James Caan (1940-2022)
Thursday, July 7, 2022 at 3:26PM by Nathaniel R
autographed photo -- for sale here
Oscar nominated screen legend James Caan died yesterday evening at the age of 82. The news came via his official twitter account. His uncommonly masculine star persona was often deployed for menace but his charisma read 'leading man' even though that mode happened less often. His career was marked by stratospheric highs, major lows, and some degree of ambivalence; He regularly turned down roles (including several that became iconic for his peers) in both movies and on television. He's best remembered today primarily for two pieces of art, the gangster epic The Godfather (1972) and the fan/artist thriller Misery (1990). They don't paint the whole picture of that expansive career though which began in the early the early Sixties and and will stretch into next year. He completed one picture, set for 2023, a darkly comic crime/action movie starring Pierce Brosnan (with Caan playing his mob boss) based on the novel Gun Monkeys. He also did some filming for a sheriff role in a crime drama called Redemption though we don't know if he had completed his work there.
After the jump a selection of 10 key roles to understand his career if you'd like to program your own Jimmy Caan film festival at home...
All titles are easily available to rent online except, oddly, the most recent one.
As "Randall O'Connell" in Lady in A Cage (1964)
He's sensationally watchable in his first credited screen role, opposite a wounded Olivia DeHavilland in this grande dame thriller. When we watched the movie a couple of years ago we wrote:
Furry James Caan proves a major presence in his screen debut, all feral provocation and threat. Though the movie never quite goes as far as the actor, Caan is willing to push this movie straight into madness... This debut performance isn't as nuanced as his later work but he's already got the chops and charisma -- he just needs time to hone them.
As "Jimmy 'Killer' Kilgannon" in The Rain People (1969)
An interesting precursor to his legend-making role in The Godfather since he shares the screen with Robert Duvall just before they're both directed again by Francis Ford Coppola. In this drama he plays a former football star with a serious head injury romancing the film's lead Shirley Knight. He was second billed. Trivia: A decade plus later he would play another former football star in Brian's Song (1981) which would be an enormous television hit and earn him an Emmy nomination.
As "Sonny Corleone" in The Godfather (1972)
Instant immortality. That's what starring in one of the most famous movies of all time will get you. We recently wrote about the film here and here. Fun Trivia: Before Coppola settled on Caan playing the eldest son of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), Caan was considered for both the roles of Michael Corleone (which eventually went to Al Pacino) and Tom Hagen (which went to Robert Duvall). [Streaming on Paramount+]
As "John Baggs" in Cinderella Liberty (1973)
Though this film is best remembered today as Marsha Mason's Oscar-breakout (the Academy would crush on her for a full decade), as we pointed our in our review...
It is Caan's masculine reserve and softly shaded performance that draws you in. He doesn't spell out much about Baggs' internal life but he's somehow deeply sympathetic and fully realized all at the same... As a leading role it's a marvel of minimalism.
Though Caan received a Golden Globe nomination, it was Marsha who got the bulk of the praise. Along with both his screen debut and The Rain People this points to an interesting and very underdiscussed throughline in Caan's career: He was uncommonly terrific with female leads, always holding his own but free of any ego one might associate with such a hyper masculine persona if and when his co-star was the true focus.
As "Axel Freed" in The Gambler (1974)
Top billed and the titular character, this drama about a professor who can't stop gambling no matter what it cost him proved to be one of Caan's most famous films. He received the second (of three consecutive) Best Actor Golden Globe nominations but Oscar still didn't bite. They only ever noticed him in The Godfather.
As "Jonathan E" in Rollerball (1975)
1975 was a peak "commercial" year for Caan as a leading man playing co-lead to Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady (not as respected as Funny Girl but still a hit) and this sci-fi action film about a corporate controlled future where this ultra-violent sport is all the rage and Caan one of its most powerful athletes. Caan preferred Funny Lady but was advised to do this one for its commercial potential. Trivia: Despite being a genre piece, in a time when that kind of film didn't dominate pop culture, the film was critically respected enough to earn four BAFTA nominations winning in Art Direction.
As "Frank" in Thief (1981)
This heist film, co-starring Tuesday Weld, wasn't a success upon release and was even nominated for "Stinker" awards (a now defunct Razzies-like prize). But it's long since been reevaluated since its director Michael Mann was behind the camera and became much more revered in the 1990s. It's so much more popular decades later that IMDb's algorithm has named it one of Caan's top four "Known For" movies. [Streaming on Roku, Hoopla, Tubi, and Pluto]
As "Jolly" in Kiss Me Goodbye (1982)
His eclectic career choices led to as many artistic and/or financial misses as hits. In this romantic comedy he played the ghost of Sally Field's ex-husband who interferes as she is preparing to marry again (Jeff Bridges being the lucky guy). It was one of Caan's least favourite pictures. He was reportedly so unhappy making it (and dealing with family tragedy around the same time) that he quit the business altogether for five years. [Streaming on Starz/Hulu]
As "Paul Sheldon" in Misery (1990)
Caan had a comeback hit with this Stephen King thriller about a famous novelist (Caan) and his "Number one fan!" (Kathy Bates) intent on nursing him back to health... as long as he writes exactly what she wants. Bates won a very popular if atypical Best Actress Oscar but Caan had to settle for playing the 'straight man' in this wackadoodle duet, albeit playing it superbly. [Streaming on Fubo and Showtime]
As "The Big Man" in Dogville (2004)
Many of Caan's late career roles harnessed his legendary connection to the gangster genre for extra impact. We single this Lars von Trier picture out because it's our favourite Caan film post-Misery. This avant garde outing also points back to Caan's interest in making art as opposed to making a fortune, which was reportedly part of his reason for turning down several huge or potentially lucrative roles throughout his career, especially on television. [Strangely Dogville is not available to stream OR rent online]
Reader Comments (9)
A Class Act and wonderful with the leading ladies,bags of charisma and probably too ambivalent about his career.
Top 5
Misery
The Godfather
Thief
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Rain People
It’s difficult for today’s audience to understand how much movie fans embraced James Caan during the winter of 1971 and the subsequent early spring.
Starring in then the most watched television movie of all time, James Caan broke our hearts in Brian’s Song. The last scene is so beautifully played. Caan lays in that hospital bed, gleaming with vitality. He makes an acting choice to speak unexpectedly in a high pitched whisper that throws the viewer. I find it impossible not to sob as 26 year old Pic says goodbye to his wife Joy, the mother of his three daughters.
When The Godfather premiered only four months later, Caan again captured the imagination of audiences. His virile Sonny Corleone was searing. Sonny’s rage was unnerving and stood in direct contrast to Brian Piccolo’s tenderness.
We all expected Caan to stand triumphant with an Emmy in one hand and an Oscar in the other. It was most surprising when the front runner lost both races. The Emmy went to the long forgotten stage actor Keith Mitchell in a miniseries about Henry VIII while Joel Grey won the Oscar in the huge Cabaret sweep.
He missed out on quite a few Oscar noms too in his career most glaringly Misery.
His obituaries seem to be zeroing in on his tough guy macho roles. But I was always most impressed with his work with actresses. He seemingly did so little, yet managed to hold his own with his quiet masculine authority without trying to compete with his female co-stars. To Cinderella Liberty and Misery, I'd add Funny Lady and For the Boys in this category. He was a latter day Joel McCrea
This one hurts. I grew up on this man because of movies like The Godfather and Brian's Song as he was the embodiment of what a man should be. When he did Honeymoon in Vegas after that come back in Misery, that's when I realized I was watching someone who just delivers. Even in a bad movie like that Adam Sandler movie that I forgot what it was called as it involved pedophilia and incest as he was the only thing in that film that was worth watching.
A true legend in cinema. He will be missed. Thank you Santino Corleone.
This post (and your twitter thread) made me realize just how much I adored this man's work. The Gambler, Thief, and The Godfather were the performances that immediately came to mind for me upon learning of his death, but there are so many others to admire. Chief among them are Misery, Dogville, Cinderella Liberty, and even Chapter Two - a very so/so movie that he's great in (even better than Mason, who got the Oscar nom). You're so right about his work with actresses, it's a really interesting thread/signature in his career.
Thief is my favorite of his films, and it used to be my favorite of his performances until I saw The Gambler earlier this year. He absolutely devastated me.
What a legacy.
So good at playing the apparently bad boyfriend who secretly turns out to be the nicest guy in the room.
PS thanks for giving us your sexy son as well.
It's so hard to choose his best, he was always at the top of his game. But my Top Five would be Brian's Song, The Godfather, Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler and Rollerball. Two of Marsha Mason's Best Actress nods came from their collaborations. They had amazing chemistry. In her statement of condolences, she praised his generosity as an actor. Truth. Be at peace, sir. Your legacy will endure.
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