John Cazale

[vanlutz]

I found this pretty interesting.

John Cazale played in The Godfather, The Deer Hunter and was Pacino's bankrobbing partner in Dog Day Afternoon. He was also engaged to marry Meryl Streep when he died in 1978.

Would you ever put those two together?

[The Burgomaster]

I didn't realize they were actually engaged, but I knew she was by his side throughout his illness until he died.

[meQal]

I always felt that his career was unfortunately cut short due to his death. Who knows what would of come if he had lived. I think he could of gone on to be one of the modern acting greats like DeNiro and Pacino. Also, I didn't know he was engaged to Meryl Streep.

[Trevor]

I read somewhere that all the films that John was in (five only) either won or were nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

The Godfather
The Godfather Part 2
The Conversation
Dog Day Afternoon
The Deer Hunter

I think those are them.

[Mr. DS]

He was one of many who was taken way before he should have. 

[ghouck]

I loved his role in Dog Day Afternoon. A person just has to sympathize with his character: He wasn't very smart to begin with, which one could conclude was how he ended up in Viet Nam (not being college material, therefore drafted). It seems he was an infantryman (the reference to him having killed before), so he saw alot of action which fried his brain a bit. From there, well, we know how well Veterans were welcomed back. He whole role just reeked of desperation, lack of control, and failure.

I am NOT trying to say anyone drafted or anyone the went to Viet Nam was dumb, not at all. My point was that THIS CHARACTER was not highly intelligent, and because of that would not have been able to avoid the draft had he wanted to. (pointing out the fact that people wit ha lower IQ have less options available in life than those with a higher IQ) Also, being low on the IQ scale ensured he didn't get a medic or mechanic job, but rather one right in the crap, the crap it appears he didn't have the facilities to deal with. He was more a victim of circumstance and not entirely in control.

[Mofo Rising]

Cazale's early death was a pretty terrible blow for film.

Not to sound crass, but I believe it does put him as pretty much the only working actor to ever not be in a bad film. If you look at his short filmography, pretty much every film is considered, if not great, at least a seminal touchstone. Pretty much everybody else, you can easily find a film they've been in where you can safely say, "That wasn't very good." Not the case for Cazale.

Small comfort.