My alphabetical posting of suggested films is postponed today with the passing yesterday on Sept. 6, 2018, of “The Bandit” – movie legend Burt Reynolds. I admit Burt isn’t my favorite movie star, but he was up there; I haven’t felt compelled to see all his work, but he seldom disappointed; and the best thing you can say about his career is that he obviously had fun most of the time.
No, Burt wasn’t the best actor, but he could act; he wasn’t the best action star, but his movies had great action; and he never played too evil a character and so you saw him in a positive light.
Burt’s credits on IMDb.com began in 1958 with an episode on a TV series called “Flight.” At the time of his death, Burt had notched 187 credits with one project just completed and another currently listed as “filming.” He had his movie era highs and lows, culminating in the 1970s as the “Bandit” in “Smokey and the Bandit” and then finding another peak in the early 1990s with TV’s “Evening Shade” and finally getting respect from Hollywood’s toughest critics with his outstanding work in “Striptease” with Demi Moore in 1996 and even more so a year later in the bitter porn-industry drama “Boogie Nights.”
Along the way in a career spanning seven decades, Burt earned a lone Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a porn director in “Boogie Nights” and two Golden Globes and five nominations. His wins were for “Boogie Nights” and “Evening Shade” and the Globe nominations were for the lone season of TV’s “Dan August,” the film “The Longest Yard,” the film “Starting Over” with Jill Clayburgh and two other nominations for “Evening Shade.”
Since I never met the man, I can’t eulogize him. However, I’ll just write a list of my favorite films of his from the best on down …
- “Hooper” … Burt’s stunt-man epic
- “Smokey and the Bandit” …
Burt’s most iconic of roles - “Boogie Nights” …
Burt’s best most-dramatic turn - “The Longest Yard” … more a drama than a football or prison flick
- “The Dukes of Hazzard” … nice supporting character work
- “Rough Cut” … Burt’s best that you’ll never remember
- “Sharky’s Machine” … just about Burt’s best cop flick
- “Striptease” … who can forget Burt in Vaseline-d boots!
- “Deliverance” … OK, it’s not Burt that you remember here
- “Gator” / “White Lightning” … the good ol’ boy helps the cops
Rest in peace Burt. You were far from a perfect human being, but I’ll just judge you on your career. You made me laugh and you made me smile and always allowed me a little time of fun watching you be you on screen (especially nice, but dramatically deficient, were the “Cannonball Run” films).
For the record, this oh-so-Southern actor named Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was born in Lansing, Mich., on Feb. 11, 1936, and died of a heart attack at 82 in his longtime home region of Jupiter, Fla., and his real nickname was “Buddy,” according to his biography on IMDb.com.
Often it is best just to see stars on the screen and not follow their private lives or listen to their opinions. Stars aren’t really the most intelligent, perceptive or decent people and Burt certainly had his share of tabloid messes. So, it helps if you don’t judge them on anything but their work.
Following that line of reasoning, Burt, you always graded out just fine for me and your passing is a very sad note today.
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