Ben Gazzara Movies
Both an accomplished character actor and leading man, Ben Gazzara has made a name for himself on the stage, screen, and television. The son of an Italian immigrant, Gazzara was born in New York City on August 28, 1930. He channeled his excess energy into acting after dropping out of the engineering department at the City College of New York. After studying at the Actors Studio and with private coach Erwin Piscator, Gazzara exploded onto the Broadway scene in 1953, playing warped military academy upper-classman Jocko De Paris in End as a Man. He went on to create the role of Brick in the original 1955 production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He later starred in Michael V. Gazzo's A Hatful of Rain, only to see his role go to Don Murray in the 1957 movie version, just as Paul Newman would portray Brick in the 1958 film version of Cat.Fortunately, Gazzara was permitted top film billing in 1957, reprising his stage role in End as a Man in the heavily laundered film-version, The Strange One. Two years later, Gazzara played arrogant murder-trial defendant Lieutenant Manion -- the one with the "irresistible impulse" -- in Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder, slyly stealing scenes from the film's "official" star, James Stewart. After this promising beginning in films, Gazzara had trouble finding adequate movie roles. He turned to television in 1963, first as a co-star with Chuck Connors in the experimental 90-minute crime weekly Arrest and Trial. In 1965, Gazzara starred as Paul Bryan, an ex-lawyer with only a short time to live, on the TV popular series Run for Your Life; in spite of his character's fatal illness, Gazzara was able to remain with Run for three healthy seasons.
With 1970's Husbands, Gazzara made the first of four film appearances under the direction of his old Actors Studio buddy John Cassavetes. Four years later, Gazzara starred as the Leon Uris counterpart in television's first miniseries, QB VII (1974). Since that time, Gazzara has taken roles that may not always be prestigious, but have permitted him ample creative elbow room; a fascinating example of this was his bisexual villain in the Patrick Swayze vehicle Road House (1989). In 1998, he could be seen doing some of the best work of his career portraying a series of beautifully dysfunctional characters in Buffalo '66, Happiness, and the Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski. The following year, he traveled into the realm of slick international caper with a supporting role in The Thomas Crown Affair, and then returned to his New York roots to portray the leader of organized crime in the Bronx in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Writer-director David Mamet crafted this unusual, Hitchcockian thriller in which no one is who they appear to be. Campbell Scott is Joe Ross, who has just created a "process" that stands to make his company and his boss, Klein (Ben Gazzara), millions of dollars. At a clandestine meeting in the Caribbean, Ross discusses the details of the process with company executives. There, purely by chance, or so he believes, he meets the wealthy, enigmatic Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin), and the two strike up an unusual friendship. Dell informs Ross that he's naïve to believe that his company will fairly compensate him for his valuable work. Upon returning home, Ross becomes paranoid that Dell is right, and he takes steps to protect his invention, becoming unsure if he can trust Klein or even his own love-struck assistant (Rebecca Pidgeon). When Ross discovers that Dell has lied to him about his identity, he contacts the FBI -- he then finds himself set up as a murder suspect who learns, almost too late, to trust no one. The title of the film refers not to any of the characters but to a classic con artist's scam. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Campbell Scott, Rebecca Pidgeon, (more)
A group of ten men come together for a bachelor party that goes horribly wrong in this made-for-TV drama. Mario Van Peebles and John Stockwell star as old friends Michael and Victor, both of them successful, well-off young professionals. The latter is about to be married, so Michael throws him a lavish party complete with booze, drugs, a pair of stripper sisters and some old friends that Michael would actually rather not see, including Pete (Andrew McCarthy), a street-smart drug dealer. When one of the girls is accidentally killed and her handler is shot in the ensuing confusion, the group of men reacts in completely different ways. Timan (John Henson) becomes completely unraveled, while others like Pete and Daniel (Kevin Dillon) keep their cool and try to come up with a viable plan to handle their new "problem." A next door neighbor (Jerry Stiller) who comes over to investigate the noise only compounds the problem. Stag bore almost precisely the same plot as Very Bad Things (1998), a more comic take on the story that was released theatrically one year later. The surviving stripper was played by former pop music star Taylor Dayne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew McCarthy, John Stockwell, (more)
- 1997
- R
Presidential advisor Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen) is hunted by an unknown assailant in this political thriller. With the help of Chief-of-Staff Jake Conrad (Donald Sutherland) and the newspaper journalist Amanda (Linda Hamilton), he uncovers an assassination plot to kill the President and his most trusted advisors. Bobby battles forces in the government he has sworn to uphold, as his every move is monitored by high-tech surveillance cameras. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Donald Sutherland, (more)
- 1997
- NR
In this drama, a drug smuggler makes a devil's bargain with government authorities: she will go undercover to solve the murder of a girl involved in a sex ring in exchange for the release of her incarcerated lover (who is also her half-brother). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara
- 1996
- R
Before he was booted out of the military by Pentagon officials, maverick investigator Rowdy Welles (Robert Davi) was a legend in the service. When a Russian mafioso's black market endeavors make him too powerful, the CIA tricks the reluctant Rowdy into becoming an undercover agent. His assignment is to topple Lothar Krasna's (Alexander Godunov in his final screen performance) empire of crime before they can successfully complete their plan to build illegal atomic bombs. Rowdy's partner is double-agent Mike (Lara Harris), Krasna's lover. This action-packed drama follows Rowdy into the mysterious high-tech and always dangerous world of the Russian crime organization. As a result of his endeavors, Mike's true identity is uncovered and she is taken hostage and held in the mob's nuclear facility, making the situation even more desperate for the unwilling agent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Alexander Godunov, (more)
- 1995
Both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are sensitively explored in the Tunisian-French drama. Richard, a French TV journalist has been assigned to do a political story in Jerusalem the night before Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat sign their peace accord. Richard is glad to go as it gives him a chance to see his girlfriend Esther, a psychologist. Esther's father Moshe is continually tormented by his Holocaust memories. Hammoudi, nicknamed "Local Radio," is Richard's taxi driver and guide. He tells Richard the story of his family which was uprooted in 1948 resulting in the disappearance of his grandmother. Mysteriously, her picture appeared in a recent Arabic newspaper. Richard, intrigued, decides to center his investigations upon "Local Radio's" story. As he delves deeper into their lives he discovers that the ancient rivalries between the Israeli's and Palestinians is far too deep and complex to be easily explained away. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
When the wife of a former political radical dies after surgery, the man goes over the edge and decides to make society pay for her passing in this Italian crime melodrama. The unhinged widower Amos leaves his job as a watchmaker and begins plotting to punish another ex-radical who sold out and became a government official. Amos enlists the aid of his young apprentice and two other old radicals and together they kidnap the minister and kill his bodyguard. They then hide out in an abandoned seaside mansion. Amos sends David, his assistant, back to the minister's residence to keep watch upon his beautiful daughter Chiara, a student of anatomy, who spends her time dissecting corpses. Eventually, these two disparate young people fall in love. Meanwhile the captured minister begins playing dangerous mind games with the other three. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
An aging, violent hold-up artist enlists the aid of his pacifistic son to pull off one final job in this crime melodrama. Farmer, the father, has just lost his long-time partner in a failed Chicago heist. The son, Chase, who has done nothing more criminal than shoplifting, decides to pitch in and help. Hilary, Chase' girl friend, looking for a little excitement, also decides to help. Though they carefully plot out the robbery, the actual caper goes awry with tragic results. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Todd Field, Ben Gazzara, (more)
- 1994
Alexandra's life becomes a living hell when she discovers the undercover policeman she loves is actually a dangerous serial killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Gibb, John Stamos, (more)
- 1994
Directed by Linda Yellen, this made-for-cable movie originally aired on the Showtime network and featured a star-studded cast including Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and James Belushi. The plot centers around several fraternity and sorority graduates who have decided to regroup at their alma mater. Nick (Belushi), a determined but gloomy reporter, attends on the sole hope of finding some good gossip. His highest hope lies within the career ties of his ex-lover Winnie (JoBeth Williams), who now serves as publicist to rising politician Rebecca Ferguson Stone (Patricia Wetig). Fellow alumni Charlie (Ben Gazzara) is returning for equally dishonest reasons--he's hoping to convince his ex Francie (Gena Rowlands) to pay off his gambling debts. Francie, however, has found herself more interested in bonding with a single mom/housekeeper (Ally Sheedy). All of their lives take a turn for the unexpected when the big man on campus mysteriously dies. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Made for television, the two-part, four-hour Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage is the true story of "mob wife" Rosalie Profaci Bonanno, here played by Nancy McKeon. Inasmuch as the teleplay is based on Ms. Bonanno's memoirs, it is perhaps understandable that she casts herself as an innocent bystander in the ongoing saga of Mafia activity in the United States, totally ignorant (at least at first) as to how her father Joe Profaci (Tomas Milian) and his chief mob rival Joseph Bonanno (Ben Gazzara) support themselves and their families. It is further suggested that Rosalie is completely in the dark concerning the mob connections of her husband Bill (Eric Roberts), Joe Bonanno's son; after all, how could anything be amiss when the Pope Himself calls to congratulate the bride and groom? Ultimately Rosalie sees the light when her husband enters a war against opposing mob families, and is subsequently thrown in prison. The rest of the story chronicles how Rosalie struggles to escape the onus of "Mafia princess", seeking out honest, mainstream work to take care of herself and her children. Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage originally aired Mary 23 and 25, 1993 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Jeff Fahey stars as a former cop who has turned to burglary. Caught in the crossfire of a drug sting, Fahey is blinded. While recuperating in Mexico, he makes the acquaintance of beautiful but secretive Mia Sara. His subsequent romantic fling plunges him into yet another perilous situation. Made for cable TV (it debuted January 20, 1993, on the USA network), Blindsided relies completely upon its stars-including third-billed Ben Gazzara-to sustain its level of suspense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV thriller stars Ben Gazzara as a publishing magnate framed for murdering the call girl with whom he was having an affair. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1991
When Berenice Rondi (Eva Grimaldi) learns of her father's death from a heart attack, she also learns that the police are looking to find his last girlfriend. Before now, she had not imagined that her businessman dad Marcelo (en Gazzara) was much of a womanizer, but as she participates in the police's inquiries, she gets acquainted with how he conducted his life and is distressed to learn of and meet his many lady friends. As the mystery unfolds through a series of flashbacks, it becomes clear that she herself is at the center of it. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Eva Grimaldi, (more)
- 1990
Based on a novel by Dominick Dunne (who virtually disowned the project the minute it hit the small screen), People Like Us is a 2-part, 4-hour TV movie. Ben Gazzara plays a writer whose daughter has been murdered (much like Dunne himself). Upset that the killer's sentence is all too short, Gazzara begins whiling away his time following the exploits of "new money" billionaire Dennis Farina and his ambitious ex-stewardess wife Connie Sellecca. Also falling under Gazzara's watchful eye is old-money dowager Eva Marie Saint, whose son dies of AIDS and whose daughter (Terri Polo) marries a womanizing anchorman. The lives of everyone mentioned in the above sentences converge as Gazzara renews his desire for vengeance against the person responsible for his daughter's death. People Like Us took too many liberties with its source material to satisfy either Dominick Dunne fans or soap opera addicts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
As nearly as anyone can figure, this first-time directorial effort by the American actor Ben Gazzara was never released in the United States. It was produced in Italy, shot in England, and uses a large cast of big-name American actors. However, reviewers have said that its style owed a bit too much to the meditative, home-video style of the director's friend John Cassavetes. In the story, a big-time businessman (Gazzara) throws in the towel on his company and high-tails it out to Bali just as its stock is about to be publicly offered. There, he tries to avoid the insistent phone calls coming from Manhattan and records his philosophical ponderings about this mid-life crisis on videotape. Before long, he is partying with another burnt-out businessman (Treat Williams) and avidly avoiding the attentions of colleagues (including Jill Clayburgh who have come to Bali to try and get him to come back to Manhattan. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Treat Williams, (more)
Love, treachery, and broken furniture are the hallmarks of this rollicking action drama. Dalton (Patrick Swayze) has a Ph.D., but rather than make a living teaching Socrates at some university, he's opted to become a top-drawer "cooler" -- an expert barroom bouncer who can break up fights without getting himself killed in the process. Dalton is hired to keep the peace at the Double Duce, a rough-and-tumble honky tonk in Jasper, Missouri, where beer-soaked free-for-alls are a nightly event. Dalton is hurt on his first night on the job, and he is patched up by "Doc" Clay (Kelly Lynch), a beautiful woman working as the town's physician. Dalton and Doc immediately hit it off, but Dalton learns that another man, Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), already has his eye on her. Wesley is a man used to getting his way; he's an extortionist and crime boss who has nearly everyone in Jasper under his thumb, and he sets out to teach Dalton a lesson, while Dalton is determined to clean up the town like he breaks up brawls at the Double Duce. Sam Elliott plays Dalton's mentor Wade, and Red West, a one-time member of Elvis Presley's "Memphis Mafia," appears as Webster; Canadian blues-rock guitarist Jeff Healey leads the Double Duce house band. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, (more)
- 1988
- PG
In this imaginative Swiss actioner, an expert magician is hired to entertain world leaders at a peace summit. Unfortunately, he finds himself hopelessly entangled in an elaborate terrorist assassination plot. Now, the illusionist must utilize all his best tricks in order to escape and keep them from fulfilling their potentially devastating mission. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Mary Crosby, (more)
Long ago, in what seems like another lifetime to him, Paul (Ben Gazzara) had an illegitimate son by a local North African woman. For many years now he has lived in French Algeria with his wife Betty (Julie Christie), an English-born chanteuse. Now on the eve of independence, the dangers of remaining in Algeria are growing, and the pair are preparing to leave. Before they do, Paul's illegitimate son Wanis (Patrick Bruel), by now a charming young man with a fascination for automobiles as well as women, attempts to spark a romance with Betty. One of the movie's highlights is a stock car race with the couple's vintage Buick. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Julie Christie, (more)
- 1987
Down payment on Murder is a fact-based TV movie starring Connie Sellecca as a battered wife. For ten years she has been the punching bag of her real-estate agent husband, played with brilliant repugnance by Ben Gazzara. When Connie moves out, Gazzara is convinced that it's because of another man; his twisted ego suffers a further blow when she is given custody of the children and police protection. With the help of a security guard with mob connections, Gazzara hires a hit man (G.W.Bailey) to kill his estranged wife. Down payment on Murder is drawn out far too long to sustain its suspense, but its neat surprise ending compensates for the duller passages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
