Now I can’t be sure, I’ll have to check my copious notes on the subject, but this clip below might be one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.
It is also one of my favorite clips in the history of the Judy Garland show.
He’s just intense.
An acting teacher of mine once said, “Every scene is either ‘Fuck’ or ‘Fight’. Make a choice.” He’s talking about objective there, not necessarily plot, or anything literal. The calmest quietest scene in the world could be a “fight” scene, and a scene with zero nudity, no kissing, could be a “fuck” scene. I loved that. “Fight or Fuck. Choose.”
And I look at Darin performing there, and sometimes I feel the fight in him, sometimes the fuck – I fluctuate in what I perceive when I view the damn thing. Regardless, it’s just hot to watch.
The fist by his side. How he claps. His clenched jaw. How he engages the huge chorus – but there’s coiled anger there, too. He is sitting on a world of impulse. It’s seriously an intense performance.
And wait until the last moment! Boy ain’t done til he’s done.
One hasn’t lived until one has seen Mitchell’s rendition of the last moment of this clip: the arm swing and “Michael!”
Then I have most definitely LIVED!
Who would even think of doing that happy little folk song as a hot uptempo number? All that intensity in his voice. Imagine how a modern performer would do it. I doubt anyone would choose to do it like this.
I think I love him.
If you have the chance, you really need to read the book his son wrote about his parents. It’s called “Dream Lovers” and it is an AWESOME biography of two very damaged people who somehow found an abiding love.
love it. such an odd choice to marry with the song. and he pulls it off completely. what a bad ass.
did you ever see the kevin spacey movie? i resisted the whole thing and then he got me in the end.
I don’t have speakers on my computer…I’m hard pressed to think of a more intense video that I’ve seen. Wow.
I really loved “Beyond the Sea”. I think Kevin Spacey really captured that drive that Bobby Darin had to succeed.
Remember when Ray Sharkey was sorta-kinda the Kevin Spacey (at least that is my retrospective and possibly inaccurate impression) of his moment?
I don’t know why, but this post and the comments made me think of The Idolmaker. One scene sticks in my mind — one of Vinnie Vaccari’s (Ray Sharkey) creations was performing on stage, and in the background you could see Sharkey, in the wings, doing all the same dance moves. Pretty cool.
I just have such a huge issue with Kevin Spacey – that was really why I didn’t see the movie. I can’t stand him. But Bren – if you say you were sucked in, then I may have to check it out!
I can’t imagine Spacey tapping into the raw sex thing Darin’s got going on here but maybe I’m wrong! I love it when I’m wrong!
Lisa – really!! Sounds fascinating – I’m gonna buy it right now!
Karen – I know, right? With that “Poor Jud is Dead” set … it’s just a fascinating interpretation and a damn fine piece of live television. Riveting.
One of the things I get about Darin here – which is what all those old crooners had – Garland, Sinatra, Dino, Ella Fitzgerald – is that they are true musicians. Unlike most singers today – who may have the pipes – but could never lead an orchestra the way Ella did, or Sinatra … these singers are not just singing – they are embodying the song itself, the intent of the composer – they are confident enough in their musicality (although these people are all geniuses – they would never put it that way) to LEAD the song.
He is LEADING that chorus in that clip. Isn’t he? He is RUNNING that music.
Great to see.
you know i have the same reaction to spacey, he of the ‘my eyes are dead because i’m so smart, smarter than you, so smart that i won’t raise my voice except on ONE WORD AT A TIME.’
that being said, it sucked me in. mostly because of bobby darin, though, not spacey, if you catch my drift.
bren – hahahahahahahahaha I liked him in Glengarry Glen Ross, and LA Confidential – then realized: OH. That’s all he does.
NEXT??
But yes, I do get your drift. I don’t know much about Bobby Darin – I know he was rather troubled in his relationships to women (but duh, who of us ain’t?) – so yes, it might be interesting to learn a bit more about his life.
the really fascinating thing is how into the anti-war movement he got…wrote songs about it, protested, etc. really fascinating stuff.
Brendan is right; he was very into the anti-war movement, but his “public” HATED him for it. HE was changing with the times — his look, his music, his world view — but his fans, all they wanted was Mack the Knife and Splish, Splash. Their rejection of his new music just about broke him.
The book is very good. You’ll enjoy it.
And it’ll make you feel so sorry for Sandra Dee that you’ll have to lie down. I know I did. Poor kid, she had an AWFUL life.
I just bought it. I know nothing about Sandra Dee. I’m interested to learn more.
Well, you do know she was lousy with virginity, right?
Ha!!! Weren’t we all.
That’s pretty much ALL I know!
MICHAEL!!!!!!!