roy scheider dead @ 75..

gonzo · February-11th-2008, 05:37 AM

just read news of actor roy scheider's death." all that jazz "was a tour de force perforemance, singing,dancing,and acting. "jaws 1" was great too but the above mentioned was my fave. RIP roy.

Brian Olewnick · February-11th-2008, 07:58 AM

Yeah, too bad, always enjoyed his work. 52 Pick-Up, baby.

Gentle Giant · February-11th-2008, 09:23 AM

Jaws was so well-cast. Against the quiet strength of Robert Shaw and the idealistic angst of Richard Dreyfuss, you needed someone to be the fulcrum, and Scheider was perfect.

Roy Scheider, 75; chased shark in 'Jaws,' fled death in 'Jazz'
By Dave Kehr, New York Times News Service | February 11, 2008

NEW YORK - Roy Scheider, one of the leading actors in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died yesterday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Seimer, said.

Mr. Scheider's rangy figure, gaunt face, and emotional openness made him particularly appealing in everyman roles, most famously as the agonized police chief of "Jaws," Steven Spielberg's 1975 breakthrough hit, about a New England resort town haunted by the knowledge that a killer great white shark is preying on beachgoers.

Mr. Scheider conveyed an accelerated metabolism in such movies as "Klute" (1971), his first major film role, in which he played a threatening pimp to Jane Fonda's New York call girl; and in William Friedkin's "French Connection" (also 1971), as Buddy Russo, the slightly more restrained partner to Gene Hackman's marauding police detective, Popeye Doyle. That role earned Mr. Scheider the first of two Oscar nominations.

Born in 1932 in Orange, N.J., Mr. Scheider earned his distinctive broken nose in the New Jersey Diamond Gloves Competition. He studied at Rutgers and at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., where he graduated as a history major with the intention of going to law school. He served three years in the Air Force, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. When he was discharged, he returned to Franklin and Marshall to star in a production of "Richard III."

His professional debut was as Mercutio in a 1961 New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Romeo and Juliet." While continuing to work onstage, he made his movie debut in "The Curse of the Living Corpse" (1964), a low-budget horror film by the prolific schlockmeister Del Tenney.

In 1977, Mr. Scheider worked with Mr. Friedkin again in "Sorcerer," a big-budget remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1953 French thriller, "The Wages of Fear," about transporting a dangerous load of nitroglycerine in South America.

Offered a leading role in "The Deer Hunter" (1979), Mr. Scheider had to turn it down to fulfill his contract with Universal for a sequel to "Jaws." (The part went to Robert De Niro.)

"Jaws 2" failed to recapture the appeal of the first film, but Mr. Scheider bounced back, accepting the principal role in Bob Fosse's autobiographical phantasmagoria of 1979, "All That Jazz." Equipped with Mr. Fosse's Mephistophelean beard and manic drive, Mr. Scheider's character, Joe Gideon, gobbled amphetamines in an attempt to stage a new Broadway show while completing the editing of a film (and pursuing a parade of alluring young women) - a monumental act of self-abuse that leads to open-heart surgery. This won Mr. Scheider an Academy Award nomination in the best actor category. (Dustin Hoffman won that year, for "Kramer vs. Kramer.")

In 1980, Mr. Scheider returned to his first love, the stage, where his performance in a production of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal" opposite Blythe Danner and Raul Julia earned him the Drama League of New York award for distinguished performance. Although he continued to be active in films, notably in Robert Benton's "Still of the Night" (1982) and John Badham's action spectacular "Blue Thunder" (1983), he moved from leading men to character roles, including an American spy in Fred Schepisi's "Russia House" (1990) and a calculating Mafia don in "Romeo Is Bleeding" (1993).

One of the most memorable performances of his late career was as the sinister, wisecracking Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg's adaptation of William S. Burroughs's "Naked Lunch" (1991).

Living in Sag Harbor, Mr. Scheider continued to appear in films and lend his voice to documentaries, becoming, Ms. Seimer said, increasingly politically active. With the poet Kathy Engle, he helped to found the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, dedicated to creating a culturally diverse learning environment for local children. At the time of his death, Mr. Scheider was involved in a project to build a film studio in Florence, Italy, for a series about the history of the Renaissance.

Besides his wife, Mr. Scheider leaves three children, Christian Verrier Scheider and Molly Mae Scheider, with Ms. Seimer, and Maximillia Connelly Lord, from an earlier marriage, to Cynthia Bebout; a brother, Glenn of Summit, N.J.; and two grandchildren.

Gary Sisco · February-11th-2008, 09:28 AM

Land shark!

al j · February-11th-2008, 09:38 AM

Loved this man. RIP.

jaka · February-11th-2008, 09:43 AM

Always loved the man, for the better (French Connection, Marathon Man) or worse (2010...). RIP.

jesus marion joseph · February-11th-2008, 10:12 AM

Hard to believe he lost out to "Karmer v. Kramer", although my recollection is that that film hit a cultural nerve.

RIP Mr. Scheider.

al j · February-11th-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph

Hard to believe he lost out to "Karmer v. Kramer", although my recollection is that that film hit a cultural nerve.

RIP Mr. Scheider.

My mom took me to see that movie in the midst of her divorce with my father. Makes for a good story every other Thanksgiving or so. I was, like, 7.

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 01:46 PM

Funny, I started reading 2010 yesterday and felt uncomfortable at having to imagine the character Heywood Floyd as the actor Roy Scheider (the movie was on TV last week and I caught a few minutes, which is what prompted this reading). Anyway, I'm blowing thru the book but now that I've learned of this RIP, I'll do so with a sense of homage. Dude was great in Jaws and pretty funny in Naked Lunch. And what was that 80s helicopter movie? Blue Thunder? Argh.

patricia · February-11th-2008, 04:16 PM

The last thing I saw Roy Scheider in was an episode of "Law And Order - CI" in which he played a serial killer. He was wonderful in his scenes opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, really creepy.
I never really bought him as a leading man, but he was a terrific supporting actor.
RIP Roy Scheider.

Scott Dolan · February-11th-2008, 04:35 PM

Blue Thunder stomped ass.

Jaws is one of the few classic American movies.

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Jaws is one of the few classic American movies.

Yeah, there are very few of those.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Blue Thunder stomped ass.

Oops! Sorry, I see where you are coming from.

Scott Dolan · February-11th-2008, 04:48 PM

Hahahahaha................

Meatballs, baby!!!!

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 04:50 PM

Now tell the truth, were you really into Blue Thunder or could you just not get enough Airwolf?

Brian Olewnick · February-11th-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Jaws is one of the few classic American movies.

When I watched it a few years ago (not having seen it since its first appearance), I thought it wasn't so hot apart from one scene: Robert Shaw's lengthy shark story. I despise Spielberg, but I'm sitting there thinking, "Damn! Have to give him credit for at least that scene." Then I read that the entire thing was improvised by Shaw!

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

When I watched it a few years ago (not having seen it since its first appearance), I thought it wasn't so hot apart from one scene: Robert Shaw's lengthy shark story. I despise Spielberg, but I'm sitting there thinking, "Damn! Have to give him credit for at least that scene." Then I read that the entire thing was improvised by Shaw!

I saw it a few nights ago, flipping thru the channels. The only reason I stayed on it was because that scene was coming up, the Indianapolis monologue. And then, that's near the end of the movie--so you have to watch the fish get blown up (oops! spoiler!). Jaws was certainly a milestone of American moviemaking, the first summer blockbuster. And in 1977, or whatever, you didn't have cable networks blasting Shark Week at you every month, you didn't have hundreds of hours of authentic film produced with million-dollar equipment showing you real sharks. Which was a good thing for Spielberg, because Jaws looks faaaaaaake.

Scott Dolan · February-11th-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Now tell the truth, were you really into Blue Thunder or could you just not get enough Airwolf?

Nah, I hated Airwolf.

And I haven't seen Blue Thunder since I was in my early teens. I remembered it rocked then.

So did Motley Crue, though.

Scott Dolan · February-11th-2008, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

When I watched it a few years ago (not having seen it since its first appearance), I thought it wasn't so hot apart from one scene: Robert Shaw's lengthy shark story. I despise Spielberg, but I'm sitting there thinking, "Damn! Have to give him credit for at least that scene." Then I read that the entire thing was improvised by Shaw!

You should read the book. Seriously, it's really good. Pretty much bears no resemblance to the movie.

Besides, Jaws did do something that no other film has ever done in cinema history. Nobody can deny that when they go swimming in the ocean there isn't that ever so faint twinge of nervousness about what may be swimming right next to you.

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

You should read the book. Seriously, it's really good. Pretty much bears no resemblance to the movie.

Besides, Jaws did do something that no other film has ever done in cinema history. Nobody can deny that when they go swimming in the ocean there isn't that ever so faint twinge of nervousness about what may be swimming right next to you.

When I was a boy, my family used to vacation out at Laguna Beach in California. It must have been a few summers after Jaws came out, because I remember the shark-attacks-the-tram feature was already installed at the Universal Studios tour. Maybe so was even the Cylons Laser Show. Anyway, I was paddling around on a kick board or probably a boogie board when I looked up and noticed I was an uncomfortable distance from the beach. Gulp. I didn't want to stick any of my limbs in the water to paddle back to my family. I just wanted to stand up on the boogie board and scream. And then I heard a splash and saw a dark form in the water. Fuh-huck! Fortunately it was a seal. But the crap flying out of the back of my swim trunks at high velocity propelled me up to the parking lot, screw the beach.

Scott Dolan · February-11th-2008, 07:36 PM

See?

Monte Smith · February-11th-2008, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

See?

Bah, that proves nothing. That could be the effect of the pool scene with the chocolate bar in Caddyshack.

Enforcer · February-11th-2008, 08:24 PM

Besides the often cited roles, I liked him in Marathon Man.

patricia · February-11th-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

You should read the book. Seriously, it's really good. Pretty much bears no resemblance to the movie.

Yes. You're right. I read the book when it came out and it creeped the dickens out of me.
When I saw the movie I must say that I was disappointed. The plot was practically re-written, with any nuance ripped out, replaced with gratuitous shark shots.
As an adventure/creepy film though, if you hadn't read the book, it wasn't too bad.

Gentle Giant · February-11th-2008, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Indianapolis monologue.

Awesome. And almost completely true. I think he gets a date wrong or something, but the essence of the story is true.

Paul B · February-11th-2008, 09:58 PM

I think "The Seven-Ups" is one of his best pictures—maybe his best.

R.I.P. Mr. Scheider.

Scott Dolan · February-12th-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patricia

Yes. You're right. I read the book when it came out and it creeped the dickens out of me.
When I saw the movie I must say that I was disappointed. The plot was practically re-written, with any nuance ripped out, replaced with gratuitous shark shots.
As an adventure/creepy film though, if you hadn't read the book, it wasn't too bad.

I read the book after I saw the movie and was amazed at how drastically different they were from each other. I like them both quite a bit, but the book is far and away better.

Brian Olewnick · February-12th-2008, 10:14 AM

I think I read the book back sometime before you were born. I have to say, I've swum pretty often in the ocean and rarely think about sharks. I've been more concerned about getting those gooky, gelatinous squid egg thingies in my hair.

Gary Sisco · February-12th-2008, 10:18 AM

I think "Jaws" is one of the funniest movies, ever.

Scott Dolan · February-12th-2008, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I think I read the book back sometime before you were born. I have to say, I've swum pretty often in the ocean and rarely think about sharks.

Yes, but I've studied you up close. Your entire life, including mundane activities such as crossing a street, are done without thinking.

So you don't count.

jesus marion joseph · February-12th-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

I think I read the book back sometime before you were born. I have to say, I've swum pretty often in the ocean and rarely think about sharks. I've been more concerned about getting those gooky, gelatinous squid egg thingies in my hair.

Same here. If I ever et attacked by ashark, I hope I don't see it coming and the fucker finishes me off. Outside of that, I never think about sharks when I'm in the water.