With Jack Lemmon in The Days of Wine And Roses, Blake Edwards, 1962. Sober cinephiles the world over will tell you that Klugman’s character Jim is pretty much the platonic ideal of an AA sponsor. It is no insult to say that nobody did Jack Klugman better. An exemplary performer, and he sounded like a pretty exemplary man, too. Rest in peace.
UPDATE: Joseph Failla sends some observations:
That’s a terrific pic from DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES…featuring an alternate universe ODD COUPLE casting of Klugman and Lemmon. Now all you need to do is do is grab a shot from ISLAND OF LOVE featuring Matthau and Randall to complete the vision.
I always preferred the television series of THE ODD COUPLE to the big screen version because I never got the sense Lemmon and Matthau loved each other as much as Klugman and Randall seem to do. Matthau’s Oscar simply tolerates Lemmon’s Felix and nearly does him bodily harm at several instances. While I enjoy the actors, perhaps the mold was set in stone earlier with Wilder’s cynical THE FORTUNE COOKIE as I detect little real affection radiating from the otherwise very likable performers. Certainly not the case on the television program thanks to it’s ingenious and intangible teaming. Maybe the secret was a softer, friendlier version of irascible Oscar and interfering Felix but Klugman and Randall nailed it and for me have become the defining actors forever associated with the roles.
For solid Klugman supporting work be sure to revisit 12 ANGRY MEN, THE DETECTIVE and GOODBYE, COLUMBUS. In the latter he plays Ali MacGraw’s wealthy and doting father, the two share a moving scene late in the film which expresses deep feelings exposed between father and daughter which brings a wealth of sensitivity to a film largely remembered today as a ’70s sex comedy.
Btw, I’ll take QUINCY over CSI anytime.
A great thing about TV: it allowed guys like Klugman, whose chances of landing leading roles in film was slim to none, to become big stars. Loved him as Oscar; loved him as Quincy (a show that is dated, I guess, but still fun).
“A great thing about TV: it allowed guys like Klugman, whose chances of landing leading roles in film was slim to none…”
And RIP Charles Durning, who didn’t hook up with TV in Klugman’s manner, but who hooked up with the Coens for a couple of really sweet character roles.
(While I’m on the topic, kudos to Peter Greenaway for giving the similar, but undead, Brian Dennehy a plum of a leading role in the greatly under-appreciated Belly of an Architect, happily now out in a region 2 Blu-Ray. Probably the best Greenaway, and a lesson that if you just give them character actors a chance, you can get some superb results…)
“Quincy” was simply a terrible show – utterly trite and formulaic. I always felt the same way about Klugman playing Quincy as I did about Shatner playing Captain Kirk: both characters were so volcanically emotional as to be completely unfit for the roles. I think I’d probably die of embarrassment if I were to watch a rerun of Quincy today.
I’ll take ‘Manhunter’ over ‘CSI’ anytime, but I digress.
R.I.P. Qunicy, MD and Lebowski, TB.
The terrific composer Richard Rodney Bennett (Far from the Madding Crowd, Murder on the Orient Express) died last night as well.
And wasn’t David Huddleston the Big Lebowski?
Whoops darn, why did I think Durning? Perhaps a memory glitch arising from his role for the Coens in their unfairly-maligned ‘Hudsucker Proxy’.
Well, Dennehy is a big star on Broadway, where he frequently gets leading roles. In a bizarre coincidence, I saw him a couple of years ago in the Wm. J. Bryan role in a revival of INHERIT THE WIND, while several years earlier, I saw a different revival in which Bryan was played by…Charles Durning!
I saw a preview performance of the Charles Durning/George C. Scott INHERIT THE WIND on Broadway. Over the course of the performance, both actors had major problems in remembering their lines, which definitely put a damper on the joy of seeing those two wonderful actors on the stage (at least, I’d earlier seen Scott in WRONG TURN AT LUNGFISH – hardly a play worthy of him, but still it was a thrill to see such a deserved legend in a live performance). If memory serves, Scott ended up leaving the INHERIT production, and Tony Randall (whose theater company was putting it on) took over the role.
As an additional footnote, I think I read years later that Paul Dano was in the production as well, back in his child actor days.
I’d forgotten completely I’d seen During in this play; thank you so much for the reminder.
Klugman could come off as overly earnest by half in his dramatic roles but his work on “The Odd Couple” – a perfect sitcom – was fantastic.
R.I.P Oscar Madisoy.
Quincy had three modes of expression: anger, bitterness and extreme rage. It made for great late night viewing in college. “It was murrrderrrr!” “Those kids died because of your dangerous drugs!”
That said, I’ve always liked Klugman, especially as Oscar Madison. Man I love that show.
Of course, Glenn, don’t forget this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WTOYykPXsg
And nicely done, Pat Hobby.