Robert Ryan: The Man and His Films

[CineMaven]

Whoaaaa... A whole season has come and gone since March without mention of Robbie. Well, I want to bump up ROBERT RYAN's thread; haven't seen it highlighted in a while. And the review ChiO wrote of Ryan's performance in HOUSE OF BAMBOO is worth repeating. Good writing! Check it out:

More shattering than last night's thunderstorm was seeing a new, absolutely gorgeous, 35mm print of HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955). Fuller took full advantage of his location shooting and, as kingrat alluded to, the climatic scene is a dizzying, thrilling and poignant ride. Robert Ryan's performance is among his finest in a career of incredible performances. The scene when he expresses his love, devotion and regret to Cameron Mitchell -- immediately after having killed him in cold-blood -- shows Fuller and Ryan at their best: a man, a sociopath, clinging to the edge of reality, feeling betrayed and, therefore, giving the Monster a humanity.

You've made this one for me to seek out ChiO. This teaser is not enough.

[ChiO]

I wanted a sympathetic heavy, a psycho with charm, manners, and the balls to disturb audiences. -- Samuel Fuller on why he chose Robert Ryan for HOUSE OF BAMBOO.

It was unforgettable for me. His assiduous digging into the character of Sandy Dawson was intense, and the result was that he had the scene and dialogue down pat the first time we shot. -- Fuller on working with Ryan.

Talking with Ryan over T-bone steaks in a small Tokyo Restaurant, Fuller got a chance to look into his soul, and perceived a rare quality in him. "There was no phony in Bob," said Fuller. Fuller also became intrigued by the paradox between his bad-guy image and his real self, noting ironically that, "Bob was a liberal and hater of racism -- yet the racist characters he played from Crossfire to Bad Day at Black Rock were so intensely accurate that he swept me back to my reporter days in the South.... Bob reminded me of the time when I was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas, to interview some Klansmen in the back of a plumbing shop at 10 at night."

Fuller concluded, "Ryan wore their faces."

-- Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography (Franklin Jarlett 1990)

[RedRiver]

T-bone steaks and Robert Ryan. There's no way that's NOT a good time!

[ChiO]

Last fall, in preparing for my Westerns: Beyond the Myth class, I asked our SSO friend, mookryan, if she had any stories relating to BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK or DAY OF THE OUTLAW (two of the films I was going to screen) that I could share with the class. She responded with this anecdote:

It was 1963 or '64 and I was in 7th Grade and having a sleepover date with my friend Debbie and we must have been looking at TV Guide and noticed that Bad Day At Black Rock was going to be on The Late Show.

I don't think my dad's movies were turning up on TV very often and I'd only seen two of them at that point in my life (God's Little Acre and Men In War because my dad owned 16 mm copies of them) ... I'd never seen BD@BR and called my dad and told him that it was going to be on The Late Show and that Debbie and I were planning to watch it.
He got really pissed off and said he didn't want me staying up late, and he REALLY didn't want me watching Black Rock ... I think his exact words were: I do NOT want you watching that movie!!!!

So of course we watched it (how could we not?) and I got so freaked out at the end when my dad gets set on fire I actually called him, crying, and saying:
"ARE YOU OK????" (I apparently wasn't very bright) and he said: "I TOLD you not to watch that goddamn movie!!!"

Kids are kids and parents are parents, aren't they?

[JackFavell]

Ha! That is too funny!

Um, you have a member of the SSO who is Robert Ryan's daughter? Holy cow, I'm in the big leagues!

[ChiO]

Forgot that you're such a Newbie.

Go to "Archived Guest Stars" and the 8th thread captures Lisa Ryan's guest appearance. If I were competent, I'd put a link to it here.

[JackFavell]

Thank you! So exciting!

[moira finnie]

Here's the link to Lisa Ryan's visit four years ago. She was a great guest:

http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... =36&t=2658

[RedRiver]

Michael Douglas says he was traumatized seeing his father cut off his ear!

[Vienna]

Wonderful to see all the tributes to Robert Ryan and to read the interview with his daughter and Marsha Hunt.
My favorites of Robert include ON DANGEROUS GROUND, BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, THE SET-UP.
Can I say generally that I am so envious of the great festivals and screenings of classic Hollywood that happen in America. Here in the UK, it is almost unheard of outside of London.
Although I am happy to have my favorite films to watch on DVD, there really is nothing better than seeing these films where they should be seen - in a movie theatre .
.

[MissGoddess]

Vienna, it's certainly the best way to see them on the big screen. I feel like even with old favorites, I am seeing them for the first time when it is in a theater. So many details I never notice on my 32" television.

[RedRiver]

Without giving it a lot of thought, those are probably my three favorites too. You certainly bring a nice perspective to this message board, Vienna!

envious of the great festivals and screenings of classic Hollywood that happen in America

We don't get a lot of it in Kentucky either!

[CineMaven]

Hi Vienna. You're writing from the U.K.? Where are you exactly and how did you come to classic films? Would those be Hollywood classics, or did you like the British films from days of olde? Robert Ryan is definitely a favorite around here. In November, there are four of his films TCM will be showing "THE RACKET" "GOD'S LITTLE ACRE" "WOMAN ON THE BEACH" and "CROSSFIRE."[/b] Do you have a favorite actor...actress...or movie that you'd watch just about any time it comes on?

[MissGoddess]

Don't miss WOMAN ON THE BEACH, I highly recommend this little Jean Renoir movie. It's imperfect, but a very interesting and at times atmospheric movie. Ryan, Joan Bennett and Charles Bickford make a fascinating "triangle".