RIP Charles Durning

Well known character actor Charles Durning has passed of natural causes at 89. He had quite a career on stage and in film after a noble stint at Normandy where he was injured.

RIP sir and thank you for your service and your wonderful characters. I will miss you.

I acted in a movie with him; The Berkeley to Boston 40 Brick Lost Bag Blues, in '72.
Charlie played a cop who did heroin deals on the side, I was a lowly receptionist..nice guy.

TedTheLed said:

I acted in a movie with him; The Berkeley to Boston 40 Brick Lost Bag Blues, in '72.
Charlie played a cop who did heroin deals on the side, I was a lowly receptionist..nice guy.

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Wow! Now I've gotta find that movie and check it out.

I always liked the characters he played. You could tell that he had a rough and tumble blue collar upbringing and it showed through. There was an underlying humbleness to his characters that was endearing.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002WJHBCW/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Ordering it. Thanks!

:thumbsup:

Got the movie today from Amazon. I skimmed through it briefly on the computer and I couldn't find a receptionist scene. Where is it roughly in the film?

BTW I was surprised that it was a burned, not a stamped, copy of the movie. I guess they do this for lower-volume sales.

You can stamp a DVD? I don't know about that. Unless they cut my scene, I exchange a couple words with Buzzy Linhart
(hear the song/raga Singjoy, on his album "Buzzy" everyone.) in the recording studio. Also, my fans will want to know
the fingers rolling the joint are yours truly's...

Yes, most high volume commercial discs are stamped (pressed) from a master, much like vinyl records are pressed, only with much higher precision. Stamped discs are silver in color; burned DVDs are blue.

They must have cut that scene! I went through the entire recording studio sequence several times and I didn't see a receptionist speaking with Buzzy, even though your name shows up in the credits. Dang.

That must have been one of Lithgow's first films. He seemed kind of wooden. But Charles Durning came across as completely authentic.

Saw him in "Little Whore House in Texas", and he was awesome.

Bill

Does someone say to Buzzy something about taking tapes to the "re-recording studio" -- that's me..unless it isn't..:shrug: that's showbiz...

TedTheLed said:

Does someone say to Buzzy something about taking tapes to the "re-recording studio" -- that's me..unless it isn't..:shrug: that's showbiz...

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Nope, it's not there.

How about the fingers rolling the joint? Did they cut the fingers too?

Have you been in any other movies Ted or just that one? Didn't know you were an actor.

..oh, I've been deleted and banned from movies and forums everywhere!

Everybody is an actor! And all the world is a stage!

(there was my joint rolling scene in "Lincoln", akin to the famous Easy Rider scene
With Nicholson and Fonda, but, it too, alas, fell victim to the editors knife.) (yes I am kidding on this one. )

If the world is a stage, I'd like better lighting.

The joint-rolling shot was cut also. Basically the whole recording studio sequence was the guy and the girl, one scene with Buzzy singing and he breaks a guitar string, then the guy and the girl making out, then Buzzy walks in on them at an awkward moment, then some dialog between the guy and the girl, and that was it. No Ted...

Well, what can I tell you? I had a fight with the director 25 years ago, maybe he cut me out in a rage? Or maybe they had to shorten it for some reason and my scene wasn't necessary to the story line..I swear, I was there, there was a movie, really .. There must be a VHC copy with my scene somewhere..sometimes, it all seems like a dream..

But I certainly understand your disappointment in not getting your vitamin TTL s worth ... may I offer you your money back?

Funny story; on the train to Toronto, where they shot the film, from New York, a Canadian inspections officer came through and asked me for my working papers, which I had not, so I was led off the train in handcuffs..spent a couple nights at the Buffalo Hilton, and then made it across the border mit papers..

TedTheLed said:

But I certainly understand your disappointment in not getting your vitamin TTL s worth ... may I offer you your money back?

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Nah... it's still a Charles Durning flick so it's all good.

TedTheLed said:

Funny story; on the train to Toronto, where they shot the film, from New York, a Canadian inspections officer came through and asked me for my working papers, which I had not, so I was led off the train in handcuffs..spent a couple nights at the Buffalo Hilton, and then made it across the border mit papers..

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Wow! I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time! By "Buffalo Hilton" do you mean the "Graybar Hotel" or a regular hotel?

No, lol, the real hotel! They just didn't want me in Canada without authorization to work, don't want American bums stealing Canadian jobs.. And I figured the production was paying for the trip, so..

TedTheLed said:

No, lol, the real hotel! They just didn't want me in Canada without authorization to work, don't want American bums stealing Canadian jobs.. And I figured the production was paying for the trip, so..

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A guy I worked with once, told me that he was deported from Canada because he was carrying a toolbox.