I’ve always been a fan of Dean Stockwell. Think the first time I really encountered him was in Married to the Mob (I mean, besides when I was a kid, and I saw all those movies – Secret Garden, Kim, Boy With Green Hair, Achors Aweigh, staples on Channel 56 in New England when I was little).
He reminds me a bit of someone. Recently I saw Long Day’s Journey into Night again – and had forgotten how good he was. I mean, then you see him when he’s a little kid – in something like Gentleman’s Agreement and as far as I’m concerned he steals that movie. And he’s, what, 8?? He’s got a gift. Long Day’s Journey is a four-way tour de force, exhausting to watch (which is appropriate – no other way to do that play) … but he … as Edmund – the consumptive alcoholic son … What really struck me this last time watching it was Dean Stockwell’s LISTENING. My God – he sits there, and sometimes it seems like he doesn’t have a lot to do – but that’s totally wrong. Acting isn’t about the number of lines you have. It never is. So his work in this movie is a master class for actors. Watch him – watch him react. He is so ALIVE. At all times. Acting is all about listening. But it’s a rare gift (in acting, and in life – how many truly good listeners do you know? Not many, I’ll bet). John Wayne always said that he didn’t consider his job to be an “actor” – he said the better job description was “REactor”. And here is Dean Stockwell, surrounded by towering giants … but all I could look at was him. Watching him listening, thinking. I mean, he is also just so damn photogenic. His face is made for the camera. But the thing about it is: some faces are just beautiful, beautiful to look at. His certainly is. But there’s more to it than that. It’s that the camera picks up his every thought, we see inside. This, as we all know, rarely happens – even with very good actors. If he thinks it, we get it. It’s riveting. I mean, all the actors are riveting in the movie – but this last time was all about him.
LISTENING
Coincidentally, I just watched The Song of the Thinman with a very young Dean Stockwell. It made the ‘old’ Hollywood of Myrna Loy and William Powell seem a lot less distant, considering that Stockwell worked with them and is still owrking today.
Working, not owrking. He may be owrking but it’s not my place to say.
Frankly, i wish he was owrking with me, but we won’t go into that.
But seriously folks … it really is amazing the length (and success) of his career. He just kept hitting his stride – growing, maturing – he was great as a kid, but lots of people are great as kids. He didn’t lose it as he got older. think about him in Blue Velvet – and Quantum Leap and all that. I love that he just has kept working – and not in crappy stuff!!
He has a recurring role on Battlestar Galactica now, he’s the most bad-ass of all the Cylons.
Wow!!! I didn’t really know who he was before Quantum Leap and I loved him in that.
That’s really cool when you can watch a movie and from one time to the next focus on a completely different aspect/actor all the way through.
Yeah, he;’s the little kid in Anchors Away – and also the son in Gentleman’s Agreement, the young innocent, who gets to say, “Dad, what’s anti-semitism?”
In that long scene with Gregory Peck at the breakfast table, Stockwell (a little kid) strolls away with the scene. He’s so NATURAL onscreen. He’s said that he hates rehearsing, can’t stand planning out beforehand … The only thing he wants to know is camera placement, what lens they’re using, closeup or medium shot … That’s where his focus gos. He’s a totally intuitive movie actor. Even as a little kid.
It was just great to watch him – watch him as Edmund, observing, wincing in the background, turning away, suddenly speaking, putting his head in his hands, always thinking, thinking – It’s so hard to just listen during a scene – and feel like you are doing enough.
I’m sorry, what did you say?
Bren – hahaha
Uhm, Helen Keller on a camping trip. That’s all I have to say.
..i forgot how beautiful he was(is?)…almost painfully so!
VERY painful. I still find him terribly good-looking. What I love about him is that he is so IN his face.
I just checked out the trailer on You Tube. What a presence. He’s absolutely electric. I need to rent this now.
He has a recurring role on Battlestar Galactica now, he’s the most bad-ass of all the Cylons.
Dang it, Bill! SPOILERS! Once I had gotten Sheila’s TV viewing habits completely under my control, I was going to get her hooked on the BSG teat. Gah!
Mark – you fucking crack me up. “completely under my control” … hahahahahahaha
Okay, so here’s some of the stuff I have on my queue – I will be busy until the year 2018:
Freaks and Geeks – whole series
Serenity TV series – WHICH I WILL WATCH FIRST
Serenity MOVIE – WHICH I WILL WATCH ONLY AFTER THE SERIES
Battlestar Galactica
Make sure you watch Firefly before Serenity.
AHHHHH! Freak and Geeks! Best and funniest TV show in a long, long time.
Sheila, You do a fabulous job at breaking down the acting style and the talents of actors. I love this site and will return. Will you continue to break down every QL episode for us? Well done!