His talent was bottomless. I remember seeing him in his film debut THE HANGING TREE as the mad Dr. Grubb. Standing out amongst Gary Cooper, Maria Schell and Karl Malden, playing old when he was young, you had to pay heed. More than THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS his Anthony Gethryn in LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER was a wonderful "Sherlock Holmes" creation. His Edward Rochester in JANE EYRE made me forget Orson Welles totally. And his Hallmark Hall of Fame Beast in Beauty and the Beast (1976) hit the tragic mark even if the film did not. AND the funniest thing I saw him do was part of three Neil Simon sketches on a TV special that I have had a hard time finding the name of. I believe the phone company brings him in and he goes through all the computer generated absurdities he has had to endure (escalating OUT-OF-TOWNERS style) to a crescendo of a suitcase with hundreds of bills adding up to thousands of dollars of charges. Plus all of the above roles, man, I miss him.
Morri M’Man, sounds like that three-act teevee soiree which had you in such understandable stitches may have been “Plaza Suite”, which Mr. Scott originated on Broadway.
Alas, it was turned into a thoroughly tedious film. Now, don’t get us rightly wrong, Walter Matthau is inna class of his own and is perfectly capable of comedic tour-de-farces, but this egoholic miscasting isn't one of his more memorable outings.
By the bye, considering all the overheated supposed family-sexual hoopla it originally instigated,
has anyone Out Thar in FSM Assembled ever actually SEEN this flick?
I saw THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE when it was new. Scott had four-walled it in my neighborhood theater and since they knew me personally they let me in. Scott and Van Devere are stranded on an island. They have a baby. When he grows up they are still stranded. The son has sexual needs, and there is only one female on the island, his mother. At first she is willing if it will alleviate her son's pain and keep the peace, but then he wants more, she withdraws, and he won't be denied. The father / husband finds out and he won't stand for it. So father and son try to kill each other.
The film met with unanimous disapproval. I thought Scott had a lot of nerve. I quite liked it although I didn't think it was anything special. Structurally, there were some effective rug-pulls and reversals. The script was good. It's well-shot and well-directed, a thoroughly professional film in every way. I'd probably like it more today. Compared to some of the cult films of the 1970s I've seen since, it's mild stuff. Perhaps too mild.
The incest thing was incidental to a larger idea. Scott was trying to provoke primal impulses and emotions that are at the root of human relationships. When I recall the reviews and the laughter, I think he succeeded. I hate to sound pretentious, but that's it in a nutshell. He may have been influenced by a low-budget indy called ONCE which came out the previous year and has all but disappeared from the face of the earth. Scott's version adds motivation into the mix. The film makes me wonder about George C. Scott. What other button-pushers did he have in mind? Would he have made other outrageous films if THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE had succeeded?
The film would probably find an audience in these more uninhibited times. If you have any clout with Campbell Scott and his father's estate, Neo, persuade 'em to press this cult film onto DVD.
Morri M’Man, sounds like that three-act teevee soiree which had you in such understandable stitches may have been “Plaza Suite”, which Mr. Scott originated on Broadway.
Alas, it was turned into a thoroughly tedious film. Now, don’t get us rightly wrong, Walter Matthau is inna class of his own and is perfectly capable of comedic tour-de-farces, but this egoholic miscasting isn't one of his more memorable outings.
Nope, PLAZA SUITE was about three different couples having an affair, in turns, in the same suite. Nothing dealing in an office interview being given the runaround and tons of redtape.
By the bye, considering all the overheated supposed family-sexual hoopla it originally instigated,
has anyone Out Thar in FSM Assembled ever actually SEEN this flick?
If’n so, what’s your take on it?
I saw this too. Interesting but I preferred the other film he directed, RAGE, about a rancher and his son exposed to nerve gas. Gutwrenching stuff.
His talent was bottomless. I remember seeing him in his film debut THE HANGING TREE as the mad Dr. Grubb. Standing out amongst Gary Cooper, Maria Schell and Karl Malden, playing old when he was young, you had to pay heed. More than THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS his Anthony Gethryn in LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER was a wonderful "Sherlock Holmes" creation. His Edward Rochester in JANE EYRE made me forget Orson Welles totally. And his Hallmark Hall of Fame Beast in Beauty and the Beast (1976) hit the tragic mark even if the film did not. AND the funniest thing I saw him do was part of three Neil Simon sketches on a TV special that I have had a hard time finding the name of. I believe the phone company brings him in and he goes through all the computer generated absurdities he has had to endure (escalating OUT-OF-TOWNERS style) to a crescendo of a suitcase with hundreds of bills adding up to thousands of dollars of charges. Plus all of the above roles, man, I miss him.
Don't forget his role as Louis Nizer as John Henry Faulk's lawyer in the television film "Fear On Trial".
I saw THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE when it was new. Scott had four-walled it in my neighborhood theater and since they knew me personally they let me in. Richard
Scott never did find a distributor for the film, probably due to the controversial nature of the subject matter rather than the quality of the film. So, he basically distributed it himself. (The process of "four-walling" a film has pretty much disappeared.) I lived in Maryland at the time of the film's 1974 release, and the film may never have played there (at the time, Maryland was the last state in the union that still had a film censorship board). I saw the film recently and found it somewhat unsettling, even today. Technically, it's well-made, although unfortunately I saw the "scope" film in a pan-and-scan version. Gil Melle did the effective score.
Don't forget his role as Louis Nizer as John Henry Faulk's lawyer in the television film "Fear On Trial".
Actually we had forgotten (that happens when you’re a 5,000 year-young immortal) to remember, Filmu – thanx for the thoughtful jogging of ye olde unmemory bank.
Mr. Scott, nonetheless, pulls this actoral assignment off with his customary panache.
Richard-W I saw THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE when it was new. Scott had four-walled it in my neighborhood theater and since they knew me personally they let me in. Richard
BobDiMucci: Scott never did find a distributor for the film, probably due to the controversial nature of the subject matter rather than the quality of the film. So, he basically distributed it himself. (The process of "four-walling" a film has pretty much disappeared.) I lived in Maryland at the time of the film's 1974 release, and the film may never have played there (at the time, Maryland was the last state in the union that still had a film censorship board). I saw the film recently and found it somewhat unsettling, even today. Technically, it's well-made, although unfortunately I saw the "scope" film in a pan-and-scan version. Gil Melle did the effective score.
Let's hope THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE gets rediscovered. Scott's estate will have to motivate itself to put the film out before anything can happen. Times change, audiences change, and the film would be better received and appreciated now. I know of a number of DVD - Blu-ray distributors who would bite on the chance to distribute THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE. Controversy sells.
Charles Durning on his co-starring in 1996’s “Inherit the Wind” Broadway production:
“George is one of the few male geniuses I have ever worked with, the only one I have been awed by, the only one who makes me go, ‘I can’t do that. I don’t know how to do that. I wish I could buy some of that.”
We leave you with the comment Mr. Scott would address to Mr. Durning just before going on stage – he’d turn, smile and say
Don't let the TV origins fool you. Clive Donner's A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984) is shot like a feature film on 35mm film. It is elaborately produced in fine Victorian style. It really is a superior film in every way, told with imagination and fidelity, boasting a literate and definitive script, atmospheric photography, attentive direction, stellar optical effects, real snow, no unnecessary distractions, and a performance by George C. Scott that is perfectly and immaculately right.
This version understands that Dickens' tale is essentially a ghost story, and what a scary ghost story it is. The idea is to unnerve Ebeneezer Scrooge by peeling away scar tissue to show him emotional truths about himself. This Ebeneezer is miserly and vindictive not because he's mean, but because life has injured him. Underneath all that coldness is a world of hurt. Scott's performance is a clinic in modulation. He digs deep, plows through, and aims high. I've never seen a more fully realized and fleshed out Ebeneezer Scrooge. Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Frank Finlay as Marley's Ghost are the definitive interpretations, scary and fun as they get under Scrooge's skin.
Everybody wants to spend more $$$ on the newest star-driven, special-effects laden version, but then they stumble on this one, and they realize here is where the story gets told. There's no need to look any further. This version rewards repeated viewings. Yes, there are bigger, louder, noisier, flashier, cooler and newer versions, but they all need a dose of what this version has got -- namely, George C. Scott.
Why settle for second best? This is the version you want. Now available on Blu-ray:
Quite a thoughtfully astute appraisal there, Rich, and one even the most quarrelsome of Sybils couldn’t authentically quibble with. Indeed, Mr. Donner’s helmsmanship is quite authoritative, tho we both neglected to include Angela Pleasence’s hauntingly memorable Ghost of Christmas Past,
and, above all, an element profoundly overlooked, Nick Bicat’s impressive score – which seamlessly harnesses the various emotional/psychological and symbolic foundations of the tale with remarkable finesse.
[ Over on our Equalizer thread, we also included a spot re Mr. Woodward’s eye-catching performance, our first exposure to his grand gift, a year or so before he took on the galvanizing role of Robert McCall – from which our personally-professional and professionally-personal life has never recovered. ].
Still, above and beyond anything else, it’s MR. SCOTT’s show … and he’s practically peerless.
Just watched Scott's Christmas Carol again last night, this time via the new Blu-ray - it's just a wonderful production and the performances are tops all the way around. I want to know how Woodward managed to walk so gracefully on what I presume were stilts under the robe.
One of the distinctions Mr. Scott holds with just a handful of his titled thespic colleagues
come first and forefront to mind) is he acted opposite both Brando & Olivier.
Aside from his wrenching performance as John Proctor in the televised version of “The Crucible”,
the oneScott artistic holy grail we hope to eventually catch is his appearance in this -
Has anyone seen it - PJ, SOGS, Sig, Sir M, Dana-San – any durn Carbon Unit ‘mongst this comprehensive cinematic congregation?
All in all, it must’ve been a helluva heavenly experience ‘cause, when
was being honored at Lincoln Center in 1982, Mr. Scott appeared and stated unequivocally acting opposite the former was one of the most terrifying adventures he ever embarked upon (which is SOME compliment considering that's usually the intimidating effect he had on virtually everybody else! )
At any rate (preferably Canadian and Swiss), before they shared a later Broadway smash in the above/below
turns out they also dueted inna segment of his teevee show (their encounter starts 6:40 in).
He was so great in The Hospital, a film I haven't seen in many a year. Any roll he played, you couldn't picture anyone else in the part. He's ruined the part of Patton for any other actor, who'd want to climb into those shoes.
If’n so, what’s your take on it? 
"See you in Reality.” 
