The Greatest Movie Star You've Never Heard About
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- #Georgecscott #pattonfilm #drstrangelove
George C. Scott is one of the greatest American actors of all time, and yet he doesn't have the cultural impact of someone like Brando or Newman. Why is that? This story is about legacy, fame, it's a little bit about James Cagney and movie stardom, with guest appearances from Orson Welles and Quentin Tarantino. But at the heart of it all, is America's most ferocious actor.
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00:00 Opening
01:02 Enter Movie Stars
02:18 Anatomy of a Murder
04:46 Oscars and Legacy
06:54 James Cagney
09:26 The Hustler
11:28 Conflicted Actor
14:59 Heavy & Dr. Strangelove
18:05 Fin. 
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I had the honor of working with GCS on one of his last projects, Inherit the Wind, for Showtime. My father, FH Meskimen worked with him around forty years earlier on the Civil war courtroom drama, The Andersonville Trial, on Broadway. GCS was always spot on, always prepared, always professional. He even told us some bawdy jokes in between takes. But it was clear he was in constant pain. I was so moved by what I saw him do, even in a role that he made clear he felt he was NOT appropriately cast in. Thanks for putting the spotlight on this amazing performer.
Who hasn't heard of George C. Scott? His performance as General Buck Turgidson in "Dr. Stangelove" is alone enough to make him unforgettable.
Turgidson
@@cwcsquared
Yes, that all-too-common malady Typos-Я-Us.
🙂
You're right about that last part, he's one of my all-time favorite actors. But the truth is ~97% of people below age 25 have never watched Dr. Strangelove and probably 60% of that group has never even heard of it. And that's with being generous that maybe they'd at least heard the title. There's a massive majority of people my age who all think old B&W films are icky and boring by default.....
You're dead right. That was the first movie I ever saw him in, and I memorised his face immediately because I was entranced.
@@oldaccount9563Dude, I'm 22 and I own Dr. Strangelove on 4K. Matter of fact, I own about twenty B&W movies on 4K, because the HDR actually helps B&W films more than it does color imo.
Anyway, I digress. Point is, there's probably a lot more Gen Z cinephiles than you think.
He's one of the reasons Dr Strangelove is one of the best movies ever made.
So true! I adore him in that role.
Peter Sellers playing 3 rolls helped as well!
But I agree George C Scott was one of the greatest actors of all time!!
The cast of Dr. Strangelove was all around stellar. Yes George C. Scott was hilarious but Sterling Hayden as Gen. Jack Ripper..... WOW! Another great actor in a smaller but wonderful roll was Keenan Wynn as the sergeant who shoots the Coke machine. Can you ever forget Slim Pickens as the pilot? Everyone was great in this movie.
Little known fact: Scott did not want to play the part as a buffoon so Kubrick tricked him. He told Scott to play it over the top as a joke, with Scott not knowing it would actually be used in the finished product.
@jesseanderson1904made me laugh out loud! :D
God I really hope there aren’t that many people who haven’t heard of George C Scott. He’s an icon.
Not only have I heard about him, but I met and got to know him when I was working in the theater in New York. A great actor, and a great man, he was surprisingly sensitive, gentle, and generous.
That’s awesome! If you’d ever like to share a story, feel free to contact me on Twitter or email. I’m always open to listen to people’s stories
@@thisisastory We get it. You're a shut-in neckbeard who's watched nothing but anime and Chris Nolan movies and stumbled upon Dr. Strangelove, and, thanks to the terminal solipsism all dire nerds have, think that you're the only person on the planet who's heard of an actor who's had a long and storied career
I don't consider George C. Scott a "movie star", but a pure actor and craftsman. I mean that as a compliment.
I think you have to be of the younger generations not to have heard of Scott. He was a huge actor that took great roles, just knowing he's in it is good enough to want to see it. Growing up in the70s I probably only saw him in later movies, starting with Patton. I was just talking about The Challenging with my young daughter last night because we were talking about "good" ghost stories that involve a mystery a ghost wants solved. We're looking for scary movies to watch together for Halloween. I even told her about George C. Scott. Was it a coincidence this video popped up in my feed? Or was Google listening in?
Either way, I need to look into The Changeling to see if its appropriate for a pre-teen. I haven't seen it in many years but it made a lifelong impression on me as a kid. The water in the bath-tub scene... Scott yelling... "What in the hell do you want from me?!". He's such a good actor, doing temperamental, confused, and complex emotions.
Awesome! I love his movies. How I wish I'd seen him on stage! Would love to hear any stories or memories.
He was a prominent actor , from the late 50s until his death. Not even closely "unknown". Every performance had this intensity that literally jumped off the screen. Lets mention the often forgotten HARDCORE , another blistering rage of a performance as a father whose daughter gets trapped in the porn industry. RIP sir
Unknown in the sense he isnt really remembers or talked about as a great actor.
That was, if I may be allowed, one of his most hardcore and difficult to watch roles without getting personally involved.
Brilliant? I am no judge, but I will never forget him in that film.
@vivatotti10
Agreed. But part of that is that young people don't watch older movies, because they're too slow for kids raised after the 80s and MTV, which completely revised the pacing of all movies. You have to have a parent or GP who takes the kid and has them watch older movies from a young age, or else they expect different things from movies, AND TV for that matter. I honestly find it hard to watch TV shows from before the 90s, even though I grew up watching first-run Bewitched and Star Trek (TOS).
MTV, oddly enough, is one of the four BIG changes in film -- Talkies (obviously), Method Acting, the MPAA, and MTV. Each of those four changed the nature of movies before and after.
As a result of that pacing change, older people (e.g., who were 30+ in 1980 -- fewer and fewer these days) don't like "new" movies, and younger people don't have the patience to let things develop... "Is anything gonna HAPPEN, here? They've had these two blabbing for five freaking minutes now, with no cuts...!") 😀
And I **have** to admit, it's understandable. I LOVE the old 70s Three/Four Musketeers -- they are among the best films ever done, but I was watching them both about 10y ago and they felt slow to ME, and I've got a foot in both camps, being about 20 when MTV came on the scene.
@@appropriate-channelname3049Not true.
@vivatotti10 Thats like saying Ted Williams is unknown just because young people dont read history. Ted Williams was Baseball legend and the last player have a batting average over .400. and won a triple crown. He is in the Baseball Hall of fame. He missed several years as he served in the Navy during WWII and in the Marines during the Korean War. He is one of the greatest players ever and a patriot. He was celebrated during his career and after his career. Just because young people dont read any more doesnt mean someone is unknown. It means young people think they know more than they do
George C. Scott is one of my favorite actors! I find it hard to believe that anyone who enjoys movies has never heard of him. He had so many great roles, The Flim Flam Man is one of my favorites. Not a shrinking violet either, he had his nose broken 5 times in bar fights!
I was lucky enough to work with Mr Scott on his last film. He was a very nice man in his older age. I was 12 at the time, and he really took a liking to me. Such a great actor.
Was he ver sorry that you got murdered?
@@dbldekr Nailed it
Why does it smell like bullshit?
Could it be because you are simply a cynical person at this point in your life for some reason? Who hurt you? I apologize on their behalf. We're all actually doing the best we can. I'd like to humbly suggest that you may do well to change you cynicism. Personally, I find great joy on going out of my way to be a blessing to a random stranger in need (and there's plenty out there where I live) and always choose happiness whenever I can, as well as focusing on the oy that comes from being happy for someone else. I'm happy for this person who got to meet George C. Scott as a child. Call me gullible if you want, but it doesn't really matter whether this particular commenter is telling the truth or not really. It's our very different reactions and/or responses that count most. I would encourage you to do your best to remember to always know from whence your blessings come and give thanks for it all, even the things that seem negative in the moment and may even linger with you physically, emotionally or otherwise. Always look for what good can come out of disappointment and struggle. Love our Creator as you love yourself and love your neighbor as yourself too! Your neighbor is everyone who isn't you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Practicing these things helps you cease to have any enemies. If you make a practice of this you'll also find that the natural side effect practicing this lifestyle daily is finding Heaven within. Love everyone, for we are all one with our Creator and He speaks to us through our hearts and consciences and check in with Him when we sleep each day, but we don't generally remember this. Yet, God sees everything we think, do or say. It's the little things we do when no one's watching that helps define our characters. Are we made of fear, anger and cynicism, or love, peace and joy? Happiness is a choice we can make each day. We can also practice forgiving others easily and not being so hard on others or ourselves. Also choosing to be a blessing to others wherever we can is something that gets addictive in how good it feels. I hope you will heed my words. I'm merely God's humble scribe, and this is all I was told to share with you. Share these words with another if you'd like to help spread this feeling of brotherly love with someone you care about, and/or just people at rando. I wish you and us all well as one human family. People will embrace this reality worldwide soon as it goes viral. Get on board early, why don't ya? Be well, and be the love you wish to see in this world and attract into your life., because according to the law of attraction we will always attract what we are and never simply what we desire for the long term, until we become that which we are trying to attract anyway. Love is the answer. God is love. Heaven is within. We are all one. I wish you well and hope you learned something wonderfully positive useful to your soul from these words I've shared with you. Peace out. @@noahboy7309
If that's true, you lucky dog!👍
In ‘Islands in the Stream’ Scott did something remarkable as an actor and it has stuck with for 45 years-with his back to the camera, he is told by his ex-wife that their son has died in the war. Scott shows his character’s shock, grief, anger, with the back of his shoulders, neck, and head. Unbelievable. He acted with every inch of his body from the core of his soul.
Yes! I love that moment too
Believable.
Great movie.
Nice catch ! great comment !
Scott did the finest performance of Scrooge ever -- and it was a made for TV movie.
Agreed. Phenomenal!!
Alastair Sim 1951 is the best scrooge ever imo
Yes…. My favorite too! 🎄
Yes. I saw it on TV when I was a young teen. It remains the best.
Scott came close, but Alastair Sim's Scrooge is still the best. Even George C. Scott said so, I remember an interview with him at the time. "There's no way anyone's going to top Alastair Sim, all I can do is approch the role from a different angle. So I'm playing him as a slightly world-weary cynical businessman."
It sure worked for Scott, a very good version of "CC."
It's not one of Scott's most well known roles but "The Changeling" is an insanely great and underrated horror movie. He is terrific in it.
One of my favorite films, and my favorite of his performances. :)
a CLASSIC
that opening scene he directed is fucking POWERFUL carries the entire film on its momentum
This guy always seemed to own every scene he was in. One of the great actors who could add emotion, intensity and gravitas to a movie and make it better.
First saw him in Dr. Strangelove. He is hilarious in that movie. Still holds up 60 years later.
You got that right, brother! He was hilarious.
Great art - whether it is evidenced by the craft displayed by an actor - or in a visual artistic triumph on canvas done in oil - is timeless as it's not made to pander, not born of imitation but born of talent, genius and creativity which - is always recognized, appreciated and loved by those with eyes to see, a mind to comprehend and a heart and soul capable of responding in kind - to the intelligence and love vested in it by the creator - the artist.
One of my favorite bits of trivia from Dr. Strangelove was when George C. Scott trips and falls in the "war room" and gets right up maintaining his character all the way through and not messing up his dialogue. Stanley Kubrick decided to keep it in the final print as it felt natural.
George C. Scott was one of those actors you couldn't take your eyes off. Very like Lee J. Cobb, Van Heflin, Rod Steiger, Robert Shaw and John Garfield, he could draw your attention away from the big name actors he was on screen without even having any dialogue.
Excellent video.
Thank you!
You forgot to mention Spencer Tracey😉
@@tsonfire1 To me Spencer Tracy was one of the greatest actors who ever lived. I tried to keep my choices slightly off the beaten path but thank you for your rely. Spencer Tracy was a legend and must never be forgotten. 👍
Excellent list of actors.
The Late John Garfield Blues by John Prine is a fine tune. ruclips.net/video/vXqWdF0L4F4/видео.htmlsi=JLdjVaDURuFEdVY7
Since when is George C. Scott an actor we've never heard of? The guy was always a great actor in whatever movie he was in. He's still a favorite today.
I was lucky enough to see GCS in a revival of "Death of a Salesman" in 1975. He was rivering, turning anger into tenderness in a heartbeat. The lovely Teresa Wright was Linda his wife. James Farantino returned as Biff and instead of Harvey Keitel as Happy, I got to see a young Martin Sheen. A great night at the theater
That scene in 'Hardcore', where his character is shown the porn film that his P.I. had found. You don't have to see the screen, the anguish, disgust, and utter heartbreak that Scott portrays with total honesty. The first time I watched it I felt so guilty to be witnessing his emotional breakdown, without his permission. It was that believable. To this day it's hard to watch that scene without reminding myself, 'he's acting, it's okay. He's just acting.'
Scott was great. If you found that Schrader film absorbing, check out “Blue Collar”.
@@TheEleatic Interesting. I can't say that I remember this coming out. Thanks.
I second this. Blue Collar is great.
Damn, you picked a choice one from the filmography.
I think the closest actor in comparison to Scott is the similarly named Lee J. Cobb. They were both forces of nature, capable of volcanic rage. Cobb played Lt. Kinderman in the original Exorcist while Scott assayed the role in Exoricist III and Scott played Juror #3 in the remake of 12 Angry Men, a role played by Cobb in the original.
I saw him do Willy Loman on Broadway- twice, in 1974. At the end of the play everyone in the theater were sobbing out loud- SOBBING!!!.. it was shocking!!. He gave 150 per cent of himself each performance. I remember when Willy was planting seeds in the floor and crying i was 3 feet from Scott in my seat ( it was theater in the round) and there were two faucets of water gushing out of his eyes like a fire hydrant in the city in the summer. Lee J Cobb created the role of Willy Loman in "Death Of A Salesman" on Broadway in 1947 and it is a legendary performance , only equaled by Scott. Cobb did a television production of Death of A Salesman way way back but you can find it on the Internet. Looking back , Scott was our greatest actor but his stage acting was on another level of bravura , magisterial excellence.
Good comparison, I didn't think of Cobb, who did a lot of Westerns, but he had a great presence too. You felt they were in charge in their scenes.... even if their dialogue was minimal.
Lee J Cobb definitely a force of nature in 12 Angry Men and one of the best movies of all time On the Waterfront.
I think that is a good comparison.
I don't think anyone portrayed working-class rage and frustration as well as Lee J. Cobb. He could do any role well but the angry blue-collar ones seemed to suit him the most.
My dad was a teacher, Art History, Literature ... humanities in general. He preferred reading a PLAY than going to theatre - that is live theatre for your GenZ kids. Much later in life he agreed to a TV in our home - an older second hand black n' white model just because he loved our Mom so much that he couldn't refuse her request. He left the living room when the TV was on. He retired eventually after 43 years of teaching. By then we were all older and on way to higher education. From time to time we watched the classics together - he joined us just to be with the " Kids " for those last days we were all together. The last memory I have from those TV watching nights was one of older G C Scott's movies. It was winter, heavy snow had covered everything outside quietly, my Mom had fallen sleep halfway through the Film so we had to lower the volume to almost silent. At the end of the film as usual we looked at him to get his approval of quality of the Film. He said : " If they make a Film from my life story, I want G C Scott to play my character ". That comment caused a sudden roar of laughter out of us after a bit of wondering in silence. Mom woke up : " I thought this Film was a sad one! ". Mom, Dad, eldest brother and G C Scott have moved on to their next storylines beyond this one. They left wonderful flickering memories behind for the kids to remember the passing moments we call life.
Thanks for that comment. Very interesting as I remember the movies that I saw with my dad. Rear Window was playing at the Tivoli which was a Theater that played classic movies. I don't think I was expecting it to be anything great. But it certainly was. People really should make a point of watching some of the old classic movies. Treasure of the Sierra Madre was one I didn't think I was going to like. Incredibly good storytelling was something that a movie being in black and white couldn't take away.
Nice man,,nice!👍
I think modern audiences may not be terribly aware of George C. Scott, but he’s certainly far from forgotten. As a kid I used to get him and Lee Cobb confused, only because they have a similar intensity.
Just want to say, the editing on this video is inspiring. Phenomenal work. You dug up a lot of great interviews to tie into this and the style and speed of your cuts keeps you on your toes the entire watch. I hope my next project can capture some of that intensity. Kudos!
He does play Lee Cobb’s character in The Exorcist 3, which probably added to the confusion.
@@SuperAlfern If memory serves, he also played Lee J. Cobb's role in the '97 remake of 12 Angry Men!
@@weirdcinemashow I looked it up and youre right, he played Juror #3.
This was fantastic. I often say the George C. Scott is the only other actor who could have pulled off Quint from Jaws at Robert Shaw's level.
Oh yeah! Love that idea.
@ChrisWhalenCPA Scott would have been too strong for the part. He'd have overwhelmed the other two leads. The film called for three characters in some kind of contentious balance. Scheider and Dreyfus would have seemed diminished by his presence.
@@vestibulate I disagree. Great actors like Scott can temper their performance when necessary.
I could see that.
@@vestibulate True !
I have yet to see a movie George C. Scott was in that I didn't like, or like his acting in it. He's phenomenal. Thanks for reminding all of us!
Four words: They might be Giants.
I can’t believe that anyone doesn’t know him. Dr. Strangelove, Hospital, Taps, The Flim Flam Man, Patton, The Hustler. Performance after performance. He died to long ago and too soon.
@@gwarren6386 " The Hanging Tree, Anatomy of a Murder, The Yellow Rolls Royce, The New Centurions, Rage, Oklahoma Crude, The Hindenburg, The Changeling, The Formula, Gloria "
I am so glad that my grandfather helped raise me throughout my childhood and young adult years, as he lived on the same street as me, and I have been exposed to a love for older movies, actors, etc. Because of this I can say I've known George C Scott almost all my life, and Patton 1970 to this day is one of my favorites. Dr. Strangelove is also very good of course.
I know him, but well done for making this video. More people should know him, great actor
A day or two before Patton premiered in NYC in 1970, it was first shown to a large group of West Point cadets. I was one of those lucky cadets. George C. Scott was in attendance with another gentlemen or two of which I believe one was the director. I saw them seated near the rear of the theater as I walked into Thayer Hall to see the show. Karl Malden did not attend this premier to the premier. This was an audience not well versed in the nuances of the art of acting but it was an audience that could see right through a performance of military warfare if it was inauthentic in any way. That never happened in Thayer Hall that evening. From the opening moments of the film when General Patton stepped up and onto the stage in front of the huge American flag until he met his ignominious end in a car accident in Germany, Mr. Scott had us all riveted in our seats.
Fantastic comment! Thank you so much for sharing that!
The irony of old "blood & guts" General Patton, he took the most ground and held it, and had the least number of casualties of any general in history... Hated by Eisenhower and so many others because he was the best general the US ever had and was outspoken to the point where he really knew the dirty secrets of WWII and was about to reveal them...
It was no "accident" Eisenhower wanted him gone, Patton's wife knew he was finished off in the hospital. The evidence for his assassination has been well documented in several award-winning books, even documentaries that showed how Patton and Montgomery were told to stand-down and let the Russians enter Berlin first, thereby creating the 40 year trillion dollar Cold War.
George C. Scott later found out well after the movie was made, and of course he was in the sequel TV movie. As they say, the first casualty of war is truth!
Just watched that movie first time last week! lol
i don't remember the ignominious car accident in the movie Patton
There is a made for TV movie “The Last Days of Patton” that was a sequel. It includes the car accident and his time in the hospital. Said to have come out in 1986.
George C. Scott and Stanley Kubrick. What a duo
Oh, definitely
Everyone of my generation knows him because his character in Firestarter confused the hell out of us kids. Later I saw him in a movie that looked early 60'sish called "The [last or final] Run". It's an amazingly sensitive role, and he plays it so understated. It's Anthony Hopkins in Remains of the Day 30 years before its time. Because of Patton a lot of people don't realize how incredible versatile he was -- one of the best of all time.
Scott was probably the last American actor to be generally considered in his time to be the greatest actor in the world ("The American Olivier," when Olivier himself, twenty years Scott's senior, was growing old): a position one Briton or another has held ever since.
Perhaps it's hard for our most recent generations to imagine a time when Americans routinely played Englishmen and not vice versa as today.
WTF are you talking about? I'm 70 years old and I don't remember a time when Americans routinely played Englishmen.
Also, while Scott was a magnificent actor, don't you think claiming he was generally considered to be the greatest in his time is a real stretch since
Marlon Brando was a contemporary? Also, since Daniel Day Lewis retired, what Brit would you consider superior to Sean Penn or Tom Hanks?
Not criticizing, I just get curious about conflicting opinions while trying to learn from others.
Thank you! People get distracted by his strong emotions and don't understand how he was a great actor. "Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!"
Nothing short of GENIUS. I can't recall any of his performances not being on the highest level of acting.
Scott's performance in Dr. Strangelove is one of the most remarkable ever!
Narrator did flawless work in rendering crisp, expressive oration, indicating a great script had to be written first ! 😯
I had the honor of meeting him as an extra in the movie "Rage"! He was a really nice guy and sat with the extras during lunch breaks and talked to us like old friends!!!
My dad was friends with him and tells very interesting stories about his experience which included unfortunately being his first wife’s divorce attorney when that relationship deteriorated due to, among many things, his drinking. Dad never lost respect for him though as an actor and would agree with you about how great he was…thanks for a vivid accurate portrayal. Best regards.
I'm a huge classic film fan. Among several other actors, I am particularly fascinated with the life and career of Ava Gardner. She was a strong woman but was also very unhealthy in some ways, including being drawn to abusive men. And she claimed in her autobiography tohave been physically abused by Scott during their relationship in the mid-to-late 1960s, almost always when he had been drinking. This was corroborated by her friends. Scott never responded directly to it, only having a statement released that he hadn't read the book. I, too, think Scott was a brilliant actor and a towering figure in the New Hollywood era of film. But he could be a pretty horrific human being.
@@jsharp1701I read the Ava Gardner bio too, and still remember being quite disturbed by her stories about Scott.
This is a wonderful piece. It's a prime example of what a highly thoughtful creators can do. As a concise portrait of Scott as an actor, it touches with clarity on the whole career challenge that performers face. Congrats to you, John.
You have never really watched American films if you've never heard of George C. Scott. He has a very recognizable voice, face, talent and famous body of work. That's like saying you never heard of Humphrey Bogart or Steve McQueen.
For me, he gave the greatest performance of "scrooge" in a "Christmas Carol" of any actor that I've ever seen.
💯%
Yes, his gruff voice gave a completely different layer to the character than any actor before or since has managed to duplicate.
And the fact that the script was one of the most accurate to the books made it even better.
Yess, very much so. My favorite of the numerous films made
I was aged 4-12 in the 1970's. I can remember George C Scott as a huge star. I've been a fan ever since.
I’m 70 days shy of being 72. George C Scott was one of my favorite actors
"Patton" from 1970 (I think) is immortal. It was always on cable on Memorial Day and Veterans' Day marathons during my teenage years. But I also distinctly remember him in the 1980s Stephen King sci-fi cheesefest "Firestarter" as the government hitman/fixer in pursuit of the pyrokinetic Drew Barrymore. He was savage and intense!
I saw him do Willy Loman on Broadway- twice, in 1974. At the end of the play everyone in the theater were sobbing out loud- SOBBING!!!.. it was shocking!!. He gave 150 per cent of himself each performance. I remember when Willy was planting seeds in the floor and crying i was 3 feet from Scott in my seat ( it was theater in the round) and there were two faucets of water gushing out of his eyes like a fire hydrant in the city in the summer. Lee J Cobb created the role of Willy Loman in "Death Of A Salesman" on Broadway in 1947 and it is a legendary performance , only equaled by Scott. Cobb did a television production of Death of A Salesman way way back but you can find it on the Internet. Looking back , Scott was our greatest actor but his stage acting was on another level of bravura , magisterial excellence.
Wow!
Fantastic.
I envy you. I watched Cobb's great performance when it first ran on TV and have never forgotten it. Thank you for not comparing them by saying he "created the role" BUT... There can be more than one great performance of a great role.
Ironic how both him and Cobb play the same roles, from Willy Loman to Juror 3 (12 Angry Men). Heck, both were in the Exorcist series....
I love that scene in The Hospital between Scott and Walden where Walden is describing what the hospital did to a patient, and Scott's reaction. Scott and Duvall have authenticity in common. I believe everything those 2 do in a flick, always.
That is a great scene. Chayefsky and Scott fought while shooting because Chayefsky wanted Scott to play the role for comedy and Scott wanted to do, well, what he ended up doing haha. I can’t imagine him playing the role any other way
Duvall absolutely nailed his performance in 'The Apostle'.
I was driving by one of his old houses the other day, and the person with me hadn't heard of George C. Scott. A great actor.
Wonderful actor, very underrated. Wonderful documentary about him, thank you!
I certainly have not only heard of George C. Scott, but I have revered his acting for many years. My introduction to Scott was in a double bill of Patton and The Flim-Flam Man at a drive-in theater in the early 1970s when I was about 11 or 12 years old.
Subsequently, I saw him in Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, Dr. Strangelove, and The Hospital when those played on the late night and weekend movies on TV in the 1970s.
I saw Flim Flam Man as a kid, too. It made a huge impression. Blew my little mind.
What a combo for a double feature.
@@georgestreng True! It did show George C. Scott's range.
These were the exact same movies that came to define Scott for me. I don't know if Patton or Dr. Strangelove was my introduction, but he was really something.
And his version of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Better than a movie star. A true artist of his craft.
Loved this guy so much growing up. Dr Strangelove, Patton, Jane Eyre, & a Christmas Carol(Best version for my money & he was excellent). He's so good, so good. Just solid.
He was not a movie star. Some movie stars were fantastic actors and some were not.
George C. Scott is one of the greatest ever! Thank you for making this video and giving GCS the credit he deserves.
ONE OF MY ALL-TIME. FAVORITES...NO ONE PLAYED EBINEZER SCROOGE LIKE THIS MAN..
I distinctly remember reading an LA Times story of GCS retiring from acting, and calling the acting profession essentially childish. It impressed me as accurate, with a touch of self-contempt or perhaps just modesty. He sure was good at what he did on the set, though.
George C. Scott is in the pantheon of great actors and movie stars. The fact he was apparently a lovely human is icing on the cake. His comedic performance in Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece in a masterpiece.
If you say you're in the movies and you never heard of this man, you haven't even scrached the surface of cinema.
My compliments. Pitch perfect - from the editing (!!!) to the writing, this clip's a winner start to finish. Bravo. The only negative: You've dropped 15 GCScott movies in my lap that I now have to make time to (re)watch. Never even heard of 'The Hospital' but that's Job #1. Oh, and then there's Jimmy Cagney. Forgive me for seeing hamminess in every frame, but if our hero says he was a god, then I must do an about face.
There was always something special about George C. Scott. What a cool guy. 🥰
I'm 54, a Danish man who grew up with black and white American movies dubbed in German on German TV. (Later I've rewatched most of them several times with original speak, and discovered that some of them were not b&w at all, but colour! We only had b&w at home until the early 80es...)
As a history nerd, I sometimes think of WW2 - and when I think about something involving Patton, I see Scott's face in my mind.
I know it would put me on charge for unamerican thoughts if I had been a US citizen, but I don't believe in ranking and competitions, saying so-and-so is better than whats-his-name. I do love James Stewart, because he just is so lovable, so low-key, so humble (at least he gave that impression), besides being probably rather conservative for my Scandinavian socialist taste, although in a good, or at least always well-meaning and kind way, eould be his only flaw, maybe except that he doesn't seem to be an actor at all: the roles he played were just like him, whether it's the righteous lawyer bringing order to the "wild west", or a pilot trying to save his passengers in the desert, or an accountant who despairs over a money problem that isn't really his fault, or the baseball pro who returns to the Air Force as the truehearted patriot he is, without regard for his career or even his wife. (I do like him when he has company of a 1.92 m invisible white rabbit too - Jimmy was good enough to not take things too seriously always, just the right amount, which also made him a great comedian.) I believe he was that man, and the biographies I've seen seem to confirm this. Today we have Tom Hanks - nobody would find _him_ believable as a villain.
George C. Scott is the opposite. You don't see him. He is not there, in the movies he is in. You don't see him - you see the prosecutor Claude Dancer, you see the not-quite-as-insane-as-Ripper General Turgidson, you see - Patton. I'm sure I must have seen one or two more of Scott's movies - I'm not sure, but if I have I didn't see him, because he just was the role. I don't know who else has this talent - Jack Nicholson maybe, or John Malkovich?
Thank you for reminding me of how great an actor he was. Even if I _had_ heard about him. :-)
yes yes yes
George C. Scott is legendary and always will be. I’ve seen everything he’s been in except stage acting. The first time I saw him was in the series, “East Side, West Side.” Each hour was a raw piece of life. Perhaps that was why it was cancelled. From what I understand, Scott wanted the rawness and the realness. I wish it could be rerun. All his pictures were intense and real. In “The New Centurions,” Scott had a role with newcomer, Stacy Keach. Now Keach is being hailed as one of the best actors for his body of work.
Enjoyed that. George was definitely underrated by many critics during and after his career. A force of nature.
Man-o-man, thank you for covering George C. Scott! IMO I feel he might have been eclipsed more by other peers of the day, because he was an (amazing) actor first & a star second.
Well said!
He was in the movie "Angus'' and played the role with an enjoyable zest and subtle dignity. He was a giant on the screen.
What a great documentary. To be embarrassingly honest, I’ve only seen a handful of his films:Patton,Dr. Strangelove,A Christmas Carol, and The Exorcist III. But thanks to this video I’m defiantly going to binge his filmography over the coming weeks and months. Thank you for sharing.
Great video. Looking forward to seeing other deep dive videos like this in the future.
Another magnificent actor, incredibly famous and successful in his day and now since forgotten, is Oliver Reed. People who know him nowadays mostly recognise him as Proximo from "The Gladiator," a brilliant farewell performance. Everything he appeared in was instantly improved tenfold by his presence, even crap dialogue sounded golden coming from him (and he did a lot of crap dialogue throughout his later career).
Originally he was lauded for his performances in "Oliver!" and "The Devils." Just like Scott, and many other stars of the 60/70's, such as his fellow "hellraisers", Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, and Richard Burton (all brilliant actors) he had an excessive proclivity towards alcohol. Really seemed like an essential part of stardom in those times.
I think these guys got into the booze because they quickly realized that the business of make believe could never come close to the people they were portraying. And they also hated what the average people viewed as great in the entertainment business like popcorn flicks when they're trying to be a lot more profound. So they needed an escape from it. If you need escapism from the business of escapism, you're probably in real trouble. And they didn't have the mental tools to deal with it in a healthy way.
@@BigBadJerryRogers I don't that was it in the case of the Hellraiser bunch, with the exception of Richard Burton, perhaps. Reed, O'Toole, and Harris really were just those kinds of natural, charming drunkards. They would've been drinking anyway, I reckon.
@@UmbrellaGent Id say what I'm describing applies to tons of actors by this point, with the drugs as well. And it depended on how someone like Oliver Reed happened to be feeling that day, there's a lot of stories about him not being so cheery and getting physical and being abrasive. He made it clear he didn't think acting was a very manly thing to be doing.
@@BigBadJerryRogers Yes, that's fair.
@@UmbrellaGent Yes, they would've been drinking anyway...
He was a big fan of the Detroit Tigers and was a guest announcer on a Monday Night Baseball game in Tiger Stadium. Early 70's. He was really into that game and threw a few zingers at Tony Kubek for his fawning all over Howard Cosell. I remember Frank Howard hit a late home run to win it for the Tigers and George was so ecstatic he almost jumped out of booth. It was quite a night.
This is a great tribute. Thanks for reintroducing this great actor to me… as a teenager I watched a lot of his movies.
I do have to mention the superb bit of acting Scott did at the climax of the trial in "Anatomy Of A Murder." The prosecuting attorney played by Scott thinks he's going in for the kill, and then the witness he's questioning gives him an answer he NEVER expected to get that blows his case completely out of the water. Totally.
(I won't tell you what it is and spoil it for you if you've never seen the movie.)
The look on Scott's face changes constantly but subtly and it's a look of horror, dismay, defeat, shock, and frustration all rolled into one. Just fantastic!
My wife and I saw him and Trish in a play at the Henry Fonda Theater and he was fantastic. The second half the the play starts, the curtains open and Scott stumbles out drunk or so we thought. We both thought "Uh oh, he's smashed." It was part of the play! It actually looked like they were going to have to stop the play. I have an autographed Patton photo. George C was one tree in the forest.
To me, Scott’s greatest characteristic was his intensity. Perhaps the most intense actor I’ve ever seen. To this day, if I see Patton, I can’t turn it off. And that’s true of most of his roles….
I hear you! I don't know how many times I've put "Patton" in the VCR just to watch the speech and the next thing you know it's three hours later! There's no such thing as a short visit with Scott's General Patton!
He was so everywhere in the 60s and 70s that I feel like he’s my SUPER intense uncle I grew up with. The idea that he’s being forgotten really bums me out.
This was so good, thank you!
Saw him on Broadway in The Andersonville Trial in the early 60s He was simply brilliant.
If you haven't heard of Scott, by all means see his best-known films, but do NOT miss They Might Be Giants and The List of Adrian Messenger. Oh, and Islands in the Stream. Great scores by John Barry and Jerry Goldsmith, respectively.
They Might Be Giants is perhaps my favorite of his!
@@thisisastory Too late! You said, "The Hospital"!!
Yes, Islands in The Stream! Very poignant.
As soon as you said "by all means" I began reading your comment in George C Scott voice.
Yes, They Might Be Giants where Scott’s character, who thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes, tells Joanne Woodward, playing his psychiatrist, that she should try to think of herself as adequate. It’s the best.
Once in a while the RUclips algorithm lands me in a genuine excellent video. This is one of those occasions. For so many years I have been mesmerized by George C. Scott's "Patton" portrayal to the point that I have watched the 3 hour movie several times. Thank you for this video honoring the Greatest Movie Star "people" have never heard about. Some of us have! Thanks.
That's very kind of you, thank you!
Great video! Without a doubt one of my favorite actors of all time, just one of those rare people that really make you pay attention whenever they're on screen.
Had the distinct pleasure to see him work on a Broadway stage back in '81. When I told someone about it later, they asked me what he was like. My answer? "Just as I expected: larger than life!" What a presence.
I think most people are aware of him. Certainly those Generation X and older are well aware. I remember seeing him in the Christmas Carol on TV. (My favorite film version of the tale.) That being my first exposure to George C Scott. It wasn’t the last.
Totally agree. Best version, so much so that I can't get into any other version of that story.
😅
@@TerryLightfoot I also really appreciate that this version doesn't shy away from the political and economic realities of the Victorian Era that most versions tend to downplay. I really feel its the closest to Dickens original tale.
@@TerryLightfoot - 'Patton' was probably his best-known acting role and movie, but he was great in anything he did !
Gen X would also be familiar with his son Campbell Scott - whom I always liked and who projected the polar opposite persona to his father, having this quiet, soft-spoken, gentle, introspective kind of demeanour, which perhaps got him cast as romantic leads in big films like "Dying Young" (which got a ton of press as it was a Julia Roberts film, not long after "Pretty Woman"), "Singles" and as a sympathetic gay character in "Longtime Companion."
Campbell didn't really inherit George's looks either, fortunately for him, and back in the day he was quite attractive. So he was cast in quite a different way to George.
I think with a few of the right films here and there, or a hit TV series, Campbell might have become a bigger star than he did. But perhaps that's the way he likes it.
Oh wow what a brilliant video. Seriously, the way you relay information and reeled us in for more while captivating us all the while was everything I hope to find when I watch a video essay. Bravo!
This was sooo well formulated, bravo👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🍻
Wonderful job on this! Scott was a fascinating actor. I wasn't interested in him much when he was in his prime, I found macho action stars like Eastwood, McQueen , Reynolds etc...more fascinating in my youth. But now I love finding films that have actors in them like Scott, Strother Martin, Borgnine, Lee Marvin and others who don't have your typical leading men looks.
I agree absolutely! I liked the pretty boys and action guys when young (and, hey, I still do), but now deeply appreciate the really good actors who bring so much to every role. The quirky ones too. I love the ones you mention, also - Donald Pleasance, Elisha Cook, the incredible Richard Widmark! So many wonderful actors.
@@SMtWalkerS I totally agree. And I discovered that so many things that they were in were treasures. A few years back I watched Bad Day at Black Rock for the first time and Borgnine was such an incredibly nasty bad guy. Then you watch him in Marty and he morphs into this gentle, sensitive man - a totally different person. Widmark could do the same.
@@TonyBoyOhBoy Agree! Incredible actors. Widmark throwing the old lady down the stairs - yikes! George Kennedy was SO good too. Such a great heavy.
If you didn't know, or have forgotten, he was also (imo) the BEST Ebenezer Scrooge!
Bravo...best thing I've seen about actors on RUclips, full stop. I don't know who does "This is a Story", but his honesty underestimates his intuition, which is first rate. Whoever you are you should be proud of yourself for pealing back all the nonsense and seeing so clearly what nearly everyone else has missed. Bravissimo!
Holy cow - I guess I'm getting old. Referring to George C. Scott as a movie star "you've never heard about" just blew the top of my head off. Scott is LEGENDARY, or at least he was to members of my generation.
Maureen Stapleton got over her fear of George C. Scott. After working with him, she would describe him as "my big pussycat," and always use that term when referring to him for years afterward. 😊
He did have a Romantic lead role…He was my favorite Mr. Rochester in the 1970 version of my favorite novel, “Jane Eyre” with Susannah York! And he embodied Charlotte Bronte’s troubled character better than any other actor who played the role.
Absolutely!
@@MSinclairStevens 💞
Great video!! George C Scott is a name that I have heard many times. Now when I hear it, I will have more context and appreciation. Also looking forward to diving in to his filmography. Again, this was truly wonderful content. 👍👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you so much!
I loved him in the tv series "East side West Side". He was brilliant and I was sad when it was cancelled.
He was married to two fine actresses: Colleen Dewhurst and Trish Van Devere, both exemplary actresses on stage.
I’m glad you snuck in that clip from The Rescuers Down Under. Animators typically channel the actor’s likeness into their animated characters, and this one was perfection.
"Never heard about"...? Maybe if you were born in 2023. His talent was miles above most living actors today. Iconic. I recommend (in no specific order) "Patton", "The Hospital", "Dr. Strangelove", and everything in between.
You just got yourself a subscriber. Impeccable editing and great spotlight on an Actor I have often seen but never thought about.
Just subscribed. This was a great essay. I loved every aspect of its production (writing, narration including your pauses for effect, musical selections, choice of video clips, etc.). I dug it so much that I watched it twice and I NEVER do that.
Please make more long form videos. 👍🏽
Thank you so much! That’s really kind of you. I will keep going
I must agree, watched 3 times!
Hear, hear. I'm a connoisseur of stuff like this, and this piece is as good as it gets
Millennials, Gen X's and Gen Z's haven't heard of him. Generations before them have heard of him and know of him as one of America's finest actors. No actor should ever be forgotten. I would suggest everyone on RUclips give this talent man his due.
Nonsense.
Im pretty sure gen xers know GCS and willing to bet more millennials know than you realize
@@prilljazzatlanta5070 Right. Who hasn't seen Patton or Dr. Strangelove?
Gen x here.. I have heard of him.
Gen Xers should and would know Scott. Not only was he still doing movies when we were growing up, but the TV movie reruns alone, featuring movies with Scott in them, were aplenty back then.
Please don't group us in with Y and Z in terms of pop culture, we might as well be on different planets when it comes to that. :]
I once watched George C Scott filming a scene in the West Village, NYC, in the 80s. George, in suit and raincoat, was jumping out of a taxi and running up a stairway. Then he'd start over. The cab would drive around the block and he would jump out and run up the stairs again. I'd always thought him a brilliant actor and I watched him do this over and over for an hour. You know what? Every time he did it, it was fresh. I never figured out what movie it was, though. I remember that more than many of the movies I saw then.
Respect for giving George C his flowers. He was a master of his craft and one of the most unique actors in the history of cinema.🎥🙏🏼
I would have to say that The Changeling is my favourite of all his films. I’ll be watching that classic again in the coming weeks as Halloween approaches.
RIP George C Scott.🔥🎥👍🏼
I grew up watching George C Scott movies. I always thought he was one of the best. Authenticity was one of his key talents. Funny thing is they're aren't too many male actors born since about 1970 that impress the way the earlier actors did. And it get's even worse by the 80s. Wonder why that is?
It could be the after effects of the war. I think actors back then had a way about them that people today don’t seem to have. Some do. Oddly enough Jim Carrey comes to mind
they are now effeminized
@@errorsofmodernism7331
Why is it only incels complain about manliness these days?
I have seen a few of his movies great stuff!
Because these days Hollywood only goes for (no good stories) Flim-Flam , Empty Action Movies ! - @@thisisastory
Anatomy of a Murder, Dr. Strangelove, Patton, Hardcore, etc. I would say George C. Scott's filmography has made its mark.
George Scott was amazingly funny in Dr. Strangelove. His comic timing was perfect. He acted like a a ballet dance dances, with amazing precision. Funnier if possible than Peter Sellers yet terrifying at the same time because he made you believe this was really a guy with nukes. I can understand why he kept coming back to acting. He was a conflicted man and simply better at being someone else.
George C. Scott is the epitome of underrated acting. Excellent video. Kudos on your editing and narration.
He is! And thank you!
How can someone who won FOUR Academy Awards be cosidered an “underrated actor?”
There never has been a shadow of a doubt that Scott was among the best actor of his generation.
@@mymanjosquin four NOMINATIONS, one win
Perhaps the reason for that underrated is/was that he had Not a pretty Hollywood face - and that he was too intense for many people !
You must be young. Everybody my age knows George C. Scott. I suppose you've also never heard of Gene Hackman.
Well done Video Essay, Brother!
I really enjoyed watching this. This is good stuff. Thanks. Mr. Scott was Master Class as an Actor. Thank you for this.😀
George C. Scott was raised in Detroit. Attended Redford High School that once stood at Grand River Ave. & W. McNichols (6 Mi.), now a Miejer's parking lot. A remarkable amount of talented people came out of that public school system at that time.
No kidding!!
@ georgemckenn . . . Ur absolutely correct