James Cann is dead, at age 82.
I don't know if this is one of Caan's better-known films, but I highly recommend Hide in Plain Sight. Caan plays a man whose ex-wife has taken up with some low level mobster, who winds up snitching on the syndicate and having to enter the witness protection program. The crook, Caan's ex-wife, and her children by Caan vanish without a word, and Caan spends most of the movie fighting the government to find and recover his kids.
I always liked his "Alien Nation", an interesting (and amusing) perspective of immigration.
ReplyDeleteIn El Dorado he was just warming up but already a major presence, with that crazy hat.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I liked him in El Dorado. He seemed truly at home in the role.
ReplyDeleteHe was good in just about everything: Brian's Song, Cinderella Liberty, The Godfather, of course, and on and on. An amazing body of work.
Last time I remember seeing him was when he appeared on the remake of Hawaii 5-0 with his son Scott. He played Scott's (aka Danno) father. He was really showing his age, but he could still command a scene.
ReplyDeleteRollerball for me, and also The Gambler (1974). It opened my eyes to the gambling addiction the way he was angry and on the muscle with everyone while fighting his addiction, then he laid down some big bets on college basketball and got relaxed and lovey dovey. He just had to have money on something. Crazy, but his performance made me understand it a bit more.
ReplyDeleteGeorge: Yep, those are good, too. As I say, the list just goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteCaan also played a German sergeant in an episode of the WWII tv series Combat! He's a sharp, experienced soldier who matches wits with Sergeant Saunders (Vic Morrow). Here's the episode if anyone's interested.
Caan will always be Sonny Corleone to me.
ReplyDeleteMisery for me.
ReplyDelete