Yes, Judson was suppose to be this horrible brute of a man and Borgnine was a great actor.
But over the years Ernest usually played likeable individuals and gruff but benevolent sorts and he shone as McHale in 'McHale's Navy.'
He had those big, sincere, kind looking eyes that always betrayed the good-hearted man he was.
So it was hard to hate him as Sgt. Judson.
He just looked too damn NICE!
Ugh, I did hate the character. I saw Brognine. In too many roles where he was unsympathetic and partly I just never cared for him. The only character of his I ever liked was the one he played in Pseidon Adventure.
But even liking him from his nice guy roles, how could you not hate a sadist bigot who loved to torment other guys and basically beat Frank Sinatra to death?
It ain't the Ganges, but you go with what you got." ~ Ken Talley, "The Fifth of July"
I did hate Judson. Its just that Borgnine always had an aura of likeability about him. He could never completely convince me in the bad guy roles.
shareI know what you mean.i have a couple actors I love who one times pay bad guys and yet I don't dislike those characters as much as the rest of the audience.
Take care.
It ain't the Ganges, but you go with what you got." ~ Ken Talley, "The Fifth of July"
i thought he was quite funny.
'The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.'-Al McGuire ✈
I am formerly known as HillieBoliday.....Member since May 2006.
I couldn't stand his character! When he makes his first scene entrance, and even before he speaks....I just knew he was trouble!
I loved him in "Marty." He was such a likeable and sympathetic guy. I cheered for him all through that movie.
I deplored him in "Johnny Guitar." Who in their right mind likes a mean, brutal, backstabbing, murdering bully?
That being said.....Ernest Borgnine brought so much to whatever character he played. What's strange....is although he had the ability to do comedy.....I thought his talent was wasted in "McHale's Navy," and it was just painful to watch him in that series.
"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"
I never saw 'Johnny Guitar' so I'll take your word for it.
However I saw him in 'Demetrius and the Gladiators' and at first I disliked his character as the Gladiator trainer.
But then in a crucial scene where some of his gladiators maul the heroine of the movie he gently picks her up, shoots them all a dirty look as to say
"Is THIS what I trained you to DO?" and carried her away.
He went from being a man I hated for training men to kill for sport to a man who was a good man in an ugly profession who could show a humanitarian side.
I totally agree with you necole, he was a very talented actor. When I was a kid my father told me that E.B. was wasted in Mchale's Navy. It took some years for me to see Mr. Borgnine in various roles to understand how right my father was. He plays Fatso to the hilt.
shareI hated Judson! So Borgnine did a good job.
I had a big crush on Montgomery Clift when I first saw this. I watch it now and all I can think of is how hot Burt Lancaster was! He was a terrific actor too, great in this movie.
Borgnine was such a fine actor. One tends to forget all the movies he was in, like "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Barabbas", "The Dirty Dozen", "Willard", etc. Of course when I was a kid I only knew him from "McHale's Navy", and it would be years before I would actually see "Marty". I guess kids today would only know him from "Spongebob Squarepants".
Does anyone could tell me what signified the Sergeant Judson's nickmane, "FATSO" ?
Thank you.