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Michael Caine Didn't Want to Play Batman's Butler
Yahoo Movie Talk ^ | 3/14/13 | Meriah Doty

Posted on 03/14/2013 12:25:21 PM PDT by Kartographer

In fact, Caine didn't know at first what role Nolan was pitching when the director visited his English countryside estate well before "Batman Begins" was released in 2005. "I thought to myself, I'm a bit old for Batman. … So, I said, 'Who am I going to play?' He said, 'The butler.' I immediately thought I'll be spending the entire series saying, 'Dinner is served' and 'Would you like a coffee?'"

That didn't appeal to the lauded and prolific Mr. Caine -- until he read the script. "I thought it was wonderful. … He was the foster father of young Bruce Wayne, whose parents got killed, and started to bring him up."

(Excerpt) Read more at movies.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHCdKb5UWc

Alfred Pennyworth: "Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

1 posted on 03/14/2013 12:25:21 PM PDT by Kartographer
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To: Kartographer

Michael Caine’s performance as Alfred was outstanding, in particular in the “The Dark Knight Rises”.

His characterization of Alfred as not just a butler, but actually more like a foster father, made Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy the gold standard of comic-book based films.


2 posted on 03/14/2013 12:28:44 PM PDT by AnAmericanAbroad (It's all bread and circuses for the future prey of the Morlocks.)
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To: Kartographer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efHCdKb5UWc

Nice vid.

3 posted on 03/14/2013 12:29:12 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: Kartographer

Was he talking about Obama? Sounds like it. One of my favorite movie quotes.


4 posted on 03/14/2013 12:35:37 PM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: Kartographer
That didn't appeal to the lauded and prolific Mr. Caine

says the guy who played austin powers dad - puhleeze,a typical butler role would have been ABOVE Nigel Powers

5 posted on 03/14/2013 12:37:02 PM PDT by Revelation 911 (hump scratching n'er do well.....all strung out on chicken wings and venison jerky)
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To: Kartographer
Michael Caine is great in all his flicks, especially the Batman Ones!
6 posted on 03/14/2013 12:38:00 PM PDT by zbogwan2
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To: AnAmericanAbroad
I disagree.

Michael Caine's performance as Alfred was adequate, but oddly enough I thought the best and most definitive Alfred on film was Michael Gough.

It's ironic that Caine is an A-list actor who has been nominated for numerous awards, and Gough is a B-actor at best that's been in mostly obscure Hammer films outside of Batman, because I felt Gough was born to play the role. The way he delivered lines like "My dear boy, sometimes it’s a diversion to read such rubbish. Most of the time it’s a waste of time" (to a newspaper boy selling a paper with a headline about "Penguin Man lives in sewer") were classic. Caine made Alfred a very stately and inspirational father figure, but I thought he was way too old to be Alfred to the child Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins (he was the same age as Keaton's Batman, which takes place MANY years later in Batman's life chronology!) and his motivational speeches to Bruce Wayne just sounded too "Hollywood" and scripted. Gough was much more down to earth, believable, and human, plus he had a quirky sense of humor that Caine's Alfred lacked.

7 posted on 03/14/2013 12:39:07 PM PDT by BillyBoy ( Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: Kartographer
There's a big difference between being a butler and being Alfred.

Granted, the distinction was lost a little in the 60s TV show, that he was reduced to minor status so that the four-color characters could take center stage.

8 posted on 03/14/2013 1:00:45 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: zbogwan2
Michael Caine is great in all his flicks, especially the Batman Ones!

One thing I have to admire about Caine (aside from his acting, and he's not my favorite, but he's not bad): I heard in an interview that he's not wanting for roles, so he often chooses parts that will film in interesting parts of the world. A movie role and a paid vacation.

Life can be good and that would rock.

9 posted on 03/14/2013 1:03:18 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either.)
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To: Tanniker Smith

That would explain “Blame it on Rio” (Well the location and the chance to spend quite a bit of time with a 22-year old Demi Moore).


10 posted on 03/14/2013 1:12:31 PM PDT by Freedumb
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To: Kartographer
That didn't appeal to the lauded and prolific Mr. Caine -- until he read the script. saw the check.
11 posted on 03/14/2013 1:26:12 PM PDT by Chad_the_Impaler
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To: BillyBoy
I think my favorite incarnation of Alfred is from the WB animated series as voiced by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr:

In fact, I'd rather watch Batman: The Animated Series than any of the live-action versions. I still have not seen the last Nolan film, as I did not care for The Dark Knight (liked Batman Begins, though).

12 posted on 03/14/2013 1:37:44 PM PDT by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: Freedumb

13 posted on 03/14/2013 1:40:05 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Sans-Culotte

For most of my life I really didn’t care much about comic book superheroes but I watched Batman and Superman TAS series when they first aired and really liked them both. Mainly for the writing and scores. I loved the later Justice League stuff too.


14 posted on 03/14/2013 5:27:29 PM PDT by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
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To: dfwgator

Ah yes, Blame it on Rio. She was very well... cast.


15 posted on 03/14/2013 5:57:12 PM PDT by TChad (Call them Oppressives, not Progressives.)
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To: Freedumb

Demi Moore was a flat-chested embarrassing dud in “Rio.” It was Michelle Johnson who was hot.


16 posted on 03/15/2013 1:15:26 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Tanniker Smith
Caine can see the world for free and make money working when/where he chooses. Sounds like a great life to me.
17 posted on 03/17/2013 10:40:57 AM PDT by zbogwan2
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