AFI’s Top 100 Movie Facts Part 1

In a few weeks, I’ll be publishing my 100th blog! In honor of all you readers and our collective interest in all things movies, I thought I would celebrate with a four-part series of “interesting facts” about the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Movies. So for the next several posts, we’ll cover 25 movies at a time—and see what we did and didn’t know about these master works. (I will be acknowledging facts from AFI”s more recent list in 2007 rather than the original in 1998, beginning with Ben-Hur (1959) and ending with Citizen Kane (1941)). Respond with your favorite trivia if you like—enjoy.

100. Ben-Hur (1959) — William Wyler won his third Best Director Oscar for “Ben-Hur.” His previous win had been 13 years earlier for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) which is ranked #37 on AFI’s ’07 list.

99. Toy Story (1995) — Pixar Animation Studios offered the role of Buzz Lightyear to both Chevy Chase and Billy Crystal before casting Tim Allen in the role. Crystal went on to say that declining the role was the biggest mistake of his career. (He was offered the role of Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc. (2001) as a result).

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) — Michael Curtiz, director of “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” also directed Captains of the Clouds (1942) and Casablanca (1942) in the same year. “Casablanca” won him his one and only Best Director Oscar and is ranked #3 on AFI’s ’07 List.)

97. Blade Runner (1982) — There is currently a sequel to this film scheduled to be released on October 6th, 2017, Blade Runner 2049 (2017). Harrison Ford is the only returning cast member from the original. 

96. Do the Right Thing (1989) — This was the seventh of nine films that Ossie Davis starred in with his wife, Academy-Award-Nominee Ruby Dee. The others include: No Way Out (1950), Gone Are the Days (1963), The Sheriff (1971), Cool Red (1976), Roots: The Next Generations (1979), All God’s Children (1980), Jungle Fever (1991), and The Stand (1994).

95. The Last Picture Show (1971) — Ben Johnson won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in this movie even his screen time only lasted 9 minutes and 54 seconds. That is the shortest performance to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

94. Pulp Fiction (1994) — Uma Thurman initially declined to take the role of Mia Wallace in the film. She changed her mind when Quentin Tarantino read her the script over the phone, desperate to have her in the part. 

93. The French Connection (1971) — Gene Hackman was the sixth choice to play the role of Jimmy Doyle in this film. Others who were in consideration include Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen, James Caan, and Peter Boyle.

92. Goodfellas (1990) — This was the third of six films that Joe Pesci made with co-star and good friend Robert De Niro. The others include Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), A Bronx Tale (1993), Casino (1995), and The Good Shepherd (2006). DeNiro won his second Oscar for “Raging Bull,” which is ranked #4 on AFI’s ’07 list and Pesci won his first and only Oscar for “Goodfellas.”

91. Sophie’s Choice (1982) — Marthe Keller and Barbra Streisand lobbied heavily for the role of Sophie in the film but director Alan J. Pakula conclusively chose Meryl Streep (Perhaps as a result of her having begged him on her hands and knees).

90. Swing Time (1936) — Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers also made Follow the Fleet together in 1936. Both films were produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures.

89. The Sixth Sense (1999) — The year following its release, in 2000, “The Sixth Sense,” was rented by 80 million people making it the year’s top-rated DVD title.

88. Bringing Up Baby (1938) — This film was Katherine Hepburn’s first experience ever with comedy.

87. 12 Angry Men (1957) — Henry Fonda produced this film with Reginald Rose. It was his only producing credit throughout his entire career.

86. Platoon (1986) — Oliver Stone wrote the first draft of the script for “Platoon,” in 1971 with Jim Morrison in mind for the role of Chris. Morrison passed away of a heart failure at the age of 27 in Paris before reading the entire script. When official production on the film began years later, Charlie Sheen got the part.

85. A Night at the Opera (1935) — This was the first film of The Marx Brothers that doesn’t have Zeppo Marx.

84. Easy Rider (1969) — Dennis Hopper was going through drug-induced paranoia at the time of production on this movie and screamed at the entire cast and crew. As a result, many of them quit the film.

83. Titanic (1997) — Gloria Stuart received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination in the film for her performance as Old Rose, and was the only cast member alive during the actual shipwreck. She passed away on September 26th, 2010 at the 100, which is the same age as her character in the film.

82. Sunrise (1927) — Janet Gaynor became the first actress ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in this movie, along with her performances in the films 7th Heaven (1927) and Street Angel (1928).

81. Spartacus (1960) — Anthony Mann was the original director for the film, but due to bitter creative differences clashing with Kirk Douglas, he was replaced by Stanley Kubrick. The salt mine sequences are the only shots by Mann that are in the final cut of the movie.

80. The Apartment (1960) — Jack Lemmon’s performance as C.C. Baxter in this film inspired Kevin Spacey to pattern his Oscar-winning turn as Lester Burnham in American Beauty (1999) after this performance of his good friend and acting mentor, Lemmon.

79. The Wild Bunch (1969) — Director Sam Peckinpah wept bitterly when shooting the scene with Ernest Borgnine and William Holden saying, around a campfire, “they wouldn’t have it any other way,” making it difficult for him to yell cut.

78. Modern Times (1936) — Charles Chaplin starred opposite his third wife, Paulette Goddard in this film. The film was released on February 25th, 1936 and they were wed on June 1st, 1936.

77. All The President’s Men (1976) — Originally rated R for occasional usage of the F-word. It was ultimately was rated PG due to the historical significance of the story.

76. Forrest Gump (1994) — John Travolta, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray were all offered the role of Forrest Gump before Tom Hanks was cast. Travolta later regretted not taking the role. He and Tom Hanks both received Best Actor Oscar Nominations that year, Hanks for “Forrest Gump,” and Travolta for “Pulp Fiction.” Hanks won. 

Roddy McDowall: The “Real” Ape Man

Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude “Roddy” McDowall was born in Herne Hill, London, England on September 17th, 1928. His father, Thomas Andrew McDowall was a sea merchant and his mother, Winifriede Lucinda McDowall was an aspiring actress. Both shared a deep love for the theatre, and having inherited the same, McDowall won an acting prize in a school play at the age of 9. This led to him landing his first starring role the very next year in the movie Scruffy (1938). He also acted in the film Murder in the Family (1938) playing the younger brother of a pair of sisters played by Jessica Tandy and Glynis Johns. He relocated with his family to the United States in 1940 amidst the breakout of World War 2. Eager to continue his acting career, McDowall was placed under contract to 20th Century Fox at the age of 12 and shortly after was cast in the role of Huw Morgan in How Green Was My Valley (1941). “How Green Was My Valley,” won five Oscars, including Best Picture. For Fox, he also made the films, Lassie Come Home (1943), and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). Although each of these films were hits for the studio, Roddy McDowall didn’t want movies to be his only outlet for acting.

In the late-1950’s, he left Hollywood to try his luck on the Broadway Stage, and appeared in the plays The Fighting Cock (which won him the Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in 1960), No Time for Sergeants, and originating the role of Sir Mordred in the Lerner and Lowe musical classic, Camelot. He also began appearing on television in shows like The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) and The Eleventh Hour (1962-1964). He won an Emmy Award for his appearance on NBC Sunday Showcase in 1961. 

McDowall continued to act in films, reuniting with “Lassie Come Home” co-star/good friend Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (1963). Not long after “Lassie,” Taylor and McDowall also starred together in MGM’s The White Cliffs of Dover (1944). McDowall also took up executive producing very early in his career, and served as executive/associate producer for seven films in which he also starred, including Rocky (1948), Killer Shark (1950), and Overboard (1987).

McDowall was cast by Walt Disney—in one of the last films that he would produce—in the role of Gregory Benson in That Darn Cat! (1965). Passed over for the role of Mordred in Warner Bros. film adaptation of Camelot (1967), he landed the role of Cornelius in 20th Century Fox’s Planet of the Apes (1968). He reprised the role of Cornelius for Fox’s two sequels to the film: Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). He also played Cornelius’s father, Caesar, in “Battle,” and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)). During one of his many guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978), McDowall came out onstage wearing his complete makeup from the “Planet of the Apes,” series and sang a romantic duet with Burnett. 

Roddy McDowall also acted in several other films for the Walt Disney Studios. Before “Apes,” he appeared in a film called The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967). He also starred in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). He later reunited with “Bedknobs” co-star/friend Angela Lansbury for two episodes on her series, Murder, She Wrote (1984-1996). After “Bedknobs,” he made The Cat From Outer Space (1978), The Black Hole (1979), and also lent his voice to two Disney Channel Original Series: Darkwing Duck (1991-1992) and Gargoyles (1994-1997). His last acting role ever was voicing to the character of Mr. Soil in Disney/Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998).

Roddy McDowall passed away of lung cancer on October 3rd, 1998. Throughout his career, he created a legacy of characters on stage and screen of playing intelligent yet funny characters. Perhaps remembered best for the “Planet of the Apes” series, he brought a dry sense of humor to every role he played-making him an enduring favorite. 

Pat Morita: The Sensei of all Senseis

“Wax On, Wax Off. Wax On, Wax Off.” This classic quotation was spoken by a 5’3’’ American-born Asian actor who gained international fame for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 cult classic film The Karate Kid (1984). The film earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for the performance, and he reprised it for its three subsequent sequels: The Karate Kid part 2 (1986), The Karate Kid part 3 (1989) and The Next Karate Kid (1994). Noriyuki “Pat” Morita was born in Iselton, California on June 28th, 1932 and passed away on November 24th, 2005 at age 73. He will forever be remembered as Mr. Miyagi, but he had an intriguing career both prior to and after “Karate Kid.”

Morita unfortunately developed tuberculosis at the age of 2 and spent the majority of the next nine years of his life in Northern California hospitals. Told he would never walk, by the age of 11, he had undergone spinal surgery and training on how to walk, and miraculously recovered. His family also ran a restaurant called Ariake Chop Suey in Sacramento where he would entertain customers with jokes and even serve as a “MC” for group dinners. This led him to try performing as a stand-up comedian.       

On occasion, he would perform as the opening act for Vic Damone, Connie Stevens, and comedian Redd Foxx. As a result Foxx saw to it that Morita was cast in the role of “Ah Chew” on Sanford and Son (1972-1977). He also made bit appearances in film and television shows such as Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) and Green Acres (1965-1971). Ultimately, while doing “Sanford and Son,” Morita also landed the role of Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi in Happy Days (1974-1984). 

Ironically, there is an episode of “Happy Days,” entitled “Richie Fights Back,” in which Morita’s character teaches Ron Howard (as Richie Cunningham) martial arts when he gets bullied in front of his girlfriend. The episode aired on television in 1975, almost a decade before “Karate Kid” was released. The same year as “The Next Karate Kid,” in 1994, Morita starred in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), in a similar role.

After making the entire “Karate Kid” series Disney cast Pat Morita as the voice of the Emperor in Mulan (1998), and he reprised it for the direct-to-video sequel, Mulan 2 (2004) and the Disney Video Game Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005). He was also seen in an episode of Disney’s/ABC’s Boy Meets World (1993-2000). Before his untimely death, Pat Morita also lent his voice to an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present) in the episode entitled “Karate Island,” as the character, Master Udon. 

Despite losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields (1984), Pat Morita will never be forgotten as the “Sensei” who teaches karate/martial arts in the most unconventional ways. Morita brought many wonderful characteristics to the performance, including a distinctive voice different from his own native origin. During his funeral, his “Karate Kid,” co-star, Ralph Macchio gave a touching eulogy in which last words were “Forever, my Sensei.” 

Onna White: Broadway/Film Dancing Legend

Born on March 24th, 1922 in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada, Onna White started taking dancing lessons when she was 12 years old. After studying at the San Francisco Ballet, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Finian’s Rainbow in 1947. At this point, fully convinced that dancing was her “calling,” she knew that she also wanted to be a choreographer, and she both performed in and served as assistant choreographer in the original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls (1950). From that point on, she was the choreographer for many beloved Broadway musicals and movie-musicals.

She choreographed the original Broadway production of Carmen Jones in 1956, based on the 1954 Dorothy Dandridge film of the same name. She also choreographed the original Broadway productions of The Music Man (1957), Whoop-up (1958), Take Me Along (1959), Irma La Docue (1960), Half a Sixpence (1965), Mame (1966), Illya Darling (1967), 1776 (1969), Gigi (1974) and I Love My Wife (1979). She received Tony Award Nominations for Best Choreography for “Music Man,” “Whoop-up,” “Take Me Along,” “Irma La Docue,” “Half a Sixpence,” “Mame,” “Illya Darling,” and “I Love My Wife,” but unfortunately never won.

In the 1960s, however, when Warner Bros. Pictures purchased the rights for the film adaptation of The Music Man (1962) and assigned Morton “Teague” DaCosta (Tony-nominated director of the original Broadway production) to direct and produce the film, DaCosta immediately asked White to choreograph the film. Despite being intimidated at the idea of choreographing a movie-musical having never done so before, she agreed. She had unique experiences with many of the principal actors on the film. Robert Preston (who reprised his Tony-winning performance as Professor Harold Hill from the original Broadway company) had an easy time learning the steps that she came up with for the “Library” number, but both had a tough time explaining it to the other male dancers for the scene. Shirley Jones (replacing the original Broadway’s Barbara Cook as Marian the Librarian) explained that she was a klutz and had no experience dancing whatsoever, but White replied “Honey, by the time this movie is over, you’ll be a dancer.” In the “Shipoopi,” sequence, White created a movement especially called a “Bell Kick,” and tried to teach it to Buddy Hackett (replacing the original Broadway’s Iggy Wolfe as Marcellus Washburn). Hackett nearly cracked his butt as a result! Ron Howard (who won a Talent Search created by Warner Bros. for the role of Winthrop Paroo) also had a tough time learning the moves for the “Gary, Indiana,” reprise. He just couldn’t grasp it well enough, so they had to film him from the middle-up as he sang the song. 

The “Music Man,” film was as big of a success as its Broadway predecessor, so Columbia Pictures then asked Onna White to choreograph their film adaptation of another smash hit Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie (1963). The culmination of her career came in 1968 with Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of Oliver! (1968), another film based on a Broadway predecessor. The film received 12 Academy Award Nominations and won five, plus a special Honorary Oscar for Outstanding Choreography! (The film also won Best Picture of 1968…). White also choreographed Columbia’s 1776 (1972), MGM’s The Great Waltz (1972), and Warner Bros’. Mame (1974). Before retiring in the 1980’s, she also was the choreographer for Walt Disney’s Pete’s Dragon (1977).

Onna White passed away on April 8th, 2005. To this day, she remains the only recipient of the Academy Award for Outstanding Choreography! Her dancing skills undoubtedly, played a huge role in helping make “The Music Man,” “Oliver,” and other movie-musicals worth watching and her legacy of dance will live on for years to come.  

The Golden Television Show

Picture it: NBC Network, September 14th, 1985- the first airing of a Touchstone Pictures-produced sit-com about four elderly women sharing a house together in Miami, Florida. Throughout its seven-year run the hilarious The Golden Girls (1985-1992) and won four Golden Globes and 11 Emmy Awards. And even though it’s been 32 years since its original airing, it remains a classic in heavy syndication (Hallmark Channel, TV Land, and Hulu.) The show has an intriguing history, and I’d like to tell you about that in this blog.

The idea of a sit-com about elderly women was first envisioned at NBC in 1984. NBC Senior Vice President Warren Littlefield met with Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas (son of television legend, Danny Thomas), both of whom had just finished working as the creators of the ABC show Soap (1977-1981). Littlefield asked if they might consider developing the pilot script for the show. They declined, but Witt instead asked his wife, Susan Harris (who was one of the producers on “Soap,”) if she would develop the script. Surprisingly Harris agreed, despite the fact that she had been planning to retire after “Soap,” and unfortunately was suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Once she developed the pilot script, she agreed to collaborate with her husband and Thomas once again, and Littlefield green-lit the show. 

Director Jay Sandrich first cast Estelle Getty in the role of the irascible, wisecracking Sophia Petrillo, then Betty White and Rue McClanahan as Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux. Bea Arthur was the final cast member to join, in the pivotal role of Dorothy Zbornak. Casting was not as easy as it looked. Getty was intimidated by the role due to lifelong stage fright and the pressure of working with already established television leading ladies. And NBC originally brought in White and McClanahan in reversed roles, but Sandrich feared that Betty White as Blanche was “going to be Sue Ann Nivens (her Mary Tyler Moore character) all over again,” and the roles were switched.

On September 9th, 2009, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Beatrice Arthur, and Estelle Getty were all honored as Disney Legends which is an award you can receive for making any kind of contribution to the Walt Disney Studios from acting in a hit movie/television show to designing a beloved theme park attraction. At this point in time, Arthur and Getty were sadly both deceased and McClanahan was too ill to attend, so White accepted for the whole group. (While “Golden Girls,” remains the only contribution to Disney for Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan, Betty White has also appeared in a number of other projects for the studio. She acted in the Touchstone Pictures films, The Proposal (2009) and You Again (2010) and also lent her voice to Disney/Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo (2008), the ABC 30-min. short Operation Secret Santa (2010) and also an episode of the Disney Channel Original Series Mickey Mouse (2013)).

“The Golden Girls,” arguably serves as a great reminder that living life to the fullest can happen no matter one’s age, and tough times in later years can be overcome. One could easily characterize “The Golden Girls,” as a family sit-com, in spite of the fact that it is about a family that is not biologically related-just best friends. It helps keep the legacy of Disney family entertainment alive, but it also has a legacy of its own: living life at its fullest means always loving your friends!  

Lee Arenberg: The World’s Greatest Dwarf-Pirate

You might remember that Grumpy was the name of one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarf friends in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). And all throughout the film, Grumpy despises Snow White and the fact the she “invades” his and his brothers’ cottage. For all he knows, she’s really the Evil Queen in disguise and could wreak her “vengeance” on them at any time. But…he warms up to Snow White when she is on the verge of death (thanks to the real Evil Queen’s poisoned apple, only to be awoken by “True Love’s Kiss.”) In the film he was voiced by Pinto Colvig, who also voiced Sleepy, and provided the hiccup noises for Dopey. Since Colvig’s original voice-over performance, Grumpy has been reincarnated many times in animation and live-action for Disney, and for the last six seasons, Grumpy the Dwarf (who is known as Leroy the Miner in Storybrooke, Maine) has been brilliantly portrayed by Lee Arenberg, on ABC’s Once Upon a Time (2011-present). Besides Grumpy, however, Lee Arenberg has an intriguing history with the studio.

Lee Arenberg played Pintel in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). (You’ll recognize one of his big moments in “Pirates”-he greets Kiera Knightley’s character with “Hello, Puppet!”). Arenberg reprised that role for the first two sequels in the “Pirates” franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), along with Mackenzie Crook who played Ragetti, the pirate with the glass eye. Arenberg also acted in the Hollywood Pictures film, V.I. Warshawski (1991), reprised the role of Grumpy in the “Once Upon a Time,” spin-off, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013-2014), appeared in an episode of the Disney Channel Original Series, Good Luck Charlie (2010-2014), and played Pintel again in the Disney video game, Disney INFINITY (2013). 

I had the rare privilege of getting to meet Mr. Arenberg at a recent “Once Upon a Time,” Convention in Chicago, IL and he was there. Along with several other members of the cast, he signed autographs, participated in the Q&A Panels, and entertained with music. At one point, he performed his famous “Hello Puppet” line for the entire audience and played his harmonica (which was quite remarkable!) and acknowledged that he had had good experiences making both “Once,” and “Pirates.” He and fellow cast mate, Michael Coleman (who plays Happy the Dwarf) both also talked about how they’re both hoping to return to season seven of “Once” with the other dwarfs.

Lee Arenberg will forever be remembered as Pintel the Pirate in the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” series and as Grumpy/Leroy in “Once Upon a Time.” His performance as Grumpy is a most modern portrayal of the character, but when you see him on your television screen, you really can’t think of anyone else in the part. What the writers/producers of “Once,” have in-store for the Dwarfs in season seven remains to be seen, but whatever it is, the actors who play their characters, especially Lee Arenberg, will most certainly be worth-watching.   

The Kings of Broadway

For most Broadway fans, “The King and I,” remains as entertaining as it was when it was first produced 66 years ago. One of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s best, it is rooted in the true story of Mongkut who ruled Siam (now known as Thailand) from 1851-1868, and the Indian-born British schoolteacher named Anna Leonowens who who taught his many wives and children. While in Siam, Leonowens published two memoirs, The English Governess at Siamese Court in 1870 and Romance of the Harem in 1872. And 60 years later, Margaret Landon melded the two narratives into a semi-fictionalized novel: Anna and the King of Siam, which was adapted as a black-and-white film in 1946, starring Rex Harrison as Mongkut and Irene Dunne as Anna. The story was readapted again for the Broadway Stage as a musical in 1951.  

Yul Brynner wasn’t very well known prior to starring in “The King and I,” on Broadway. That changed when “The King and I,” opened to great acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The original production of the musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Brynner. When 20th Century Fox gave the “green light” to the film adaptation of “The King and I,” and asked Brynner to reprise his stage role, they told him that they were considering casting Maureen O’Hara as Anna. But Brynner specifically requested for good friend Deborah Kerr and Fox obliged. (Both received Best Actor Oscar Nominations for their performances, and Brynner won.) Brynner reprised his role as Mongkut for two Broadway revivals in 1977 and 1985, playing 695 and 191 performances respectively. In 1985, Brynner was also awarded a special Tony for having played the role of King Mongkut on stage for a grand total of 4,625 performances. Then returned for a not-very-well-known television series called Anna and the King (1972) which only lasted 13 episodes. The show paired him with Samantha Eggar as Anna, who ironically made the film Dr. Doolittle (1967) with Rex Harrison. 

Rex Harrison was the first actor to play Mongkut on screen. When Twentieth Century Fox gave was casting the “The King and I,” movie-musical, they offered the role of the King to him, but he declined it, having already committed to his career-defining role: Professor Henry Higgins in Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady. And—just like “The King and I,”—“My Fair Lady,” also won the Tonys for Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical. (Harrison also won the Best Actor Oscar for the 1964 film adaptation of My Fair Lady and reprised the role for the 25th Anniversary Broadway production of the musical in 1981.)

Two more film adaptations of the story were made (a non-musical version in 1999, Anna and the King, with Jodie Foster as Anna and Chow-Yun Fat as King Mongkut, and an animated movie-musical the same year). Broadway revivals followed in 1996 and 2015 that also won followed Tonys as the story’s popularity continues.