One of my favorite old actors, Ben Johnson, once said about the same thing. 'There's lots fo great actors in this town, but no one is a better Ben Johnson than me'.
Posted on 09/11/2018 10:33:13 AM PDT by Rummyfan
In a line much quoted since his death on Thursday, Burt Reynolds observed, "I may not be the best actor in the world, but I'm the best Burt Reynolds in the world." And he was. It made him a huge box-office star in the Seventies, and thus the best Burt Reynolds in the world cruised amiably through Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run and variants thereof for a hugely lucrative decade. He took his bankability and invested it in things he liked - a football team, a petting zoo, and a lovely little theatre in Jupiter, Florida. Squire to an impressive variety of desirable women (Judy Carne, Dinah Shore, Sally Field, Loni Anderson), Burt Reynolds was indisputably the best Burt Reynolds he could be, until various health issues took their toll in recent years. Nevertheless, before he became Burt Reynolds in full but after a long apprenticeship in "Gunsmoke", "Flipper" and far worse, he turned in a pretty terrific acting performance in the 1972 film that made him a bona fide star.
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
One of my favorite old actors, Ben Johnson, once said about the same thing. 'There's lots fo great actors in this town, but no one is a better Ben Johnson than me'.
Reynolds was one of those guys that either on the screen or in real life would make you feel like whereever he was, was the place to be. Also, great laugh.
R.I.P Gator
Burt was a flawed individual. Not a nice guy.
If you hear banjo music, paddle faster.
We are all flawed in some way or another aren’t we my friend?
Never got a good vibe from Reynolds. Like he took himself too seriously or something. I recall he got angry on the Carson show one night at someone just joking with him. Just my thoughts.....hope he’s saved though. The last thing the thief on the cross stole was heaven and Christ was happy to let him steal it.
The outtakes from Cannonball are still hilarious. Burt could never keep a straight face with DeLuise around.
He was a lot funnier in The Longest Yard than Adam Sandler.
“He was a lot funnier in The Longest Yard than Adam Sandler.”
Agreed. Whole movie was better IMO.
The Sandler version was too camp.
Steyn confused the character names of Beatty and Voight, but that’sa minor quibble on an otherwise satisfying commentary.
That ‘love’ scene was a bit much, but the movie was otherwise fantastic. I haven’t gone canoeing since.
When I offered my condolences on Burt’s passing to Jon Voight, his response was: “He gave us lots of joy.”
Not a bad epitaph.
Definitely.
The original was so much better than the remake.
Ned Beatty’s daughter is the headmaster at my grandson’ private school. Her name is Blossom.
Yes, we are all flawed.
BTW, Jon Voight who’m I respect immensely and knew Burt Reynold’s far better than you or I would disagree with you about him “not being a nice guy”.
As are you.
That ain’t my department Captain Brittles
The film was a bit of a masterpiece and Reynolds shone on it. It’s in my top ten.
I had been wanting to watch it again for a month or so before he died. Now I will for sure.
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