ROD STEIGER, 1925 - 2002
From the docks of New York to the rural back roads of Mississippi to the war torn Russian steppes, Rod Steiger reveled in creating some of the most overpowering and difficult men on the screen. He could be a total scoundrel, embodying Machiavelli's idiom that "it's better to be feared than loved" in the movies. But as an actor he refused to be typecast and his wide range included characters who were secretly tormented (The Pawnbroker, 1965) or loners (Run of the Arrow, 1965) or eccentrics (The Loved One, 1965).
Along with Marlon Brando, Steiger helped bring the 'Method School' from the Group Theater and Actors Studio in New York to the screens of Hollywood. The Method technique, taught by Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, insisted on complete immersion into the character's psyche and resulted in intense, dramatic performances and performers. Steiger made his first significant screen appearance as Brando's older brother in On the Waterfront (1954). Their climatic scene together in a taxicab is one of the great moments in American cinema.
It was a short leap from playing a crooked lawyer in On the Waterfront to playing the shady boxing promoter in The Harder They Fall (1956). Based on the tragic tale of true-life fighter Primo Carnera, The Harder They Fall details the corruption behind the scenes of professional boxing bouts. Steiger is a fight manager named Nick Benko who enlists newspaperman Eddie Willis (Humphrey Bogart in his final screen appearance) to drum up publicity for a fixed prizefight. While the boxing scenes were often brutally realistic, the most powerful dramatic moments took place between Steiger and Bogart on the sidelines.
As mob boss Al Capone (1959), Steiger got to play another man you loved to hate. He vividly depicted the criminal from his swaggering early days to his pathetic demise from syphilis. In Doctor Zhivago (1965), Steiger was the only American in the international cast, playing the hateful and perverse Komarovsky. During the production of Dr. Zhivago, Steiger often found himself at odds with director David Lean. Schooled in the British tradition, Lean valued the integrity of the script and demanded that actors remain faithful to the script. Steiger, on the other hand, relied on improvisation and spontaneity. When kissing the lovely Lara (played by Julie Christie), Steiger jammed his tongue into Christie's mouth to produce the desired reaction - disgust. It worked! While it might not have been Lean's approach, it brought a grittier edge to the prestige production and made Komarovsky is a detestable but truly memorable figure.
Steiger dared audiences to dislike him. As the smalltown southern Sheriff Gillespie in In The Heat of the Night (1967), Steiger embodied all the prejudices and suspicions of a racist. When a black northern lawyer, played by Sidney Poitier, arrives on the crime scene, Gillespie is forced to recognize his fellow man as an equal despite skin color. Here, Steiger's character started as a bigot and developed into a better man. He finally claimed a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as Sheriff Gillespie.
Steiger was an actor's actor. A chameleon who didn't think twice about diving into challenging roles that others would shy away from. In the Private Screenings interview he did with host Robert Osborne he admitted that Paul Muni was one of his idols because of his total immersion into his roles. Steiger said, "I believe actors are supposed to create different human beings." And Steiger showed us a rich and diverse cross section of them.
by Jeremy Geltzer & Jeff Stafford
Crazy in Alabama
Brief Synopsis
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It's the summer of 1965 and eccentric and glamorous Lucille is on her way to Hollywood to pursue her dreams of television stardom. With the head of her abusive husband stored safely in a tupperware container, she hits the road on a journey of self independence and becomes an unlikely catalyst for a
Cast & Crew
Read More
Antonio Banderas
Director
Melanie Griffith
Lucas Black
Charlie Dell
Noah Emmerich
Fannie Flagg
Film Details
Also Known As
La Tete dans le carton a chapeaux, Locos en Alabama, Tete dans le carton a chapeaux, La
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Comedy
Drama
Period
Release Date
1999
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Releasing
Location
Houma, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 51m
Synopsis
It's the summer of 1965 and eccentric and glamorous Lucille is on her way to Hollywood to pursue her dreams of television stardom. With the head of her abusive husband stored safely in a tupperware container, she hits the road on a journey of self independence and becomes an unlikely catalyst for an unforgettable summer for her nephew Peejoe, a backewoods Alabama boy who gets a fast education in matters of personal freedom, women's rights and racial prejudice.
Director
Antonio Banderas
Director
Cast
Melanie Griffith
Lucas Black
Charlie Dell
Noah Emmerich
Fannie Flagg
Kirk Fox
Paul Ben-victor
Urisino Frank Lourino
Lance Spellerberg
Philip Carter
Marva Wright
Jerry Lee Leighton
Oliver Clark
Louis Miller
William Converse-roberts
Tim Snowber
Lead Person
Milly Ericson
Dexter Le Blanc
Paul Mazursky
Holmes Osborne
Wayne Ferrara
Dakota Johnson
Amanda Aday
Cathy Moriarty
Madison Mason
Dudley F Craig
Robert Wagner
Tom Mccleister
Sidney J Lodrigue
Don Thomas
Jim Antonio
Tracy Griffith
Richard Schiff
Michael Arata
Thurn Hoffman
David Morse
James R. Dyer
Mark W Johnson
John Beasley
Brad Beyer
Marion Zinser
Jess Bryan
Meat Loaf
Sandra Seacat
Jackson Isaacs
Stella Banderas
Jack Stephens
John Fleck
Rod Steiger
Lia Chapman
Dane Le Blanc
Carl Le Blanc
Elizabeth Perkins
Brent Briscoe
Tony Amendola
Randal Kleiser
Emily Guidry
David Speck
Barbara Tasker
Linda Hart
Crew
Nate Adams
Song Performer
Nate Adams
Song
Harold Allen
Song Performer
Harold Allen
Song
Douglas B Arnold
Sound
Shorty Ashford
Song Performer
Shorty Ashford
Song
Michael Atwell
Art Director
Carmen Baker
Assistant Sound Editor
Warren Barker
Song
Jorge L Baron
Assistant Director
Guy Norman Bee
Steadicam Operator
Dan Bentley
Assistant Property Master
Bill W Benton
Rerecording
Steve Birkett
Boom Operator
Kevin Bissada
Production Assistant
Erin Borel
Other
James Borgardt
Adr Editor
Luke Borghi
Apprentice
Alex Bradford
Song
Jim Brookshire
Sound Editor
Michael Broomberg
Foley Artist
Candice Campos
Assistant Production Coordinator
Guy Carawan
Song
Jon Carpenter
Transportation Captain
Buddy Carr
Dolly Grip
Jeff Charbonneau
Music Editor
Tim Chau
Sound Editor
Mark Childress
Screenplay
Mark Childress
Source Material (From Novel)
John Chisholm
Other
Joe Coble
Craft Service
Albert Collins
Song
Devon Curry
Adr Editor
Burt Dache
Song Performer
Xanthia Decaux
Casting Associate
Jo Doster
Location Casting
Richard Duarte
Foley Mixer
Stephanie Dupuy
Location Manager
James R. Dyer
Unit Production Manager
James R. Dyer
Executive Producer
Susan Ehrhart
Other
Joy Ellison
Dialect Coach
David Erwin
On-Set Dresser
Peter Ettinger
Assistant Editor
Rae Jean Ferreri
Song
Leigh French
Voice Casting
Sierra French-myerson
Casting Associate
Elisabeth Fry
Makeup Supervisor
Kris Fullan Martinez
Production Coordinator
Sam Gaglani
Assistant
Wilma Garscadden-gahret
Script Supervisor
Albert Gasser
Sound Editor
Lonnie Gatlin
Lighting
Gerry Goffin
Song
Linda Goldstein-knowlton
Producer
Howard Greenfield
Song
Robert Greenfield
Set Decorator
Jeffrey J. Haboush
Rerecording
Frank Hamilton
Song
Lee Hazlewood
Song
Justine Hebron
Production Coordinator
Gary Hecker
Foley Artist
Hilary Hellman
Assistant
Mo Henry
Negative Cutting
Debra Hill
Producer
Zilphia Horton
Song
Maysie Hoy
Editor
Steele Hunter
Grip
Jeff Imada
Stunt Coordinator
Doug Jackson
Sound Editor
Drake Jenevein
Assistant Sound Editor
Malle Jensen
Assistant
Nils C Jensen
Sound Editor
Audrey A Johnson
Assistant Property Master
Kent Johnson
Property Master
Robert C. Jones
Editor
Gene Kearney
Key Grip
Jack Keller
Song
Gene Kelly
Production Accountant
David Kern
Sound Editor
Carole King
Song
Carole King
Song Performer
Noelle King
Set Designer
Robert E Krattiger
Lighting Technician
J. T. Lannen
Transportation Co-Captain
Lonnie Leibowitz
Song
Little Richard
Song Performer
Little Richard
Song
Deborah Lurie
Original Music
Julio Macat
Director Of Photography
Ralph Maiers
Visual Effects Supervisor
Mindy Marin
Casting
Daniel May
Song Performer
Daniel May
Song
Graciela Maz=n
Costume Designer
Virginia Mccollam
Location Manager
Chitra F Mojtabai
Assistant Director
Cecilia Montiel
Production Designer
Jim Morris
Location Manager
Jennifer Morrison Holyfield
Costumes
Piero Mura
Sound Editor
Candace Neal
Hair Stylist
Ralph Nelson
Photography
Valli O'reilly
Makeup
Greg Orloff
Rerecording
Nic Papanickolas
Dolly Grip
George Parra
Assistant Director
Ron Peterson
Assistant Camera Operator
Steve Peterson
Assistant Camera Operator
Joe Ramsey
Special Effects Coordinator
Patricia Ramsey
Special Effects Foreman
Larold Rebhun
Music
Tiffany Reinhard
Assistant Production Accountant
Jonathan Sacks
Original Music
Pete Seeger
Song
Ashley Sibille
Production Assistant
Diane Sillan Isaacs
Producer
Nancy Sinatra
Song Performer
Mark Snow
Music
John Earl Stone
Construction Coordinator
Meir Teper
Producer
Rudolph Toombs
Song
Larry Velasco
Wardrobe Supervisor
Ken Walker
Hair Stylist
J T Watts
Song Performer
Jay Worth
Production Assistant
Gina Zappala
Assistant Editor
Film Details
Also Known As
La Tete dans le carton a chapeaux, Locos en Alabama, Tete dans le carton a chapeaux, La
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Comedy
Drama
Period
Release Date
1999
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Releasing
Location
Houma, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 51m
Articles
TCM Remembers - Rod Steiger
TCM Remembers - Rod Steiger
ROD STEIGER, 1925 - 2002
From the docks of New York to the rural back roads of Mississippi to the war torn Russian steppes, Rod Steiger reveled in creating some of the most overpowering and difficult men on the screen. He could be a total scoundrel, embodying Machiavelli's idiom that "it's better to be feared than loved" in the movies. But as an actor he refused to be typecast and his wide range included characters who were secretly tormented (The Pawnbroker, 1965) or loners (Run of the Arrow, 1965) or eccentrics (The Loved One, 1965).
Along with Marlon Brando, Steiger helped bring the 'Method School' from the Group Theater and Actors Studio in New York to the screens of Hollywood. The Method technique, taught by Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, insisted on complete immersion into the character's psyche and resulted in intense, dramatic performances and performers. Steiger made his first significant screen appearance as Brando's older brother in On the Waterfront (1954). Their climatic scene together in a taxicab is one of the great moments in American cinema.
It was a short leap from playing a crooked lawyer in On the Waterfront to playing the shady boxing promoter in The Harder They Fall (1956). Based on the tragic tale of true-life fighter Primo Carnera, The Harder They Fall details the corruption behind the scenes of professional boxing bouts. Steiger is a fight manager named Nick Benko who enlists newspaperman Eddie Willis (Humphrey Bogart in his final screen appearance) to drum up publicity for a fixed prizefight. While the boxing scenes were often brutally realistic, the most powerful dramatic moments took place between Steiger and Bogart on the sidelines.
As mob boss Al Capone (1959), Steiger got to play another man you loved to hate. He vividly depicted the criminal from his swaggering early days to his pathetic demise from syphilis. In Doctor Zhivago (1965), Steiger was the only American in the international cast, playing the hateful and perverse Komarovsky. During the production of Dr. Zhivago, Steiger often found himself at odds with director David Lean. Schooled in the British tradition, Lean valued the integrity of the script and demanded that actors remain faithful to the script. Steiger, on the other hand, relied on improvisation and spontaneity. When kissing the lovely Lara (played by Julie Christie), Steiger jammed his tongue into Christie's mouth to produce the desired reaction - disgust. It worked! While it might not have been Lean's approach, it brought a grittier edge to the prestige production and made Komarovsky is a detestable but truly memorable figure.
Steiger dared audiences to dislike him. As the smalltown southern Sheriff Gillespie in In The Heat of the Night (1967), Steiger embodied all the prejudices and suspicions of a racist. When a black northern lawyer, played by Sidney Poitier, arrives on the crime scene, Gillespie is forced to recognize his fellow man as an equal despite skin color. Here, Steiger's character started as a bigot and developed into a better man. He finally claimed a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance as Sheriff Gillespie.
Steiger was an actor's actor. A chameleon who didn't think twice about diving into challenging roles that others would shy away from. In the Private Screenings interview he did with host Robert Osborne he admitted that Paul Muni was one of his idols because of his total immersion into his roles. Steiger said, "I believe actors are supposed to create different human beings." And Steiger showed us a rich and diverse cross section of them.
by Jeremy Geltzer & Jeff Stafford
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Fall October 22, 1999
Released in United States November 1999
Released in United States on Video March 28, 2000
Released in United States September 1999
Shown at London Film Festival November 3-18, 1999.
Shown at Venice International Film Festival (in competition) September 1-11, 1999.
Feature directorial debut for actor Antonio Banderas who received the fifth annual (1999) American Latin Media Arts award, known as the ALMA, for Best Director from the National Council of La Raza.
Began shooting April 22, 1998.
Completed shooting June 27, 1998.
Green Moon Productions is Antonio Banderas' production company.
Cinemascope
Released in United States on Video March 28, 2000
Released in United States September 1999 (Shown at Venice International Film Festival (in competition) September 1-11, 1999.)
Released in United States Fall October 22, 1999
Released in United States November 1999 (Shown at London Film Festival November 3-18, 1999.)
