MovieChat Forums > Psycho (1960) Discussion > OT: Brian Dennehy, RIP

OT: Brian Dennehy, RIP

posted 5 years ago by ecarle (14979)
7 replies | jump to latest

Alas, unlike as with the recent passing of Stuart Whitman(Hitchcock's failed choice for Sam Loomis), no Psycho connection here.

But here is where we like to connect up with movie history a bit more "wide" so here it is:

Brian Dennehy passed this week at age 81. His family made a point of noting that he did NOT die from COVID-19.

For a number of years in the 80's and 90's, Brian Dennehy was my pick for the "big guy" in movies.

It seems like the movies have almost always had a "big guy" who doesn't fully reach leading man hood, but maintains a certain character star power based on the fact that he(and its always a he) IS a big guy.

Victor McLaglen (the Big Guy of the 3 in Gunga Din, memorably fought John Wayne in The Quiet Man)
Ward Bond(the Big Guy who seconded John Wayne as his pal or gentle conflict in a film or two)
Ernest Borgnine (shorter than most "big guys" but stocky and formidable, whether bad guy in From Here to Eternity or good bad guy in The Wild Bunch. I don't count his nice guy in Marty.)
Richard Boone(a very articulate, thoughtful big guy, but a big guy nonetheless.)
George Kennedy(Big and thuggish sans wig in Charade and Mirage; converts to good guy in Cool Hand Luke, alternates thereafter.)

Looking at that list above, its interesting that four of them played against John Wayne -- with Boone and Kennedy as villains in two of Wayne's final Westerns in the 70's. It was said that a number of big guys got their work in Hollywood starting out as Wayne's foes -- he needed guys as big as he was to beat up. (Or to verbally joust with, or shoot at -- I don't recall Wayne fighting Boone on screen.)

The RIPs say that Brian Dennehy started in movies and TV in 1977; so he just missed getting to play against John Wayne as a baddie.

But my favorite role of Dennehy's WAS as a baddie in a Western . Its Lawrence Kasdan's Silverado, my favorite movie of 1985, an attempt to return to the more "innocent" Westerns of the 50s and 60's but with an 80's Indiana Jones flair(Kasdan had written one of those, plus some Star Wars films.) The film purposely eschewed the slo-mo gore of Peckinpah and the weird over-slow operatics of Leone to tell its tale crisply, and with a big cast.

There was a bit of a problem with that cast. The Magnificent Four who centered the tale were played largely by low wattage star actors: Kevin Kline(great nonetheless, deadpan, intelligent and pensive), Scott Glenn(late of Urban Cowboy and The Right Stuff; kinda dull); Danny Glover(hot from The Color Purple and Witness the same year, but not a veteran star); and a new young kid named Kevin Costner(low-billed, he became the biggest star).

In the tradition of The Magnificent Seven where Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen were the buddy leads among the 7, or The Professionals, were Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin were the buddy leads among the 4 -- in Silverado, its Kline and Glenn who are meant to be the star pair...and it never really works. Because Scott Glenn(looking rather like a pallid Carradine brother) never projects stardom. Kline has to carry the load.

And yet: in Kline's scenes where he shares the screen(and the frame) with Brian Dennehy -- THERE's your star pair. The story will force the two characters to take opposite sides, but together before then as wary friends -- Kline and Dennehy are the two stars of Silverado.

One critic wrote that Brian Dennehy in Silverado "looks like a buffalo standing up on two legs," and its true -- and probably on purpose. Dennehy wears a big fur coat, a big beard, big hair -- he's bigger than a bear in this, and very flamboyant and flashy, with a big 100-watt grin that makes you want to like him even as he has to "turn evil" to force a showdown with Kline and company.

That same year -- 1985 -- a clean shaven Dennehy played a mysterious big guy in Florida in Cocoon . Like Richard Boone before him, Dennehy played his bad guy in Silverado like a good guy; and his good guy in Cocoon like a bad guy -- he's mysterious and menacing and you're not quite sure if he's dangerous(he's an alien. From outer space.)

So taken was I by Brian Dennehy in his 1985 films that one summer later -- 1986 - I was very disappointed by how he was used in the courtroom romantic comedy thriller "Legal Eagles," with Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah in a triangle. Because of the "star package," Dennehy barely shows up in the film (as a mysterious NYC cop) and is barely used. It seemed a spectacular waste of his newfound character stardom to me.

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

Within a year, Dennnhy had a couple of "co leads" that were good for him, In "FX," he was the good cop following wrong man Bryan Brown(an untraditionally handsome Aussie star for a few years) in a movie with the gimmick of Brown's being a movie effects wizard. In "Best Seller" the huge and laid back Dennehy was paired with the thin hair-trigger James Woods...and it was a great pairing(I remember that, but I remember nothing about the plot except for a briefly horrific murder committed by Woods with a knife to the throat of a victim...caught in the four photos-on-a-string that emit from the photo booth in which the victim is killed!)

I skimmed Dennehy's IMDb filmography and -- My God -- he was in scores of TV productions(mainly) and movies, and cable movies for DECADES past that Silverado 1985. 90% of them -- I never saw. My Brian Dennehy fandom is pretty much based on his 80s/early 90's output alone.

He was good, for instance, as prosecutor Harrison Ford's bulky DA boss in 1990's Presumed Innocent; its a shock to both men when they realize that they've both been seduced separately by the same femme fatale "for business reasons." And I have a friend in the auto parts business who dearly loves the Chris Farley comedy "Tommy Boy" and Dennehy's turn as the big father of big Chris who has bought himself a beautiful wife "because I wanted to buy myself a toy."(Dennehy is a rich auto parts king -- hence my friend's love of that movie.)

I was surprised to see that Dennehy did a "Miami Vice" TV episode around the time he was hottest in movies(1987) but then Miami Vice was a hot, movie-ish series.

Backing up in time, I can say that I took note of Dennehy's bulk and great smile when he played the Mexican resort bartender who counselled Dudley Moore in 10 (1979) and that I was suitably repulsed by Dennehy's "debut"(?) in 1977's Semi-Tough, playing a big NFL linebacker with a goon's face, an idiot's IQ and an ape-like mistreatment of women. Ick -- he was good as a terrible person.

And yes, I do recall that Dennehy got a "star boost" as the bullying Northwest sheriff(not from the South for once) who tracks Sly Stallone in the first (comparative low key) Rambo movie, First Blood.

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

RIP articles remind us that Dennehy, particularly in his later years, was a major Broadway star, principally in one of those revivals of Death of a Salesman that seem to turn up every 10 years. I always have extra respect for movie/TV people who can work the stage -- all that memorization, every night.

Evidently, Dennehy played psycho John Wayne Gacy in a TV film. I'm glad i missed THAT one. I want to remember Dennehy differently than that. (Hey, there's the "Psycho" connection, kinda.)

And this: evidently before he turned to acting, Dennehy was a New York stockbroker who worked with Martha Stewart. One day, I guess, Dennehy realized his big guy bulk and winning/menacing smile was worth getting into acting over. He was right.

And this: though Dennehy saw service as a Marine, I guess for a few years there he told the public he served in Vietnam. He didn't He apologized. OK. Still...a blight on his character that I did not know about until this week with the obits.

Oh, well, Dennehy, like other actors(Mel Gibson?) like other people (us?) didn't have a perfect life. He made his impact in other ways, and seems to have been loved by friends and family.

Me...I'll probably remember him most warmly for Silverado(above all); for the good cop in FX(unbuttoning his shirt to open his tie; I could relate); and for the advising bartender in "10"(I've known a few of THOSE guys.)

RIP, Brian Dennehy. You filled the Big Guy role well.

PS. Do we have a big guy today? I can't think of one. For about 10 years there, we had James Gandolfini, but we lost him.

[–] swanstep (2715) 5 years ago

Dennehy had one big flirtation with artsiness as the titular lead in Peter Greenaway's Belly of an Architect (1987). Here's a key scene to give the general flavor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxDHv9Ktb78

Most of Greenaway's films are pretty icy, ultra-art-directed affairs, but somehow Dennehy warmed up BOAA a lot, making it the most accessible Greenaway film by far I'd say.

As for current 'Big Guys'....Even though he doesn't have quite the right bear-ish aspect, Vince Vaughn reads as a hulking figure on screen & this has been used to good and terrifying effect twice by ultra-Peckinpah-violence auteur S. Craig Zahler in his followups to Bone Tomahawk, Dragged Across Concrete & Brawl in Cell Block 99. These films are hard to watch but sort of brilliant & they're almost unthinkable without Vaughn there to take the punishment and then credibly dish it out. 'Big Guy as force of nature' roles that are too scummy to attract The Rock go to Vaughn.

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

Dennehy had one big flirtation with artsiness as the titular lead in Peter Greenaway's Belly of an Architect (1987). Here's a key scene to give the general flavor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxDHv9Ktb78

Most of Greenaway's films are pretty icy, ultra-art-directed affairs, but somehow Dennehy warmed up BOAA a lot, making it the most accessible Greenaway film by far I'd say.

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I remember reading about that film. Brian Dennehy seems to have established an actor's bona fides mainly on stage( I don't think he ever got Oscar nommed) and could attract a prestige art director like Greenaway. Conversely, Dennehy's charisma(his size, his style) had a 'movie star" aura that could help a Greenaway film.

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[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

As for current 'Big Guys'....Even though he doesn't have quite the right bear-ish aspect, Vince Vaughn reads as a hulking figure on screen.

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I am reminded that only a couple of years after VV played Norman Bates in Van Sant's Psycho, he took on the hosting chores for a weekly series of action movies on American Movie Classics called "Tough Guys." Norman Bates as a ...tough guy? But Vaughn had the size for it.

On the other hand, I was just watching some of VV's debut film -- "Swingers" (1996) -- the other night, and though VV was funny and made an impact, he was VERY thin in that movie. VERY tall(as always, VV says "I am circus giant tall") but almost a string bean in weight. That would change over the years as VV added bulk to his frame and...voila!..he was truly a Big Guy.

Note in passing: back when David Letterman had his heart surgery(the 00s?) one night VV was the guest host, and one night Will Farrell was the guest host and -- VV had it all over Farrell in terms of ability to improvise and to think of one-liners right off the top of his head. I was impressed by VV and disappointed in Farrell(who literally struggled with his hosting job as if he didn't know what to say.)

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& this has been used to good and terrifying effect twice by ultra-Peckinpah-violence auteur S. Craig Zahler in his followups to Bone Tomahawk, Dragged Across Concrete & Brawl in Cell Block 99

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I have heard of all three films -- and descriptions of all three suggest the kind of ultra-violence I CAN'T handle(and hey, I'm a fan of Tarantino and The Wild Bunch.) VV's willingness to be in two of them -- a very controversial two of them -- demonstrates why he is still working today. He seems to take roles that others will not touch.

[–] ecarle (14979) 5 years ago

These films are hard to watch but sort of brilliant & they're almost unthinkable without Vaughn there to take the punishment and then credibly dish it out. 'Big Guy as force of nature' roles that are too scummy to attract The Rock go to Vaughn.

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Well, The Rock has done what Arnold did...turned into a superstar via a very unlikely start -- body building for Arnold; wrestling for The Rock.

Speaking of wrestling, last year The Rock and VV actually appeared in a movie together. It was financed by WWE(World Wrestling Entertainment), set at WWE HQ, and starred The Rock as himself and VV as a former professional wrestler turned wrestler trainer -- of women. It was called "Fighting with my Family"("based on a true story," the young woman is from a British family of wrestlers -- they're rather like hardscrabble circus performers.) But there you have it -- Vince Vaughn actually CAST as a peer of The Rock.

For all of his superstardom, The Rock has not yet found what Arnold found -- one superclassy iconic role(The Terminator) in a respected pair of films. Perhaps someday, The Rock will take a Vince Vaughn type role and advance his career a bit.

What we see here is: plenty of Big Guys in today's film world. The Rock, Dave Bautista, Jon Cena(hmm..wrestlers all); VV(and hey, HE played a wrestler.)

I'm not quite sure if this generation fully matches up with the "character guy big guys" of eras past, however. I suppose the fact that Brian Dennehy and George Kennedy and Richard Boone did NOT play wrestlers might be part of that. They had a different mystique.

[–] liscarkat (18388) 5 years ago

Was Dennehy in "Psycho"?

Why not go to his page and write about him there?