George C. Scott Movies
One of the finest American actors of his generation, George C. Scott was born in Virginia and raised in Detroit. After serving in the Marines from 1945 to 1949, Scott enrolled at the University of Missouri, determined to become an actor. Though his truculent demeanor and raspy voice would seem to typecast him in unpleasant roles, Scott exhibited an astonishing range of characterizations during his seven years in regional repertory theater. He also found time to teach a drama course at Stephens College.By the time Scott moved to New York in 1957, he was in full command of his craft; yet, because he was largely unknown outside of the repertory circuit, he considered himself a failure. While supporting himself as an IBM machine operator, Scott auditioned for producer Joseph Papp. Cast as the title character in Papp's production of Richard III, Scott finally achieved the stardom and critical adulation that had so long eluded him. Amidst dozens of choice television guest-starring performances, Scott made his movie debut in 1959's The Hanging Tree. That same year, he earned the first of four Oscar nominations for his incisive portrayal of big-city attorney Claude Dancer in Anatomy of a Murder. Over the next few years, Scott appeared in a dizzying variety of roles, ranging from Paul Newman's mercenary manager Bert Gordon in The Hustler (1961) to erudite British detective Anthony Gethryn in The List of Adrian Messenger (1962) to ape-like General "Buck" Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove (1963). After turning down several TV series offers, Scott accepted the role of social director Neil Brock on the David Susskind-produced "relevance" weekly East Side/West Side (1963-1964). He left the series in a huff in early 1964, citing the censorial idiocies of the program's network and sponsors; he also vowed to never again appear in a TV series -- at least until 1987, when the Fox network offered him 100,000 dollars per episode to star in the nonsensical sitcom Mr. President.
In 1971, Scott made international headlines by refusing to accept his Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the title role of Patton, deriding the awards ceremony as a "meat parade." Two years later, he turned down an Emmy for his work in the TV adaptation of Arthur Miller's The Price. Curiously, he had no qualms about accepting such honors as the Golden Globe or Canada's Genie Award for the 1980 film The Changeling. Gravitating toward directing, Scott staged both the Broadway and TV productions of The Andersonville Trial, and he also directed two of his films: Rage (1973) and The Savage Is Loose (1974). In 1976, he added singing and dancing to his accomplishments when he starred on Broadway in Sly Fox, a musicalization of Ben Jonson's Volpone. In the '80s, Scott played Fagin in Oliver Twist (1982), Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1984), and Dupin in The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1987); he also starred in a 1987 TV biopic of Mussolini, and enacted one of the most excruciatingly drawn-out death scenes in television history in The Last Days of Patton (1986). Making his cartoon voice-over debut in the anti-drug TV special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1988), Scott served up more vocal villainy in the Disney-animated feature The Rescuers Down Under (1990).
Not until his later years did he show signs of slowing down; in 1996, while appearing as Henry Drummond in the National Actors Theater production of Inherit the Wind, he suddenly took ill in mid-performance, excused himself, and left the stage, obliging director Tony Randall to take over the part for the balance of the show. He made one of his final appearances in an Emmy-winning performance in the all-star TV remake of 12 Angry Men with Jack Lemmon.
Scott was married five times; his third and fourth wife was the distinguished actress Colleen Dewhurst, while wife number five was another stage and film actress, Trish Van Devere. Two of his children, Devon and Campbell, have also pursued acting careers. Scott died on September 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
A jury argues a case in a stuffy room on a hot summer's day. Eleven say "guilty!" But one holdout (Jack Lemmon) is convinced of the defendant's innocence and stubbornly argues "reasonable doubt." This tense courtroom drama is a remake of Sidney Lumet's 1957 favorite and was produced for the Showtime cable network. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Courtney Vance, (more)
Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale of one man learning the true meaning of Christmas is brought to the screen once again in this made-for-TV movie. Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott) is a cynical old man whose greatest concern is money, and who regards compassion as a luxury he can't afford. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), his former business partner, who arranges for Scrooge to be visited by three spirits in an attempt to show him the error of his ways -- the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasence), Christmas Present (Edward Woodward), and Christmas Yet to Come (Michael Carter). The spirits force Scrooge to examine the failings of his own life, as well as the bravery and optimism of his loyal but ill-treated employee Bob Crachit (David Warner). A Christmas Carol also features Susannah York as Mrs. Crachit, Anthony Walters as Tiny Tim, and Joanne Whalley as Fan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott
- 1967
The Long Ride Home is the British title for the Columbia Civil War western A Time for Killing. The stars are Glenn Ford, a regular of sagebrushers, and Inger Stevens, a relative newcomer to the genre who between 1967-1970 made up for lost time with such films as Hang 'Em High and Firecreek. Ford is Union POW camp commander Major Walcott who rides out to capture escaped Confederate prisoner Captain Bentley (George Hamilton). Bentley and his men have kidnapped Walcott's fiancee Emily Biddle (Stevens) to assure themselves safe passage, but several of the escaped Rebs hope to divest themselves of Bentley and have their way with their beautiful captive. Among the troops is a very young Harrison Ford, collecting his meager Columbia contract paycheck and hoping for better days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, George C. Scott, (more)
Based on the best-selling novel by Robert Traver (the pseudonym for Michigan Supreme Court justice John D. Voelker), Anatomy of a Murder stars James Stewart as seat-of-the-pants Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler. Through the intervention of his alcoholic mentor, Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell), Biegler accepts the case of one Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), an unlovable lout who has murdered a local bar owner. Manion admits that he committed the crime, citing as his motive the victim's rape of the alluring Mrs. Manion (Lee Remick). Faced with the formidable opposition of big-city prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott), Biegler hopes to win freedom for his client by using as his defense the argument of "irresistible impulse." Also featured in the cast is Eve Arden as Biegler's sardonic secretary, Katherine Grant as the woman who inherits the dead man's business, and Joseph N. Welch -- who in real life was the defense attorney in the Army-McCarthy hearings -- as the ever-patient judge. The progressive-jazz musical score is provided by Duke Ellington, who also appears in a brief scene. Producer/director Otto Preminger once more pushed the envelope in Anatomy of a Murder by utilizing technical terminology referring to sexual penetration, which up until 1959 was a cinematic no-no. Contrary to popular belief, Preminger was not merely being faithful to the novel; most of the banter about "panties" and "semen," not to mention the 11-hour courtroom revelation, was invented for the film. Anatomy of a Murder was filmed on location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Lee Remick, (more)
- 1995
- PG13
High schooler Angus (Charlie Talbert), a jumbo-sized lad, seems underappreciated in all aspects of his life: he is a standout offensive lineman on the football team, but golden-boy quarterback Rick (James Van der Beek) gets all the accolades for his blood, sweat, and pass-blocking; he is also an outstanding student, but his classmates still regard him as a dork; the girl of his dreams (Arian Richards), Rick's girlfriend, seems to ignore him. Only when Angus musters the courage to put on a maroon tuxedo and head off to the school dance at the urging of his loving, free-spirit mom (Kathy Bates) does he finally get the recognition he deserves (as does Rick, who attempts to publicly humiliate Angus with a cruel prank). While the story is familiar, director Patric Johnson and the entire cast infuse the film with real warmth, making Angus a winner (as does its refreshing attitude toward violence). ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Talbert, George C. Scott, (more)
This crime-caper film from director Gower Champion stars George C. Scott as a visionary thief. He doesn't merely intend to rob a bank; his plan is to steal the whole bank. This is accomplished by lifting the structure with house-moving machinery in the dead of night, then painting it pink and squirreling it away in a trailer park. The Bank Shot was based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake who also wrote the book that became 1972's The Hot Rock. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
This Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast stars George C. Scott and his wife Trish Van Devere in the title roles -- and it should not take a rocket scientist to determine who plays what role. It all begins when Edward Beaumont (Bernard Lee) makes the fatal error of offending a bestial nobleman (Scott), whose ugly, boarlike countenance seemingly reflects a malevolent personality. To save her father from harm, Edward's gorgeous daughter, Belle (Van Devere), agrees to live as a permanent guest in the beast's huge, forboding mansion. Although he has all the resources of magic and mysticism at his beck and call, the Beast comes to the melancholy conclusion that the otherwise dutiful Belle will never consent to become his bride. But miracles do happen, and the virtuous Belle is able to burrow through the Beast's hideous façade and reveal the kindly, fragile soul within -- and in so doing, she herself grows and matures as a human being. Filmed in England, this production originally aired December 3, 1976, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Trish VanDevere, (more)
- 1991
The development of artillery weapons has greatly changed over the centuries, from the first use of rock-hurling catapults of the Romans, to the invention of gunpowder in the 13th century, and eventually the creation of mortars, cannons, and rockets. Artillery usually describes howitzer cannons, rocket launchers, and mortars. This documentary, narrated by Oscar-winning actor George C. Scott, examines the history of artillery weapons using archival photographs and film. The program highlights their functions and impact during the course of war and profiles the men who developed and improved these weapons over the centuries, as well as the tactics and strategies employed to effectively use these artillery pieces in the fields of battles. ~ Forrest Spencer, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Here's a chance to learn more about the bomber planes that have often played a crucial role in America's military victories. Watch as some of the earliest planes are shown that could only hold soldiers tossing out grenades. Listen as George C. Scott narrates this historical look at some of the earliest planes to drop bombs and help America wins its wars. Discover what types of pilots are able to train and become proficient at flying these planes that are always being targeted by enemy fire. Viewers strongly interested in the military are likely to be fascinated by all that's shared about the bombers that were built during the late 1980s and early 1990s, just before this video was made. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Narrated by George C. Scott, Brute Force: Fighters is part of the Definitive History of War Technology documentary series. The film, a comprehensive look at military air weapons, focuses on the development and evolution of the fighter airplane. Viewers will see the wood and canvas biplanes used in World War I, the contemporary stealth fighters of the Gulf War, and everything in between. The two other videos in the boxed set are Brute Force: Helicopters and Brute Force: Bombers. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Military weapons of the air have experienced amazing evolutionary transformations since the bi-planes of World War II, as technology has advanced to enable us to create increasingly sophisticated and deadly agents of war. In this video, one of a three-part A&E series on air weaponry, host George C. Scott explores the development of the helicopter, following its history from a World War II "egg beater" to a Gulf War "flying tank." Discover more about these vital weapons of war as well as the pilots who fly them. ~ Kathryn Tamms, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Hosted by the 'General' himself, George C Scott, this documentary shows the dirty and violent world of the regular GI. Sub-titled The Definitive History of War Technology this tape comes to video via the A&E network and profiles the valiant and desperate life of a grunt soldier in the times of war. Discussions of real-life combat scenarios with modern weapons and tactics is a backdrop for the human-interest stories of actual battle-scarred veterans. Highlights include a profile of an infantryman from the trench warfare of World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient from the invasion of Normandy.
~ C. Dwayne Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Narrated by George C. Scott, Brute Force: Tanks is part of the Definitive History of War Technology documentary series. The film, a comprehensive look at military ground weapons, focuses on the development and evolution of tanks. Viewers will see the slow-moving tanks used in World War I as well as the modern 60-ton machines of the early 21st century. A segment on the M1A1 Abrams is a special highlight of the 50-minute film. The two other videos in the boxed set are Brute Force: Infantry and Brute Force: Artillery. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
CSI star William Peterson headlines this adaptation of James David Buchanan's novel The Price of Malta concerning an ex-CIA agent who is exiled to the island of Curcao after pulling the trigger on a traitorous colleague. Upon arriving at the remote island paradise, former agent Stephen Guerin (Peterson) strikes up a fast friendship with local bar owner Cornelius Wettering (George C. Scott). A retired ship captain with a shady past, Wettering came to Curcao in order to escape his violent former associates and live out the rest of his days in peace. When terrorists lay siege to a local bank and Wettering masterfully diffuses the situation, however, his headline-making heroics blow his low-profile sky high. As corrupt diplomats and warring crime lords begin knocking in Guerin's door in search of a key piece of evidence they suspect Wettering has been hiding for years, the former U.S. government agent is forced to take up arms in order to protect the one friend who was there for him in his darkest hour. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Filmed in Hong Kong, the made-for-TV China Rose stars George C. Scott as an American businessman. Scott arrives in Canton, China, trying to find out what has happened to his rebellious son, who was swept up in China's "cultural revolution". Ali MacGraw plays a freewheeling guide who falls in love with Scott while helping him locate his son. Together, Scott and MacGraw uncover what was described in the original ads as a "shocking secret". The long-in-tooth stars are not ideally suited to their roles in China Rose, but that's only one of the many problems plaguing this murky melodrama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Carl Schultz' made-for-television thriller Deadly Currents stars George C. Scott as a man with a secret. The former captain of a ship that exploded, Cornelius Wettering (Scott) runs a bar in Curacao. He is friendly with the head of security for the American embassy, Guerin (William Petersen). The CIA assigns Julia Fernandez (Julie Carmen) to observe Guerin. This is complicated by the fact that the two are former lovers. Soon buried secrets are revealed, including the reason for the explosion of Wettering's ship. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Originally made for cable television, this suspenseful thriller centers on a private investigation launched by a Romanian-American woman's fiancé after he begins suspecting that her father is a Nazi-war criminal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This TV-movie biography of legendary black ballplayer Leroy "Satchel" Paige unfortunately whitewashes and hokes up his fascinating story. Louis Gossett Jr. stars as Paige, who spends virtually his entire professional career in the Negro leagues because of the "gentlemen's agreement" barring African-Americans from the Majors. Paige's prowess as a pitcher is so famous that he becomes the highest-paid player in the Negro leagues -- but as for joining the mainstream teams, the answer is always the same: "If only you were white." When Jackie Robinson is signed by the Dodgers in 1946, the doors open for other black ballplayers; thus it is that in 1948, Satchel Paige becomes the first black pitcher in the American leagues...at the tender age of 42. Don't Look Back down-pedals Satchel Paige's tempestuous private life (his two marriages are combined into one, for example), and tends to shortchange the viewer in the crucial ball-playing scenes. Its saving grace is the towering performance by star Louis Gossett Jr., who struggles manfully to overcome the script's shortcomings. When the film was first telecast on May 31, 1981, the real Satchel Paige appeared in the prologue; one year later, Paige was dead at the (reported) age of 76. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
- NR
- Add Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb to QueueAdd Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb to top of Queue
In 1964, with the Cuban Missile Crisis fresh in viewers' minds, the Cold War at its frostiest, and the hydrogen bomb relatively new and frightening, Stanley Kubrick dared to make a film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button -- and played the situation for laughs. Dr. Strangelove's jet-black satire (from a script by director Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern) and a host of superb comic performances (including three from Peter Sellers) have kept the film fresh and entertaining, even as its issues have become (slightly) less timely. Loaded with thermonuclear weapons, a U.S. bomber piloted by Maj. T.J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens) is on a routine flight pattern near the Soviet Union when they receive orders to commence Wing Attack Plan R, best summarized by Maj. Kong as "Nuclear combat! Toe to toe with the Russkies!" On the ground at Burpleson Air Force Base, Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) notices nothing on the news about America being at war. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) calmly informs him that he gave the command to attack the Soviet Union because it was high time someone did something about fluoridation, which is sapping Americans' bodily fluids (and apparently has something to do with Ripper's sexual dysfunction). Meanwhile, President Merkin Muffley (Sellers again) meets with his top Pentagon advisors, including super-hawk Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott), who sees this as an opportunity to do something about Communism in general and Russians in particular. However, the ante is upped considerably when Soviet ambassador de Sadesky (Peter Bull) informs Muffley and his staff of the latest innovation in Soviet weapons technology: a "Doomsday Machine" that will destroy the entire world if the Russians are attacked. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, (more)
Deserted by her no-good mother Angie (Ally Sheedy), Emma Baker (Rachael Lee Cook) has been raised by her grandfather, a tough but compassionate old coal miner named Clayton Hayes (George C. Scott). Now 15 years old, Emma insists upon a reunion with her drink-sodden mom--only to be raped and impregnated by Angie's current lowlife boyfriend Ray Wilcox (Don Diamont). When Clayton goes to court in hopes of adopting Emma's sickly baby, he is thwarted by a misguided legal system that regards Wilcox as a more suitable guardian! Outraged, Clayton steals the baby and embarks upon a lengthy odyssey, with the authorities dogging his trail and a virtual battalion of truck drivers and other "little people" treating the old man as a folk hero. Produced for the CBS network, the made-for-TV Country Justice premiered January 14, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Ally Sheedy, (more)
- 1975
William Devane stars as John Henry Faulk, a popular radio and TV entertainer of the 1950s. In 1956, Faulk is blacklisted on the basis of an attack from the self-appointed anticommunist group AWARE. Fired by CBS, Faulk decides to sue AWARE for libel. His attorney Louis Nizer (George C. Scott) warns him that such a case will take several years to get to court, thus Faulk reluctantly takes a series of low-paying jobs to sustain himself during his "down period". In 1962, the case is finally brought before a judge, with several witnesses pointing out the idiotic iniquities of the Blacklist mentality (one child actor was prohibited from working because he had a name that sounded like that of an adult blacklistee). Appearing as themselves during the courtroom scenes are actress Kim Hunter, herself a blacklist victim, and producers David Susskind and Mark Goodson. Faulk wins his case, though his original award of $3.5 million in damages is later reduced to $550,000, and he is never able to completely return to his pre-blacklist prominence. Like several other filmic recreations of the "witch-hunt" era, Fear on Trial was first presented in the mid-1970s (October 2, 1975, to be exact), long after the most zealous of the 1950s anti-Red groups had fallen by the wayside. The film earned an Emmy award for screenwriter David Rintels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Devane, George C. Scott, (more)
- 1991
Made for television, Finding the Way Home was based on Mittelman's Hardware, a novel by George Raphael Small. George C. Scott stars as irascible 60-year-old businessman Max Mittelman, whose life and career are in tatters. Involved in a traffic accident, Mittelman suffers a concussion, loses his memory, and wanders into a community of migrant Latino farm workers. Enthusiastically and selflessly laboring shoulder to shoulder with his new friends, Mittelman gains a whole new perspective on life. Things begin to change, and not for the better, when his memory slowly returns. Hector Elizondo co-stars as the workers' spiritual leader. Filmed on location in Texas, Finding the Way Home was first telecast August 26, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
