Harry Dean Stanton has died.

[BaalChatzaf]

Harry Dean Stanton, a very busy and talented character actor  died today at age 91.  You have seen him in at least a zillion movies.

Here is his  movieography from wiki:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Dean_Stanton

I particularly liked his performances in Alien  and in The Rose.  He also was in  Red Dawn  and a hundred other motion pictures. 

R.I.P. Harry Stanton.  You performed well.

[Brant Gaede]

Loved him in Repo Man.

--Brant

[BaalChatzaf]

8 hours ago, Brant Gaede said:

Loved him in Repo Man.

--Brant

I enjoyed his performance in Repo Man.  I also like his performance as the crew maintenance man on the ore carrier Nostromo  in Alien.  

[Brant Gaede]

2 hours ago, BaalChatzaf said:

I enjoyed his performance in Repo Man.  I also like his performance as the crew maintenance man on the ore carrier Nostromo  in Alien.  

He went to town on that one. What was good about him was he was always 100% believable in his roles. You knew you were looking at the same actor role to role but it made no difference. Tom Hanks is like that. In fact, for me, there was one role Hanks so disappeared in I didn't know or think of him as Tom Hanks--that it was only later that someone told me it was him. That was Catch Me if You Can. Part of the reason was I was so fixated on DeCaprio in the lead, but, still . . .

--Brant

[berta]

On 9/16/2017 at 3:13 PM, BaalChatzaf said:

I enjoyed his performance in Repo Man.  I also like his performance as the crew maintenance man on the ore carrier Nostromo  in Alien.  

Yeah, liked it too!

[Peter]

1 hour ago, berta said:

Yeah, liked it too!

I haven't seen it in a while but I remember he and another worker were negotiating for more pay in a realistic manner. 

[Peter]

From Movie Magic: Ayn Rand Casts Atlas Shrugged The Atlas Society | 11/11/02 | Erika Holzer Posted on Monday, November 11, 2002 7:00:21 PM by RJCogburn:

DAGNY TAGGART: Kristen Scott Thomas Julianne Moore Sigourney Weaver. end quote

Excellent choices. Clint Eastwood as Hank Rearden? Matthew Broderick as Eddie Willers? Yeah I could see that. Peter

Movie Magic: Ayn Rand Casts Atlas Shrugged The Atlas Society ^ | 11/11/02 | Erika Holzer

Posted on Monday, November 11, 2002 7:00:21 PM by RJCogburn

They were the most heady "casting parties" I ever attended. I especially liked being the only attendee (Hank Holzer also being present but not contributing much to the fun). Those of you who've read my 2001 essay for The Atlas Society, "Why Ayn Rand Would Have Loved This Site," know that I'm a lawyer turned novelist and that, during the mid-60s, my husband and I represented Ms. Rand.

Those of you who have checked out my website (www.erikaholzer.com) learned, from the site's dedication, that my husband and I held professional consultations with Ms. Rand - not during normal business hours, nor at our midtown Manhattan law office - but evenings at her home. You also learned that, once our legal business was concluded, we would talk into the wee hours, conversation ranging from the broadly philosophical (deficiencies in the criminal justice system) to the mundane (the virtues of stamp collecting). But one topic I returned to again and again with the dogged persistence of a Golden Retriever (excuse the pun) was movies in general* and casting Atlas Shrugged in particular. Ayn enjoyed our "game" as much as I did. In all honesty I can't recall every actor or actress we mulled over - there were too many and the process was ongoing for a long period of time. But certain names stuck in my memory - especially those movie stars who were the subject of fierce/friendly debate.

We were of one mind on who should play the central character - central, that is, to Ayn: Robert Redford as John Galt. Lacking the courage to mention that, for me, the central character (or, at the very least and to this day, my favorite character) was Francisco D'Anconia, I put forth the name of John Justin for Francisco and got an immediate and enthusiastic thumbs up. John Justin, for those of you who have never had the pleasure of viewing David Lean's greatest cinematic achievement, his post-World War II "Breaking the Sound Barrier," starring Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick - and a young, stunningly handsome, and utterly flamboyant John Justin - would, I venture to say, be hard put to disagree with our assessment once you'd seen test pilot Justin's climactic scene in that movie. John Justin was Francisco D'Anconia.

Candidates for Hank Rearden were more numerous. To my dismay, Ayn seemed stuck on Robert Stack. While I agreed that Stack was an ideal physical type for Rearden, his acting tended to be "wooden" - in much the same way, I pointed out, that Gary Cooper had, on the surface, been a perfect Howard Roark in The Fountainhead but had lacked Roark's power of certainty and keen intellect. (Ayn had to admit that, even after much coaching and explaining on her part, Cooper - whom she liked - was unable to bring off the movie's climactic speech, confessing to her that he didn't understand it.) Much later, Ayn and I settled quite happily on Clint Eastwood.

Dagny Taggart was a hard case. Ayn regaled me with anecdotes about Barbara Stanwyck, whom she'd known and who had coveted the role of Dominique in The Fountainhead. While she respected Stanwyck as an actress, she and I agreed that, although Stanwyck would have done justice to the tough-minded aspect of Dagny's character, she (like Joan Crawford) wouldn't have been able to temper tough-mindedness with femininity. "Can you picture Barbara Stanwyck - for one minute - projecting vulnerability?" Ayn asked rhetorically. I couldn't picture it. We managed to come up with a number of candidates, but the only one I remember - a leading contender - was Faye Dunaway.

That took care of major characters in the "good guys" corner.

Even after all these years, Lillian Rearden in my book retains her title of most despicable villainess in fiction, so I take great pride in revealing that it was I who identified the perfect Lillian. Ayn, as I recall, had to be reintroduced to the actress I had in mind for the role but, that done, she wholeheartedly agreed: Claire Bloom. "The eyes are the key," I remember telling Ayn excitedly. "No actress is better at conveying evasion and a sort of lifelessness . . . a deadness of the soul that detracts from her undeniable beauty." To this day, I cannot reread any portion of Atlas where Lillian is on stage without seeing Claire Bloom.

The male villains were a lot of fun. Ayn and I clashed over James Taggart, her vote going to Vincent Price, mine to Joseph Cotton; in retrospect, I think she was right (although I remained skeptical about whether Price could keep from surrendering to melodrama). I came up with the actors to play Dr. Robert Stadler, Wesley Mouch, and Cuffy Meigs. I can't recall any reaction on her part to Eddie Albert as Mouch, but she loved Hume Cronyn as the brainy, boyish, likeable - and ultimately evil - Dr. Stadler. As for Cuffy - he of the leather leggings and short attention span - who could better pull off the quintessential looter than Rod Steiger? Remembering Steiger from Stirling Silliphant's memorable "In the Heat of the Night," Ayn readily added her vote to mine.

I miss those casting parties. What I wouldn't give right now to sit with Ayn on that overstuffed couch of hers at three in the morning while the two of us rose to the challenge of sifting through today's movie stars and nominating some likely candidates!

A few years ago, when it looked as if Atlas Shrugged might finally make it to the Big Screen, I shared with the would-be producer, whom I'd known for many years, the Randian/Holzerian selections. But I didn't stop there - I couldn't. Indulging in a little extrapolation (forgive me, Ayn), I came up with the following casting suggestions - the ones I deemed most in keeping with those mid-60s choices she and I had made - even going so far as to note alternatives, listed according to preference. In a few instances, I've taken the liberty of updating the list.

JOHN GALT: Brad Pitt Patrick Swayze Jeremy Northam

FRANCISCO D'ANCONIA: Gabriel Byrne - hands down (I rest my case on his superb swashbuckling and magisterial persona in "The Man in the Iron Mask.") Pierce Brosnan (if only he could shed his tongue-in-cheek James Bond image) George Clooney (ditto re his tongue-in-check goofiness)

HANK REARDEN: Russell Crowe Ed Harris Chris Cooper

DAGNY TAGGART: Kristen Scott Thomas Julianne Moore Sigourney Weaver

LILLIAN REARDEN: Uma Thurman Cate Blanchett Joan Allen

JAMES TAGGART: Kevin Spacey Geoffrey Rush Sam Waterston DR. ROBERT

STADLER: Ralph Fiennes Stephen Rea Tim Roth

WESLEY MOUCH: Gene Hackman Dustin Hoffman William Hurt

CUFFY MEIGS: Armand Assante Andy Garcia Mickey Rourke I vaguely remember Ayn and I debating about three other pivotal characters in the good-guys category, but since the choices we made continue to elude me, I'll list some actors I think she'd have approved:

EDDIE WILLERS: John Cusack Matthew Broderick Edward Norton

ELLIS WYATT: Bill Pullman Kurt Russell Brendan Fraser

QUENTIN DANIELS: Gary Sinese Ethan Hawke Keanu Reeves After reviewing all of the above, I decided to take a last hard look at the entries and, taking into consideration who would play off best against whom, I would settle on one actor or actress for each role. Here they are, ready or not:

Galt: Brad Pitt Francisco: Gabriel Byrne Rearden: Russell Crowe Dagny: Kristen Scott Thomas

Lillian: Uma Thurman Taggart: Kevin Spacey Stadler: Ralph Fiennes Mouch: Dustin Hoffman

Cuffy: Armand Assante Eddie: John Cusack Ellis: Brendan Fraser Quentin: Gary Sinese

When it comes to Atlas Shrugged, people are prone to vehement disagreement about who should (or who most definitely should not) help bring this incredibly complex novel to visual life. It's contagious, playing the casting game. Irresistible. Isn't it?

[Peter]

I was just looking at this old thread and got to thinking about casting for heroic characters and stars who lived a long, long time. Does anyone have any new or second thoughts? The movie “Tarantula” scared the crap out of me when I was a kid and Clint Eastwood played the jet squadron leader in 1955. And he was in the movie about a talking horse, “Francis in the Navy.” Later Clint was also in a TV show about a talking horse called, “Mr. Ed” and he was in “Maverick.” Of course he starred and became a cult classic playing Rowdy Yates in “Rawhide.” I wouldn’t mind seeing 1980’s “Bronco Billy” and “Escape From Alcatraz” again either. I would think playing Hank Rearden might be too tame for him. Can anyone think of any of Clint's characters who were intellectuals? Peter

As printed above. From Movie Magic: Ayn Rand Casts Atlas Shrugged | 11/11/02 | Erika Holzer Posted on Monday, November 11, 2002 7:00:21 PM by The Atlas Society and RJ Cogburn: . . . . Candidates for Hank Rearden were more numerous. To my dismay, Ayn seemed stuck on Robert Stack. While I agreed that Stack was an ideal physical type for Rearden, his acting tended to be "wooden" - in much the same way, I pointed out, that Gary Cooper had, on the surface, been a perfect Howard Roark in The Fountainhead but had lacked Roark's power of certainty and keen intellect. (Ayn had to admit that, even after much coaching and explaining on her part, Cooper - whom she liked - was unable to bring off the movie's climactic speech, confessing to her that he didn't understand it.) Much later, Ayn and I settled quite happily on Clint Eastwood . . . .

[Peter]

From the Atlas Society.  Dr. Madeleine Cosman was a medical lawyer based in San Diego, California, director of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, and columnist for The Firing Line. She wrote, “Just as armed civilians carrying muskets protect the John Galt Line, likewise at the conclusion Reardon's courage and Danneskjold's heroically wielded pistol unshackle John Galt. Defensive shooting, like flying, liberates the ethical shooter from fear and vulnerability and enhances self-esteem by using ingenious tools to soar beyond the body.”

Clint Eastwood as Howard Roark, has been discussed but what about Clint Eastwood as John Galt? What would Ayn Rand’s alternate ending be for ‘Atlas Shrugged,” if it were a Clint Eastwood movie? Of course if Clint were John Galt and captured, he would kick ass before being rescued or should we say joined in the fight by Rearden and Danneskjold. Anyone have a decent scenario?  

[Peter]

My nine year old granddaughter cried this morning when she heard that Grumpy Cat had died of complications from a urinary tract infection at age 6. My granddaughter has watched all of his videos, collects his pictures, and has pj’s and clothes with the Grumpy Cat face on them. She was also on her grade’s geography bee team today and they had their annual contest. She was sad and distracted and her team came in third. Here is a question I missed. During the time of the Civil War, where was our nation’s capital? It was NOT in Washington DC. It was in New York City.

I mentioned Clint Eastwood is 88 and I wish him many more birthdays. Olivia de Havilland and Kirk Douglas are both 102, and Norman Lloyd is 104. If you see Norman’s picture you will remember him from Hitchcock’s shows, Alcoa Hour, and a bunch of movies.