TCM REMEMBERS LEO MCKERN, 1920-2002
The recent death of Leo McKern, 82, marked the passing of one of Britain's finest and most respected character actors. He was suffering from ill health in recent years and was moved to a nursing home a few weeks before his death on July 23 2002 in Bath, England. An actor of commanding presence with a deep-throated voice, the portly, bulbous-nosed McKern had a long, distinguished career spanning more than half a century, earning numerous plaudits along the way in all major mediums: theatre, film and television.
Born Reginald McKern on March 16, 1920 in Sydney, Australia; he served with the Australian Army during World War II and worked in regional theatre in his native Sydney before immigrating to England in 1946. It was a slow start, but after a three-year apprenticeship of painting scenery, stage-managing and acting, McKern eventually joined the celebrated Old Vic theatrical company in 1949 and proved one of the more versatile actors in the troupe tackling diverse roles in comedy, the classics and serious contemporary parts.
His film debut came in Murder in the Cathedral (1952) but it took a few years before he made his mark in cinema. Some of his best film work included roles as Peter Sellers' comic henchman in the classic satire The Mouse That Roared (1959); a bungling train robber in the charming Disney film The Horse Without a Head (1963); a nefarious professor who kills off his colleagues for amusement in the brilliant black comedy A Jolly Bad Fellow (1964); Clang, a cartoonish villain in the Beatles' pop film Help! (1965); Cromwell, the persecutor of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1966) and as Thomas Ryan in the David Lean drama, Ryan's Daughter (1970).
Yet despite all the accolades McKern earned in theatre and films, it was television where he foundinternational fame as the wily, irascible barrister Horace P. Rumpole in John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey in 1975. Infusing the character with beguiling skill and energy, McKern made the acerbic, wine swilling, Tennyson-quoting Rumpole a much loved figure that was adored by critics, audiences and even its creator Mortimer. Perhaps Mortimer offered the most fitting tribute when he once referred to McKern - "His acting exists where I always hope my writing will be: about two feet above the ground, a little larger than life, but always taking off from reality." Enough said.
By Michael T. Toole
Katy Jurado, an Oscar nominee and major actress in Westerns, died July 5th at the age of 78. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico on January 16th 1924 as Maria Cristina Estella Marcela Jurado Garcia, daughter of a cattle rancher and an opera singer. Jurado started to appear in Mexican films in 1943. After 15 films in her native country, director Budd Boetticher saw Jurado attending a bullfight (Jurado wrote about the subject for Mexican newspapers) and cast her in his Bullfighter and the Lady (1952), her Hollywood debut. For much of her career Jurado alternated between the two film industries. In the US, she was memorable for the sensual energy she brought to roles in High Noon (1952), One-Eyed Jacks (1961) which was directed by Marlon Brando, Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) and John Huston's Under the Volcano (1984). She was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Broken Lance (1954). Jurado's Mexican films were in a broader range of genres and included Luis Bunuel's El Bruto (1952), Ismael Rodriguez's We the Poor and Miguel Littin's The Widow Montiel (1979). She won three Ariel Awards (Mexican equivalent to the Oscars) and one special award. She was married to Ernest Borgnine from the end of 1959 to summer 1963. One of her final films was The Hi-Lo Country (1998), a contemporary Western directed by Stephen Frears and co-starring Woody Harrelson, Billy Crudup and Penelope Cruz.
by Lang Thompson
DOLORES GRAY, 1924 - 2002
Broadway and nightclub star Dolores Gray died June 26th at the age of 78. Her movie career was brief but consisted of high-profile MGM musicals which guaranteed her a place in film history. Gray was born in Chicago on June 7th, 1924 (and where, according to a common story, she was accidentally shot by a gangster as a child and had a bullet in her lung her entire life). As a teenager she began singing in California until Rudy Vallee featured her on his radio show. Gray moved to Broadway in 1944 and then to the London stage in 1947, solidifying her reputation as a singer/actress while constantly giving the gossip columnists plenty to write about. She had two small singing roles in Lady for a Night (1941) and Mr. Skeffington (1944) but didn't really light up the big screen until It's Always Fair Weather (1955) even though Gray reportedly didn't much care for the role. Her rendition of "Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks," which has her gunning down a slew of male dancers on-stage and kicking them through trap doors, is a genuine showstopper. Three more unforgettable musical roles quickly followed: Kismet (1955), The Opposite Sex (1956, which Gray turned down Funny Face to do) and Designing Women (1957). That was it for Gray's film career. She kept busy with TV appearances (mostly singing though she did one 1988 episode of the cult show Dr. Who) and a busy recording and nightclub schedule. In 1987, she appeared in a British production of Follies at Stephen Sondheim's request.
by Lang Thompson
The Blue Lagoon
Brief Synopsis
Two children shipwrecked on a tropical island learn to live with nature and their developing sexuality.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Randal Kleiser
Director
Brooke Shields
Emmeline
Christopher Atkins
Richard
Leo Mckern
Paddy Button
William Daniels
Arthur Lestrange
Elva Josephson
Young Emmeline
Film Details
Also Known As
Blue Lagoon, Den blå lagunen, El lago azul, lagon bleu
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adventure
Drama
Romance
Release Date
1980
Production Company
Columbia Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; The Works
Distribution Company
Columbia-Emi-Warner; Sony Pictures Releasing
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 41m
Synopsis
A pair of children is shipwrecked with an old man on a beautiful island paradise. When the old man eventually dies, the children are left to their own devices. When they reach puberty, they discover the joys of sex with one another.
Director
Randal Kleiser
Director
Cast
Brooke Shields
Emmeline
Christopher Atkins
Richard
Leo Mckern
Paddy Button
William Daniels
Arthur Lestrange
Elva Josephson
Young Emmeline
Glenn Kohan
Young Richard
Alan Hopgood
Captain
Gus Mercurio
Officer
Jeffrey Means
Lookout
Bradley Pryce
Little Paddy
Chad Timmermans
Paddy--As An Infant
Gert Jacoby
Sailor
Alex Hamilton
Sailor
Richard Evanson
Sailor
Elva Leff
Crew
Nestor Almendros
Dp/Cinematographer
Nestor Almendros
Director Of Photography
Wayne Artman
Sound Rerecording
Tom Beckert
Sound Rerecording
Peter Bogart
1st Assistant Director
Peter Bogart
Unit Production Manager
David Brostoff
Camera Assistant
Allen Brown
Art Department Staff
Ray Brown
Key Grip
Ray Brown
Camera Assistant
Paul Clark
Sound Mixer
Lorenzo Destefano
Apprentice Editor
Henry Devere Stacpoole
Source Material (From Novel)
Ian Dewhurst
Electrician
Jean-pierre Dorleac
Costume Designer
Jon Dowding
Art Direction
Jack Endacott
Camera Assistant
Dolly Fendel
Assistant Editor
Bernadette Franklin
Production Assistant
Richard Franklin
Co-Producer
Chi Chung Fu
Title Graphics
Marilyn Giardino
Script Supervisor
Chris Goldsmith
Boom Operator
Robert Gordon
Editor
Fred Harding
Auditor
Ken Hazelwood
Construction Manager
Nick Hepworth
Property Master
Tony Holtham
Electrician
Roger G Jans
Stills
Michael Jiron
Sound Rerecording
Clive Jones
Art Department Staff
Rosalie Joseph
Casting Assistant
Jeff Kleiser
Special Optical Effects
Randal Kleiser
Producer
Aphrodite Kondos
Wardrobe
Sam Levin
Music Editor
Peter Lyons
Insert Photography
Dessie Markovsky
Dialogue Supervisor
Brian May
Music Coordinator
Greig Mcritchie
Original Music
Vincent Monton
Additional Photography
Gary Moore
Seaplane Pilot
Gregg O'connell
Construction
Mark Piper
2nd Assistant Director
Basil Poledouris
Music Conductor
Basil Poledouris
Music; Music Director
Gerry Powderly
Construction
Vic Ramos
Casting
Emile Raspopov
Sound Effects Supervisor
Warwick Ross
Production Assistant
Martin Simpson
Unit Doctor
Chuck Stewart
Special Effects Assistant
Douglas Day Stewart
Screenwriter
Barbi Taylor
Production Supervisor
Ron Taylor
Underwater Photography
Valerie Taylor
Underwater Photography
Paul Thompson
Camera Assistant
Paul Thompson
2nd Grip
Rosalie Winkler Trencher
Production Coordinator
Kathy Trout
Stunt Coordinator
Hal Trussell
Gaffer
Nicolas Van Roosendael
Props Buyer
Irene Walls
Makeup
Helen Watts
Other
Phil Worth
Location Manager
Film Details
Also Known As
Blue Lagoon, Den blå lagunen, El lago azul, lagon bleu
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adventure
Drama
Romance
Release Date
1980
Production Company
Columbia Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; The Works
Distribution Company
Columbia-Emi-Warner; Sony Pictures Releasing
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 41m
Award Nominations
Best Cinematography
1980
Nestor Almendros
Articles
TCM Remembers - Leo McKern
TCM Remembers - Leo McKern
TCM REMEMBERS LEO MCKERN, 1920-2002
The recent death of Leo McKern, 82, marked the passing of one of Britain's finest and most respected character actors. He was suffering from ill health in recent years and was moved to a nursing home a few weeks before his death on July 23 2002 in Bath, England. An actor of commanding presence with a deep-throated voice, the portly, bulbous-nosed McKern had a long, distinguished career spanning more than half a century, earning numerous plaudits along the way in all major mediums: theatre, film and television.
Born Reginald McKern on March 16, 1920 in Sydney, Australia; he served with the Australian Army during World War II and worked in regional theatre in his native Sydney before immigrating to England in 1946. It was a slow start, but after a three-year apprenticeship of painting scenery, stage-managing and acting, McKern eventually joined the celebrated Old Vic theatrical company in 1949 and proved one of the more versatile actors in the troupe tackling diverse roles in comedy, the classics and serious contemporary parts.
His film debut came in Murder in the Cathedral (1952) but it took a few years before he made his mark in cinema. Some of his best film work included roles as Peter Sellers' comic henchman in the classic satire The Mouse That Roared (1959); a bungling train robber in the charming Disney film The Horse Without a Head (1963); a nefarious professor who kills off his colleagues for amusement in the brilliant black comedy A Jolly Bad Fellow (1964); Clang, a cartoonish villain in the Beatles' pop film Help! (1965); Cromwell, the persecutor of Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1966) and as Thomas Ryan in the David Lean drama, Ryan's Daughter (1970).
Yet despite all the accolades McKern earned in theatre and films, it was television where he foundinternational fame as the wily, irascible barrister Horace P. Rumpole in John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey in 1975. Infusing the character with beguiling skill and energy, McKern made the acerbic, wine swilling, Tennyson-quoting Rumpole a much loved figure that was adored by critics, audiences and even its creator Mortimer. Perhaps Mortimer offered the most fitting tribute when he once referred to McKern - "His acting exists where I always hope my writing will be: about two feet above the ground, a little larger than life, but always taking off from reality." Enough said.
By Michael T. Toole
The Blue Lagoon
Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins played the young couple and Randal Kleiser, who directed the wildly successful Grease two years previously, was more than prepared to handle the film's 4.5 million dollar budget. Shields, known for her eyebrows and eye-popping Calvin Klein jeans ads, was the obvious draw for the film. She started out as an Ivory soap baby in commercials when she was only an infant, and by 1978 found herself in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby in the controversial role of a 12-year old prostitute. Shields largely retreated from films soon after The Blue Lagoon and focused on her collegiate studies and television. From 1996-2000 she had her own television series, Suddenly Susan.
Christopher Atkins, by comparison, had a much shorter run: The Blue Lagoon was his first film, but due to his natural good looks and heavy publicity efforts he became a sexy teen idol overnight. His next feature, The Pirate Movie (1982), was a musical comedy "inspired" by Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, and co-starred Kristy McNichol. It enjoyed some success as a cult film. A turn on the TV series Dallas followed (1983-84), and after that Atkins saw his career deteriorate into a series of B-movies like Shakma (1990) featuring a killer baboon. Leo McKern, who plays a crusty cook shipwrecked with the children, perhaps enjoyed the greatest success playing the title character in the Rumpole of the Bailey television series, which enjoyed a long, transatlantic run in the seventies and eighties.
The Blue Lagoon was shot in various locations including Fiji and Jamaica. From the beginning, there were numerous obstacles to overcome in production. Many of the cast and crew were afflicted with tropical ulcers, topical formations from cuts on the organic coral. Persistent winds as well as numerous action sequences meant that Shields had to paste her hair to her breasts to hide her nudity.
When shooting began on Turtle Island in Fiji, it was Winter on the island - so leaves that had turned brown during the season had to be spray painted green. Furthermore, the owner of the island was originally from Oregon and, obviously feeling nostalgic for his homeland, had planted pine trees all over the area. Nestor Almendros, the cinematographer, had to go to great lengths to ensure none of the evergreens turned up in the frame. . . they weren't exactly native plants.
Almendros, nominated for his work in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Sophie's Choice (1982), and a winner for Best Cinematography in 1979 for Days of Heaven (1978), had his work cut out for him in The Blue Lagoon. In addition to the less than optimal conditions, the novel's author, Stacpoole, provided very specific details regarding the island and its animal inhabitants. A ship's surgeon for over forty years, Stacpoole was an expert on the South Sea Islands. Almendros' heady task of recreating the paradise visually was accomplished; the film is full of lush landscape shots and exotic animal and insect close-ups. Almendros' efforts did not go unnoticed; he was again nominated for an Oscar for his work in this film in 1980. The rest of the cast and crew, however, did not fare as well. Christopher Atkins was nominated for a Golden Globe, but the only winner turned out to be Shields. She won a 1981 Razzie award for Worst Actress. Campy and pubescently erotic, The Blue Lagoon might not be a worthy Academy Award contender but it certainly ranks high as a Guilty Pleasure for many moviegoers.
Producer/Director: Randal Kleiser
Screenplay: Douglas Day Stewart, based on the novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole
Art Direction: Jon DowdingCinematography: Nestor Almendros
Costume Design: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Film Editing: Robert Gordon
Original Music: Basil Poledouris
Principal Cast: Brooke Shields (Emmeline), Christopher Atkins (Richard), Leo McKern (Paddy), William Daniels (Arthur), Elva Josephson (young Emmeline), Glenn Kohan (Young Richard).
C-105m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.
by Eleanor Quin
The Blue Lagoon
In 1980, Columbia Pictures released The Blue Lagoon, a coming-of-age tale about two children who grow to adulthood while shipwrecked on a tropical desert island. Based on a novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole, it marked the third time the story had been translated onto film; earlier versions were released in 1923 and 1949. The 1980 interpretation, however, was the only one to earn an R rating! Due to its frequent use of nudity and adult themes, the film earned such rave reviews as this one by Leonard Maltin: ". . .little more than soft-core cinema for the heavy petting set." But the heavy petting set turned out in droves to see two of the most popular teen actors of the time frolic about in loincloths and little else.
Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins played the young couple and Randal Kleiser, who directed the wildly successful Grease two years previously, was more than prepared to handle the film's 4.5 million dollar budget. Shields, known for her eyebrows and eye-popping Calvin Klein jeans ads, was the obvious draw for the film. She started out as an Ivory soap baby in commercials when she was only an infant, and by 1978 found herself in Louis Malle's Pretty Baby in the controversial role of a 12-year old prostitute. Shields largely retreated from films soon after The Blue Lagoon and focused on her collegiate studies and television. From 1996-2000 she had her own television series, Suddenly Susan.
Christopher Atkins, by comparison, had a much shorter run: The Blue Lagoon was his first film, but due to his natural good looks and heavy publicity efforts he became a sexy teen idol overnight. His next feature, The Pirate Movie (1982), was a musical comedy "inspired" by Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, and co-starred Kristy McNichol. It enjoyed some success as a cult film. A turn on the TV series Dallas followed (1983-84), and after that Atkins saw his career deteriorate into a series of B-movies like Shakma (1990) featuring a killer baboon. Leo McKern, who plays a crusty cook shipwrecked with the children, perhaps enjoyed the greatest success playing the title character in the Rumpole of the Bailey television series, which enjoyed a long, transatlantic run in the seventies and eighties.The Blue Lagoon was shot in various locations including Fiji and Jamaica. From the beginning, there were numerous obstacles to overcome in production. Many of the cast and crew were afflicted with tropical ulcers, topical formations from cuts on the organic coral. Persistent winds as well as numerous action sequences meant that Shields had to paste her hair to her breasts to hide her nudity.
When shooting began on Turtle Island in Fiji, it was Winter on the island - so leaves that had turned brown during the season had to be spray painted green. Furthermore, the owner of the island was originally from Oregon and, obviously feeling nostalgic for his homeland, had planted pine trees all over the area. Nestor Almendros, the cinematographer, had to go to great lengths to ensure none of the evergreens turned up in the frame. . . they weren't exactly native plants.
Almendros, nominated for his work in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Sophie's Choice (1982), and a winner for Best Cinematography in 1979 for Days of Heaven (1978), had his work cut out for him in The Blue Lagoon. In addition to the less than optimal conditions, the novel's author, Stacpoole, provided very specific details regarding the island and its animal inhabitants. A ship's surgeon for over forty years, Stacpoole was an expert on the South Sea Islands. Almendros' heady task of recreating the paradise visually was accomplished; the film is full of lush landscape shots and exotic animal and insect close-ups. Almendros' efforts did not go unnoticed; he was again nominated for an Oscar for his work in this film in 1980. The rest of the cast and crew, however, did not fare as well. Christopher Atkins was nominated for a Golden Globe, but the only winner turned out to be Shields. She won a 1981 Razzie award for Worst Actress. Campy and pubescently erotic, The Blue Lagoon might not be a worthy Academy Award contender but it certainly ranks high as a Guilty Pleasure for many moviegoers.
Producer/Director: Randal Kleiser
Screenplay: Douglas Day Stewart, based on the novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole
Art Direction: Jon DowdingCinematography: Nestor Almendros
Costume Design: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Film Editing: Robert Gordon
Original Music: Basil Poledouris
Principal Cast: Brooke Shields (Emmeline), Christopher Atkins (Richard), Leo McKern (Paddy), William Daniels (Arthur), Elva Josephson (young Emmeline), Glenn Kohan (Young Richard).
C-105m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning.
by Eleanor Quin
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States June 1980
Released in United States Summer June 20, 1980
Remake of "Blue Lagoon" (USA/1949) directed by Frank Launder.
Released in United States June 1980
Released in United States Summer June 20, 1980
