MovieChat Forums > Breezy (1974) Discussion > A BIT OF A HOWLER

A BIT OF A HOWLER

posted 17 years ago by huckfunn
6 replies | jump to latest

Truly an engrossing, thought-provoking film with riveting leads, but I couldn't help laughing at the exercise scene. There's Holden and his friend (Bob?) "exercising" in their era-appropriate jogging/workout suits. Bob is doing pull-downs with 50 lbs of weight, and Holden is doing an overhead press with 10 lbs. Ten pounds!!!

I know that scenes of people working out were hip in '70s & '80s TV/film, but this is so SILLY. My guess is that they kept the weight light because they probably had to go through numerous takes. Still, they (especially Holden) look like ... ja, two girly-men!

"Martha Washington was a hip, hip, hip lady, man."

[–] crazedfemale 17 years ago

Roger C. Carmel was his friend, and he was definitely a "girly man" on screen and off. One of the flaming actors of our time. William Holden was a womanizer, and was extremely handsome in his prime. He didn't age well, I think because of drinking and his smoking.

[–] hodie 11 years ago

He was pretty buff in Picnic (made much earlier) at a time when leading men didn't typically look at if they worked out all that much. He didn't age well, but he lived pretty hard.

"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"

[–] hooper-xxx 16 years ago

I'm guessing that you're under 6' tall.
Typically, only short men overcompensate in that manner...

[–] imbluzclooby 13 years ago

I thought Holden was overrated as a leading man. I didn't think he was all that handsome, just plain with flat features.

[–] hockeyhrs 9 years ago

Holden was totally appropriate as a leading man in the 1950's. In fact, he owned that decade (name an actor who had a better string of hits = Sunset Blvd, Stalag 17, Bridges Of Toko-Ri, Picnic, The Bridge On The River Kwai, The World Of Suzie Wong, etc.,).

Time, genetics, (lack of) exercise, smoking, and alcohol all conspired to ruin that by the late 1960's (see him in Sam Pecinpah's "The Wild Bunch").

[–] FascistAnarchist999 11 years ago

My mom and I noticed the weight too, and we laughed. I'm thinking that it was put in there as a joke, (because of Holden playing tough guys in movies) just to see if people would catch it. Or maybe Holden was just warming up. I've seen people who lift heavy weights, just warming up with the bar. I warm up just with the bar and very light weight at times.