Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Robert Altman

  • Actor Shelley Duvall Dies Aged 75

    Shelley Duvall in 'The Shining'.
    Shelley Duvall in ‘The Shining’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Preview:

    • Actor Shelley Duvall has died at the age of 75.
    • She’ll forever be remembered for ‘The Shining’.
    • Duvall was a favorite collaborator of director Robert Altman.

    Shelley Duvall, who seared herself into the public imagination as the harried yet resourceful Wendy Torrance opposite an axe-wielding Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’, died at home in Texas from complications of diabetes. She was 75.

    Yet ‘The Shining’ was just one role in a varied and creative career, partly marked by collaborations with Robert Altman.

    Related Article: ‘Clue’ and ‘Arrested Development’ Actor Martin Mull Dies Aged 80

    Shelley Duvall: Early Life and Career

    Shelley Duvall in 'Nashville'.
    (Center) Shelley Duvall in ‘Nashville’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Shelley Alexis Duvall was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1949, and was soon recognized as an artistic soul with boundless energy (her childhood nickname was “Manic Mouse”). But she initially took science courses and even sold cosmetics.

    Still, fate, in the form of a fortuitous party encounter, had other plans.

    Discovered by talent scouts working for director Robert Altman in 1970, Duvall found herself thrust into the world of filmmaking. Despite having no prior acting experience, her infectious energy and unique presence impressed Altman. He cast her in the black comedy ‘Brewster McCloud,’ marking the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. Duvall, initially hesitant about acting, found herself drawn to Altman’s unconventional style and willingness to explore the fringes of human behavior.

    6692

    This became a hallmark of Duvall’s career. She wasn’t afraid to take on challenging, often quirky roles. She reunited with Altman for films like ‘McCabe & Mrs. Miller’, ‘Thieves Like Us’ and ‘Nashville‘ showcasing her versatility and ability to portray complex characters with depth and nuance.

    Of working with Altman, Duvall said this to the New York Times:

    “He offers me damn good roles. None of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’ Sometimes I find myself feeling self-centered, and then all of a sudden that bit of advice will pop into my head and I’ll laugh.”

    Shelley Duvall and ‘The Shining’

    Director Stanley Kubrick and Shelley Duvall on the set of 'The Shining'.
    (L to R) Director Stanley Kubrick and Shelley Duvall on the set of ‘The Shining’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    The turning point for Duvall came in 1980. Director Stanley Kubrick, notorious for his demanding style, cast Duvall alongside Nicholson in his classic psychological horror film infamously adapted from Stephen King’s book.

    Her portrayal of a writer’s wife unraveling alongside him in a haunted hotel, became iconic. Duvall’s commitment to the role was legendary, with the filming process taking an emotional toll. Yet her performance delivered a masterclass in portraying emotional descent and sheer terror, forever etching Wendy Torrance in the annals of horror cinema.

    4800

    Shelley Duvall: Other Work and Later Struggles

    Shelley Duvall and Robin Williams in 1980's 'Popeye'.
    (L to R) Shelley Duvall and Robin Williams in 1980’s ‘Popeye’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Torrance may be the role for which she’s remembered, but she brought warmth and humor to films like Altman’s ‘Popeye’ opposite Robin Williams, and ‘Time Bandits’ with Sean Connery.

    The 1990s saw a shift in Duvall’s career. Public appearances became less frequent, and she took on fewer roles. Personal struggles became a focus of unwanted media attention. Yet, she continued to act sporadically, appearing in films such as ‘The Underneath’ and ‘The Portrait of a Lady’. Her final on-screen appearance was 2022 horror film ‘The Forest Hills.’

    14053

    Shelley Duvall: Tribute

    Dan Gilroy, Duvall’s partner since 1989, wrote the following tribute:

    “My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”

    Shelley Duvall in 'The Shining'.
    Shelley Duvall in ‘The Shining’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Shelley Duvall Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Shelley Duvall Movies On Amazon

    5U5WD4dl

  • Live-action ‘Popeye’ Movie in the Works

    Robin Williams in 1980's 'Popeye.'
    Robin Williams in 1980’s ‘Popeye.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • The Popeye character is in development for a new, live-action movie.
    • ‘Sexy Beast’ TV scribe Michael Caleo is attached to write the script.
    • Chernin Entertainment and King Features are behind the new movie.

    Since his debut in 1920s comic strips, the spinach-loving sailor man ‘Popeye’ has most famously been brought to screens by Robert Altman.

    His 1980 offering, which starred Robin Williams as the cackling, corn-pipped character and Shelley Duvall as the sailor’s quirky love interest Olive Oyl, was panned upon release but has since gained cult status. It was also surprisingly profitable, released by Paramount Pictures at a $20 million budget before grossing roughly $60 million worldwide.

    Now, after a difficult period as a potential CG ‘toon (see more on that below), someone thinks that the world is crying out for a new, live-action take.

    14053

    Who is involved with making the new ‘Popeye’ movie?

    Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall in 1980's 'Popeye.'
    (L to R) Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall in 1980’s ‘Popeye.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    So far there is only one person attached to the movie –– writer Michael Caleo, who, given his history with gangsters (one of his big early gigs was on ‘The Sopranos’, he most recently created the TV series based on 2000 crime film ‘Sexy Beast’ and he wrote and directed comedy crime thriller ‘The Family’ in 2013), makes us wonder whether his vision for Popeye will be as a vigilante hunting down criminals.

    Will regular villain Bluto turn out to be working for the mob? Will this new movie launch a world-wide boom for the spinach industry? We’ll have to wait and see.

    Related Article: Warner Bros. has Opted to Shelve Completed John Cena Live-Action/CG Movie ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’

    What’s the history of a new ‘Popeye’ movie?

    Shelley Duvall and Robin Williams in 1980's 'Popeye.'
    (L to R) Shelley Duvall and Robin Williams in 1980’s ‘Popeye.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    In 2010, Sony announced development of a CG film built around the character via Sony Pictures Animation and produced by Avi Arad.

    Here’s what Arad said at the time to Variety:

    “Scot [Sassa, whose company owned the character back then] called me and said, ‘I have something for you.’ I literally started singing the famous ‘Popeye’ song after securing the rights. What always blew me away is the level of the animation. It was so beautiful and unbelievably detailed.”

    Then, in 2012, ‘Samurai Jack’ creator and ‘Hotel Transylvania’ franchise regular director Genndy Tartakovsky unexpectedly signed on to direct the CG outing for the studio. Yet despite the emergence of some test footage, Tartakovsky and Sony parted ways in 2015.

    Here’s Tartakovsky’s statement on why he left the film:

    “I was in love with what we were doing, but I think the studio is going through changes and I don’t know if they want to make the ‘Popeye’ that I want to make. So they’ve got to make a decision. Right now, I’m off that project and moving on to the other one that we soft-announced, which is ‘Can You Imagine?’, an original idea of my own and a very personal story. It was hard to let ‘Popeye’ go, but that’s the business.”

    Since then, development on the CG version has crawled to a halt and now the rights are owned by Peter Chernin’s company.

    When will the new ‘Popeye’ movie land on screens?

    None of the companies involved have revealed a timeline for the movie yet, so we wouldn’t expect this one much before 2026 at the earliest.

    1978's 'The All-New Popeye Hour.'
    1978’s ‘The All-New Popeye Hour.’ Photo: Hanna-Barbera Productions.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Popeye’:

    Buy ‘Popeye’ On Amazon

    AYcy61fU

  • ‘M*A*S*H’ Actor Sally Kellerman Dies

    MASH Photo
    (L to R) Donald Sutherland, Sally Kellerman, and Elliot Gould in ‘M*A*S*H.’

    Some sad news for anyone who has fond memories of Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan or Dr. Diane Turner. The actor behind both of those roles, Sally Kellerman, died Thursday at the age of 84.

    Sally Clare Kellerman was born in 1937 in Long Beach, California, the daughter of a piano teacher and an oil executive, moving to Los Angeles as a child and attending Hollywood High School.

    Long before she entertained thoughts of acting, her initial focus was on jazz singing, and she scored a recording contract with Verve records at the age of 18. While she then switched to pursue acting, she released an album in 1972. Her love of singing continued even as her screen career flourished, and she sang in a few of her roles.

    Kellerman was able to move easily between the worlds of TV and movies, and her early small screen work included a lead role in 1962’s ‘Cheyenne’ and guest appearances on ‘The Twilight Zone,’ ‘The Outer Limits,’ ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Hour’ and ‘Bonanza.’ She made an impact on ‘Star Trek’ fans thanks to her role as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in the first-season episode ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’, playing a scientist who develops extraordinary powers and puts the crew at risk.

    On TV she’s proved adept at both comedy and drama, having worked on the likes of ‘Maron,’ ‘Decker,’ ‘The Young and the Restless,’ ‘Columbo,’ ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ and many more.

    Her film career was full of different performances, and she appeared in a wide variety of movies including ‘The Boston Strangler,’ ‘Lost Horizon,’ ‘You Can’t Hurry Love,’ ‘The Player,’ ‘Ready to Wear,’ ‘’Foxes,’ ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman,’ and 2016’s ‘The Remake.’

    6330

    Yet the roles that have stuck in most people’s minds are the two we mention up front. First, that of no nonsense Army nurse Major Houlihan who must put up with rowdy doctors during the Korean War in Robert Altman’s ‘M*A*S*H.’ Though she constantly complains about the behavior of her colleagues, she also has a passionate side, carrying on a hot-blooded affair with equally uptight Major Frank Burns, played by Robert Duvall. Kellerman scored an Oscar nomination for the role.

    Kellerman described the experience of working with ‘M*A*S*H’ director Robert Altman as an enjoyable one. “It was a very freeing, positive experience” she told Dick Cavett in a 1970 TV interview. “For the first time in my life I took chances, I didn’t suck in my cheeks, or worry about anything.” She went on to become a regular in his movies.

    20000764

    And second, her laidback professor Dr. Turner, who becomes Rodney Dangerfield’s love interest in ‘Back to School,’ where she won over more than just the comedian’s enthusiastic businessman.

    Kellerman died of heart failure at her home in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. She’s survived by her son Jack and daughter Claire.

    Rodney Graduating
    Rodney Dangerfield in 1986’s ‘Back to School.’
    1002168