Christopher Reeve essentially calls Marlon Brando a sell-out, 1982

Christopher Reeve is one of those people, in my opinion, that was so incredibly traditionally handsome, but zero sexy.

Brando was a nut. A boor. But actors have a short commercial shelf life, take the money and run is appropriate.

R2 Brando was in the industry for over 30 years by 1982… he was not on shelf life anymore. He was already at legend status. As Reeve pointed out, he was revered no matter what he did and he feels that only hindered Brando in the end. Did you even listen to what Reeve said? He’s right.

And if you’re an actor for money you aren’t a real actor.

I just watched Superman the other night on TCM. Had not seen it in a while. It holds up well.

By your own standards, Superman is not a real film. What else is Superman but an obvious moneygrab. Bitch, it ain't Shakespeare.

What are you even saying? Superman is a movie adaptation of the comic strip. Yes. It ended up being a much bigger hit than they expected. Yes. The actors worked for practically nothing because they wanted to act. Brando got paid millions and wouldn’t even memorize his lines. We are speaking about ACTORS, not movies as a whole and the studio system. Please do keep up.

You're a contrarian for the sake of it and not even cute.

Princess of Wheels who made Superman and so much shit calling someone else a sell-out.

R8 re-read what you just wrote.

[quote]Brando got paid millions and wouldn’t even memorize his lines.

Brando always had trouble remembering his lines, even when he was a young actor working in the theatre in the 1940s. This got worse as he aged. He often had to rely on cue cards when filming.

R10 no. He refused to learn them. Big difference.

Reeve's wife, with his consent, took a lover after his accident. He's an actor who has survived them both.

I mean...yeah...Brando wouldn't deny it. He thought the movie was silly, Hollywood was silly, and blatantly admited to jacking up the price un purpose to see how much he could get from them. He practically bragged about it lol.

I think Brando is massively massively overrated because he made many clitorises quiver.

I think you're wrong, R14.

Let's check it on this one again in 20 years. The kids don't know who he is, because he's not standing the test of time. Maybe they know The Godfather.

Reeve and Brando don't have any scenes together in the movie.

They wouldn't need to have scenes together for Reeve to have an opinion of Brando, R17.

Brando wouldn’t even memorize lines for The Godfather. Caan had to wear cards with his lines on them so he could read them.

Islands in French Polynesia aren't free.

R16 clips of him as Stanley go viral on tiktok all the time.

Receipts, R19?

Brando thought acting was essentially dumb and silly. Obviously there are roles he had more respect for but for the most part he thought it was just a dumb way to make a living. Though nothing was stopping him from becoming something else.

He thought acting was silly yet he went into acting and always wanted to be an actor? R23, get it together.

[quote] Brando thought acting was essentially dumb and silly.

Oh bullshit, Mary R23.

R23 literal quotes from him and this is coming from a HUGE Brando fan who's seen and read everything about him including his autibiography in which he says this numerous times

R26 those quotes are not from him. Theyre from you. He studied acting. He wanted to act. He did not think it was stupid.

Where are these "literal quotes," R26? Please quote them.

Caan and Duvall had to wear his lines under their jackets for him while filming The Godfather. Images even exist of Duvall with the script on his chest for Brando. He was a lazy and entitled fuck and abusive.

And Brando didn’t struggle memorizing lines. He just felt memorizing lines interfered with his performance so he refused to memorize them.

And a genius, unlike you, you silly queen R29.

Brando fans think like teenage girls. Same thing happens with Johnny Depp, but I actually think he's a marginally better actor. Brando is just looks and the momentum of legend.

What a moron you are, R32! "Streetcar, " "On The Waterfront," "The Godfather," "Last Tango"?

"Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life. Quitting acting is a sign of maturity."

"The only reason I'm in Hollywood is that I don't have the moral courage to refuse the money."

"Acting is an empty and useless profession"

"An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening."

And there's more where that came from, dumbass R25, R27, R28 etc.

R34 seems to misunderstand the difference between the artist and the bumbling man, who were the same person.

Both were called Marlon Brando, no? R35

R34 you’re the moron. You don’t even understand what he’s saying and taking it literal. Lmao.

I said what I said. Brando's overrated and of his time. It is more about the cult of personality than it is about a quality, moving performance.

I agree with R38. The same can be said of James Dean.

He was good in a few things but he wasn’t good in everything, which Reeve acknowledges here. It didn’t matter if Brandos work was good or indifferent or bad, everyone still praised it simply because it is Brando, and he doesn’t bow to the altar of Brando like most of the world did back then.

James Dean only had 3 films and died at 24. Comparing him to Brando is silly. His legend exists because of his death while in the midst of becoming a massive star.

Dean screeched in two films and actually did okay in Giant.

There is nothing wrong in which Reeve claimed and he articulated it with more tact than Brando deserved.

Brando had the good fortune of having a supporter in Coppola.

Without the director's insistence at Brando's casting in "The Godfather", the actor wouldn't have been able to coast on his reputation for the remainder of his career and live on bloated paychecks for little-to-no effort.

Speaking of bloated: In her book, Streisand talks about how Brando was so fat that they had to pry him out of his Porsche when he came for a visit.

R43 you must think The Godfather was his big role. He was cast because he was such a massive star. Same reason he was cast in Superman.

Why not reveal his name, R12?

[quote] you must think The Godfather was his big role.

No [43] , but Brando was all washed-up by the time that Coppola advocated for the casting.

Brando hadn't had a hit in years, was derided for his on-set behavior and - while some of the films he had made in the '60s were interesting - most were trashed by audiences and critics.

"The Godfather" resurrected his career and he paid back Coppola by not turning up to the set for "The Godfather Part II" and showing up to "Apocalyse Now" without having read the book or even the script.

Had Paramount insisted on another actor, Reeve might not have even met Reeve as the Salkind would have gone with whoever played Vito or Paul Newman.

[quote] Reeve might not have even met Reeve

Reeve might not have even met Brando.

By the time he appeared in [italic]Superman[/italic] Brando was way past being disillusioned about the film industry and was strictly interested in making money. He had put a lot of effort into his directorial debut [italic]One-Eyed Jacks[/italic] only to have the studio recut the movie. From what I have read Brando's experience of making [italic]Mutiny on the Bounty[/italic] was what really turned him against acting. While that film introduced him to his wife Tarita and to French Polynesia, it was a troubled production and went significantly over schedule and over budget, for which Brando received a lot of blame in the press.

Brando was difficult to work with and sexually abused one of his daughters

[quote]Brando is just looks and the momentum of legend.

To add to R33's list of landmarks, three more varied compelling performances: 'Guys and Dolls', 'Julius Caesar', and 'The Missouri Breaks.' It's an obvious cinematic pleasure to see Brando and Nicholson share the screen. Jack revered his neighbour Marlon above all others. Legends gain momentum for a reason.

Guys and Dolls was terrible and deserves a remake. It feels like those performances were just about making straight men comfortable with watching a musical, a la Paint Your Wagon. Nobody else knows the other two.

R51, one thing you can say with certainty about a Brando performance is that he always surprises you. What an odd and sinister character he is in [italic]The Missouri Breaks.[/italic]

I am probably the only person who likes Brando's performance in [italic]Mutiny on the Bounty.[/italic] He got tons of flak for his accent and for his behind-the-scenes behavior including consuming vast amounts of food and refusing to take direction but I don't care, the movie is fantastic and he is great in it.

R29 that picture is hilarious. Thanks for sharing.

James Caan was so hot as Sonny. Mmm.

R37 and R38: moron, meet moron.

Perhaps also Brando flirted with Reeve on the set of Superman in 1977 and Reeve did not care for that either in spite of the fact that they were both HOMOS.

Hilarious to witness all you precious Brando lovers clutching your pearls because he's not standing the test of time. He was a sex symbol more than he wasn't actor, and that shit doesn't last.

R38- He was terrific in The Godfather.

[quote]Perhaps also Brando flirted with Reeve on the set of Superman in 1977 and Reeve did not care for that either in spite of the fact that they were both HOMOS.

Brando had 11 kids. (That we know about.) For a gay man, he seemed to like fucking women quite a bit.

[quote] What an odd and sinister character he is in The Missouri Breaks.

[53], I don't have much time for anything he did post-1972, but that film was an instance when his self-indulgence was a plus.

The script is a mess, Nicholson looks confused and Penn doesn't have a handle on tone or story, but Brando gives the entire project the sneering contempt it deserves and makes for the film's only engaging character.

Brando pretty much runs away with that whole movie, R60. He is never less than fascinating, even when he's stranded in a mediocre film.

A tale as old as time. Brando got 3.7 million dollars and 11.75% of the backend for 12 days work and 10 minutes of screen time. Reeve was in almost every scene on screen and made $250,000. But the movie might not have been made if not for Brando’s participation. Coming off the Godfather and Last Tango in Paris, he could open a picture.

Stranger still was Brando’s initial contention that Jor-el need not look like, well, Jor-el. Brando famously suggested he could play Jor-el as a bagel or a suitcase.

Brando will be remembered for his acting.

Reeve will be remembered for falling off a horse.

Reeve will be remembered for Superman and falling off a horse.

Brando will remembered for his eccentric bullshit in The Godfather, Stella, and for being an egotistical motherfucking weirdo.

T52 Brando was great as Sky Masterson. Spliced up bits of singing notwithstanding, he was full of charisma and charm and chemistry with his love interest in that film. Back then Brando could do everything, steamy southern gothic dramas, realist social dramas, Shakespeare, musical comedy. He was unstoppable.

R66 Biopics too, with Viva Zapata and Desiree (though the latter was his 1st stinker). He certainly had varied choices, especially for those times. Then you had a full on romantic drama in Sayonara and....whatever THAT was in Teahouse if the August Moon.

Say the 2 would die the same year. I remembered the In Memoriam at the Oscars the year after began with Reeves and ended with Brando. The only time those things got me emotional.

R59- Alec Baldwin is gay and he has 7 or more kids and counting.

r12 mentioning that without disclosing it is.....so 2003

Huge Brando fan here and I agree with every negative and positive thing written here.

Still, I will never begrudge Brando for phoning it in, selling-out, taking the money and running, what-have-you.

He got what the market provided. Anybody who can get-over like Brando did in the bottom-line, cut-throat business of Hollywood, is fine with me because he would constitute a very rare exception to that.

Fuck artistic standards; Hollywood powers-that-be certainly do.

R64, Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” is dated and has already been forgotten.

He will only be remembered for his accident.

R70 No one read Hollywood for what it was better than Brando. "Hollywood is a frontier land full of fear and love of money, but it can't rule me because I'm not afraid of anything and I dont love money" .

I remember that quote popped in my head many years after it was said during the whole Harvey Weinstein mess when everyone at the various awards ceremonies was either giving out long rousing soliloquies, or clad in black in some pathetically fake attempt at handwashing Hollywood's hands of it's knowledge and compliance of the nasty goings ons that we were supposed to believe was unknown to them for so many years, all to not lose investors, money, etc.

As another huge Brando fan I also don't begrudge him for making a dime on it (he may not have LOVED money but he certainly liked it) but as much as I respect other things about him, I also can't say I respect him for working in a field he respected so little.

*RULED by fear and love of money. My bad.

Christopher Reeve before nose thinning surgery, not as beautiful.

I just saw a video with hundreds of thousands of views on tiktok yesterday with a clip from Superman. The role is holding.

Brando tried for years to get funding for various film and TV projects he was genuinely passionate about. He wanted to produce a series about the history of native Americans, for example, but I don't know how far he got with that. Brando mentioned it in an interview with Connie Chung and sounded pretty frustrated about it.

R76 this is true too. But he should have thought of investing money on something else that would get him the money he needed. He also turned down roles for the mere fact he was lazy, something he has admitted to many times. Depending solely on Hollywood income and only then, when it suited him, didn't help.

Yup, r72.

"Show Business" means just that and spare me any beclouding of that reality with "artistic" and hypocritical positioning.

And I don't slam on Christopher Reeve for his remarks about Brando on Letterman. Letterman asked him about Brando and Reeve forthrightly conveyed his reactions. Good for Reeve.

The only thing I lament is that clip is a reminder of what TV talk shows used to be. That Letterman Reeve exchange is probably one of the last times talk shows were still fodder for interesting talk.

Now, it's pre-programmed, I'm here to plug my latest thing and don't ask me about anything.

R75, More people remember George Reeves for playing Superman rather than Christopher Reeve.

Supercripple FAG.

I guess Brando didn't know how to read Hollywood so well after all, given he couldn't get his pet projects funded.

Brando has always been a jerk about acting. He refused to learn his lines for Last Tango in Paris because he said not knowing them made the dialogue more spontaneous. Obviously, that can’t be done in film making where an actor has to be able to recreate what he just did for shifts in camera position and later for looping.

Right after his work on Streetcar, he made a comment that he couldn’t believe he got paid so much for something as meaningless as acting.

But he had the magnetism and directors wanted to work with him.

[quote]He refused to learn his lines for Last Tango in Paris because he said not knowing them made the dialogue more spontaneous. Obviously, that can’t be done in film making where an actor has to be able to recreate what he just did for shifts in camera position and later for looping.

Michael Winner directed Brando in a strange film called The Nightcomers, a sort of prequel to The Turn of the Screw. This was during Brando's wilderness period in which his career had cooled off almost completely just before Last Tango and The Godfather. Winner said that Brando was not only the easiest actor he ever worked with, but that he knew every single line and was able to do exactly what you describe in terms of replicating a gesture or a movement, handling props, and delivering dialogue when the camera changed angles so that everything would match perfectly, all the while making it look effortless.

Brando was an overrated pompous lump. If he had no respect for the director or other actors, he should have QUIT acting.

[quote]But he should have thought of investing money on something else that would get him the money he needed.

I don't know how savvy Brando was when it came to money or investing. When he was young he put his father in charge of all the money and apparently the elder Brando was a poor steward of his son's wealth. Brando's finances were in such a precarious state at one point that he had to borrow money from his personal assistant in order to pay his mortgage. On the other hand, Brando's investment in Tetiaroa, the atoll in French Polynesia that he bought for $200,000, seems like it's turned out very well with the luxury eco-resort.

He looked way better before that nose thinning surgery at R74. Some people are so used to looking at celebrity photos and nose jobs that it becomes a standard of beauty.

R56 Brando didn’t even interact with him. That’s part of the issue. He didn’t care. He signed on and showed up without rehearsal and didn’t wanna memorize his lines. He winged it. He was there for the paycheck then after his scenes were filmed he ran. Reeve saw that as poor manners and not professional nor respectable.

R56 not everything is about flirting or sex. Have you ever had any real life interactions with people?

Anyway, here is the clip of him speaking about Brando if you don’t wanna watch that whole 7 minute video.

R74 you need your eyes checked. His nose was super thin there. It’s all about angles. Idiot.

Darling, 89, THIS is a nose job. If you don't see it, you must be quite the sap.

R90 his original nose is what we see in that Letterman interview and in Superman.

I notice that Letterman ended that interview real quick.