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Topic: John Belushi, 20 years later.

Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-05-2002 12:13 PM

There are certain dates you never have to look up to remember what happened. And... it was Friday, March 5, 1982 that John Belushi's drug problems finally came to an end. It's too bad he wasn't the last "funny fat guy" who died before we had a chance to see the best work he probably could have offered to us.

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 03-05-2002 12:29 PM

He was a great talent and I am certain if he had lived many of his films would have become classics. John is buried on Martha's Vineyard where fresh flowers are ever present on his grave.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-05-2002 02:00 PM

One of the great comedians for sure, but he was also excellent in dramatic roles too. I really liked "Continental Divide" which was based on the career of Chicago journalist, Mike Royko. It was funny and touching.

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Paul Turner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 115
From: Corvallis, OR, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-05-2002 02:12 PM

My mom, unknowingly, had lunch with him. Even though she was a full-time domestic engineer, she applied as a movie extra with one of her girl friends as a lark. She was hired (!!!) as an extra for Animal House (shot in Oregon: Eugene and Cottage Grove – where we lived and I was going to high school). During a break in the shooting she and her freind were sitting at a table eating lunch when this “funny guy” sat and had lunch with them. She she related this story at dinner the way we’d talk about getting the car lubed – not a big deal. This guy was making fun of them being “locals,” though not disrespectfully. Awhile later, while I was watching SNL (I was about 17) mom wanders into the living-room, looks at the TV and says, “ Hey, that’s they guy . . .”
Drug problems aside, the guy was human enough to eat with the “little people,” not let on who he was, and provide my mom with one of the best stories of her life.

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-05-2002 03:02 PM

I worked with a movie sound man who loved to tell the story of showing up to work on a new movie project. One of his new co-workers asked him, "Are you a local or professional?" (He was both.)

Like Belushi, John Candy had tremendous dramatic potential. And I would even say there was a similar warmth in Chris Farley. His career just never got up to speed enough to let us see it in the movies very much.

Live fast, die young and then leave all your fans angry at you for checking out before you really showed us what you had!

Incidentally, Bill Murray's role in Ghostbusters was oringally intended for Belushi. I love Bill Murray's material, but imagining what Belushi would have done brings an instant grin.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-05-2002 11:36 PM

Anybody remember "Neighbors"? I have an old copy of the screenplay, given to me by one of my father's friends (a retired Marine who does storyboard art and worked on the film). The hole that John Belushi left on his death has never been filled. It is impossible to watch films like "Animal House" without the memory being just a bit sad knowing the guy is gone.

I think my favorite movie moment of his is in "The Blues Brothers" where Carrie Fisher has him at gunpoint reduced to begging for his life. And then he just stops flashes that look at her..... Well, most know the scene I'm describing and those who need further description just need to rent the film.

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Greg Anderson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 766
From: Ogden Valley, Utah
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-06-2002 12:56 AM

Yep... I was a young usher when Neighbors played at our theatre. The audiences weren't at all happy with that movie but Belushi actually had a couple of great, dramatic moments.

There was a lobby display for the movie with a stand-up, cardboard Belushi wearing black pants, a white shirt and a black vest. It was exactly the same as our usher uniforms and we each wanted to take it home when the movie finished its run. (Someone even put one of our official, usher name tags on it.) Unfortunately, a customer walked off with it one night when nobody was looking.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-06-2002 11:45 AM

The first film I provided dailies for was Uncle Buck. The film was shot and dailies were screened at the high school thats shown in the film. This is also my all time favorite John Candy film. I always felt that this film fit him like a glove. I also got the thrill of running the first rough cut of the film which was 28 reels long! All in all John Hughes shot about 1.25 million feet of negative on Uncle Buck. The bowling alley sequence was first, then the clown stuff which had to all be re-shot due to the focus puller being off. Lou Lombardo was the editor on that film. Lou was Sam Pekinpahs editor and had a bit of a temper but was a really great guyto work with.

John was not allowed into dailies screenings nor were any of the other actors. He did come to the costume screen tests though and just as everyone expected, in he came carrying two mountainous trays of food. I ran into him several other times and he was always a kind, wonderful, and gracious person.

When I get back I'll send some pics of the Uncle Buck Booth into Brad to post, or perhaps Steve might have some he can send in.
Mark @ GTS

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