PART II / 1974 / Vito Corleone / Role removed

A STAR IS BORN / 1976 / John Norman Howard / Kris Kristofferson

TAXI DRIVER / 1976 / Travis Bickle / Robert De Niro

EQUUS / 1977 / Martin Dysart / Richard Burton

SUPERMAN II / 1980 / Jor-El / Role removed

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR / 1984 / O'Brien / Richard Burton

SALVADOR / 1986 / Richard Boyle / James Woods

ANGEL HEART / 1987 / Louis Cyphere / Robert De Niro

THE LAST EMPEROR / 1987 / Reginald Johnston / Peter O'Toole

TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM / 1988 / Preston Tucker / Jeff Bridges

THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN / 1988 / Vulcan / Oliver Reed

DANCES WITH WOLVES / 1990 / Major Fambrough / Maury Chaykin

THE FIELD / 1990 / Bull McCabe / Richard Harris

NOSTROMO / 1991 / Incomplete film

DIVINE RAPTURE / 1991 / Priest / Incomplete film

AMERICAN HISTORY X / 1998 / Cameron Alexander / Stacy Keach

SLEEPY HOLLOW / 1999 / Headless Horseman / Christopher Walken

MAGNOLIA / 1999 / Earl Partridge / Jason Robards

SCARY MOVIE 2 / 2001 / Father McFeely / James Woods

MAN ON FIRE / 2004 / Paul Rayburn / Christopher Walken

BIG BUG MAN / Unreleased / Mrs. Sour / Film abandoned

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[DallasFanForever]

His absence in the flashback scene at the end of The Godfather Part 2 was very disappointing for me. Allegedly he did agree to do it but then didn’t show up the day of shooting, citing reasons of feeling mistreated before and during filming of the original film.

They had to rewrite the flashback to basically give Sonny what would’ve been his part. At least they included Don Vito in the scene somewhat by using a similar voice as everyone surprises him off camera for his birthday.

I would’ve preferred Brando being there but many people feel the lack of him in the scene and just briefly hearing “his voice” makes the scene and the character seem even more legendary.

 

[ClassyCo]

His absence in the flashback scene at the end of The Godfather Part 2 was very disappointing for me. Allegedly he did agree to do it but then didn’t show up the day of shooting, citing reasons of feeling mistreated before and during filming of the original film.

They had to rewrite the flashback to basically give Sonny what would’ve been his part. At least they included Don Vito in the scene somewhat by using a similar voice as everyone surprises him off camera for his birthday.

I would’ve preferred Brando being there but many people feel the lack of him in the scene and just briefly hearing “his voice” makes the scene and the character seem even more legendary.

I am mildly disappointed in myself that I've never seen THE GODFATHER films. I'm positive I've caught pieces of them over the years, but I don't ever remember seeing anything significant. Brando gave a career-defining performance in the first one, and he won an Oscar that he eventually rejected, but I've never seen it in its entirety. If I were to find them for a good deal, I might be compelled to get them, but as of right now, I'm not really interested. ​

 

[DallasFanForever]

I totally understand what ur saying. I’m obviously a huge fan of The Godfather movies but I know a lot of people that it’s just not their cup of tea. I’ve even heard of people that love “mob movies” and STILL don’t like The Godfather. I notice it usually takes a back seat to the others like Goodfellas and Casino, which tend to be faster paced and with more humor.

 

[ClassyCo]

 

[ClassyCo]

he seemed like a lazy actor who coasted by on his fame and reputation.

I've watched two documentaries on Brando over the weekend, one I've never seen before. But I can agree with this statement.

Brando was a habitually lazy actor. He caused havoc for those around him by refusing to remember his lines and being unfamiliar with the script or the scene in general. You hear a lot of these stories surrounding THE GODFATHER filming, which is probably his most famous role. But comments online almost unanimously say, "Brando was the only one who could play the Godfather."

Brando's early film work was quite extraordinary, and it helped change the course of screen acting by setting a new standard of excellence. He made "lots of dogs," though, which even Marlon himself admitted in an interview later in life. He did them for the money, he says.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American who picked up his second Oscar at the 1973 awards ceremony and gave a speech, turned out to not be Native American at all, her family members calling her a grifter.

Ah, Marlon, that prankster.

Anyone like Brando who was as physically beautiful as he started out to be, credited universally as the greatest American film actor of his era, who then gains 300 pounds and takes to taping his lines to the faces of his co-stars, must truly have possessed as much contempt for his industry and profession as he'd always claimed he had.

But I could always watch him. He got beaten up for his performance in APOCALYPSE NOW, but I thought it was great -- but I prefer the theatrical cut to Coppola's director's cut.

 

[Willie Oleson]

He also took a good beating in THE CHASE.
I haven't seen any of his earlier films that made him a star to begin with and therefore I'm not the person to comment on his acting skills, but I do know that he's become a name-dropping favourite of almost mythical proportions. In the case of James Dean I can understand the sentiment that has coloured the audience's perception of him as a Motion Picture Icon.

I'm not saying that Marlon Brando doesn't deserve the worshipping, but he doesn't deserve it more than the many, many actors and actresses who have given some of the most dedicated and fearless performances - and often consistently throughout their careers - and doing so without any of the "big name filmstar" shenanigans.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

He also took a good beating in THE CHASE.
I haven't seen any of his earlier films that made him a star to begin with and therefore I'm not the person to comment on his acting skills, but I do know that he's become a name-dropping favourite of almost mythical proportions. In the case of James Dean I can understand the sentiment that has coloured the audience's perception of him as a Motion Picture Icon.

I'm not saying that Marlon Brando doesn't deserve the worshipping, but he doesn't deserve it more than the many, many actors and actresses who have given some of the most dedicated and fearless performances - and often consistently throughout their careers - and doing so without any of the "big name filmstar" shenanigans.

He was at the vanguard of a new breed of acting -- someone once said that "Brando changed the way actors acted, James Dean changed the way people lived." Others who knew them both felt that Brando would have been less likely "to waste his gifts" if Dean had lived and remained competition, but who knows..?

It's a shame about THE CHASE: Brando, Angie, Fonda, Janice Rule and Miriam Hopkins are just fine (well, except for Angie's line, "I only wish we'd adopted some children," which always elicits a giggle) but Redford is dreadful in his role as the escaped convict; he's just not ready --- I always recast him in my head with Jon Voight (and Robert Blake, who wanted in on the picture, as the oil baron's son, ultimately played by James Fox).

THE CHASE was infamous for behind-the-scenes conflicts: the studio wanted a standard potboiler; producer Sam Speigel did too, but in a different way; screenwriter Lillian Hellman (basing her script on a Horton Foote play) wanted to do something more provocative about oil law with veiled allusions to the Kennedy assassination; director Arthur Penn wanted a claustrophobic pre-BONNIE AND CLYDE frenetic style to the picture; and Brando wanted as many doughnuts as possible on the Craft Service table.

The end result is a shit-show. You can see how it could have worked, what with a good cast, the mid-'60s Halloweenish color scheme, and its despondent John Barry score. But it's all a top-notch mess. And the reasons for Redford's incarceration, his mother's betraying him, and the worthless town's hysteria over his prison break doesn't make much sense -- and this appears to be where the script cuts must have been.

Still, I've usually owned a copy; it's one of those things I re-make in my head.

 

[ginnyfan]

I appreciate the discussion about his acting but I just have to post about his hotness. I appreciate the looks of many classic movie stars, but somehow I never find them too sexy or hot, I can't think of them that way. But Brando is different, for some reason. He was so gorgeous and hot. Everyone always moans about him getting ''fat'' or ''big'' later on, which is true for him in older days, but some seem to consider everything post 1960 to be fat Brando which is ridiculous. I love his bulkier, beefy look from late 50s to mid 60s.

It's no wonder Streetcar made him an overnight sensation and changed acting forever. The electrifying hotness of his presence can't be ignored.

 

[ginnyfan]