Coordinates	8°3′″N34°54′″N
{{infobox film | name	Porte aperte | image Porte aperte.jpg | director Gianni Amelio | writer Gianni Amelio,Vincenzo Cerami,Alessandro Sermoneta | starring Gian Maria VolontéEnnio FantastichiniRenato Carpentieri | editing Simona Paggi | producer | distributor Orion Pictures in USA, 1991 | released March 29, 1990 (ITA) | music Franco Piersanti| runtime 108 minutes | country | language Italian | budget | }}

''Open Doors'' (original Italian title: ''Porte aperte'') is an award-winning 1990 film directed by Gianni Amelio. Set in Palermo in the 1930s, a judge who is morally against the death penalty is confronted with the case of a man who has murdered his wife and two colleagues in cold blood. Opposed by both the fascist government and public opinion, he struggles to do what he believes is right. Based on a 1968 novel, "Porte Aperte", by Leonardo Sciascia.

Plot

The movie opens with a Fascist bureaucrat, recently fired, killing the man who fired him, the man who replaced him, and his wife.

Awards

3 European Film Awards - Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best discover of the year (Ennio Fantastichini )

Academy Award nominee - Best Foreign Language Film

4 David di Donatello - Best Film, Best Actor (Volontè), Best Costume design, Best Sound

2 Nastro d'Argento - Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Ennio Fantastichini)

External links

Category:1990 films Category:1990s drama films Category:Italian films Category:Italian-language films Category:Films directed by Gianni Amelio

fr:Portes ouvertes it:Porte aperte (film) ru:Открытые двери

Coordinates	8°3′″N34°54′″N
bgcolour	silver
name	Gian Maria Volonté
birth date	April 09, 1933
birth place	Milan, Italy
death date	December 06, 1994
death place	Florina, Greece
othername	Johnny Wels
spouse	Armenia Balducci
domesticpartner	Carla GravinaAngelica Ippolito (1977-his death)

Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (credited in the USA as "Johnny Wels") and ''For a Few Dollars More''.

Early life

Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957. He had a brief career as a television and theatre (Shakespeare, Goldoni) actor, before concentrating on his film career.

Career

He made his debut in 1960 in with ''Sotto dieci bandiere'', directed by Duilio Coletti. Just four years later, Volonté played "Ramón Rojo" in ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), and "El Indio" in ''For a Few Dollars More'' (1965), both for cash reasons as he did not consider either role seriously. Both films were directed by the then-unknown Sergio Leone, and Volonté's roles in them would bring him his greatest recognition from American audiences.

His performances as memorable but neurotic characters, together with the unexpected, worldwide success of the films, gave him international fame. Volonté had already played comedies, including ''A cavallo della tigre'' (1961), by Luigi Comencini, and confirmed his versatility in ''L'armata Brancaleone'' (1966). However, he found his main dimension in dramatic roles for ''Banditi a Milano'' (1968), by Carlo Lizzani, ''Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina'' (1972) by Marco Bellocchio, ''La Classe operaia va in paradiso'' (1972) by his friend Elio Petri and ''Il sospetto'' (1975) by Francisco Maselli.

In 1968 he won a Silver Ribbon as best actor for ''A ciascuno il suo'', also directed by Elio Petri. Volonté received the same award for two other performances: Petri's ''Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto'' (1971, winner of an Academy Award as best foreign film), considered by many to be his finest; and in ''Opera al nero'' (1989). In 1983 he won the award for Best Actor at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival for ''La Mort de Mario Ricci''. Four years later, at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor for ''Il caso Moro''.. 1988 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, remarkable play as a Renaissance physician in "L'Œuvre au noir" film by André Delvaux from Marguerite Yourcenar famous novel. In 1990 he was declared best European actor for ''Porte aperte''. In 1991, at the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for his career as a whole.

Volonté also played numerous roles outside Italy.

Personal life

He was a strong political activist and known for his left-leaning views. Companion of Italian actress Carla Gravina for almost 10 years, they met when they played Romeo and Juliet in the theatre in 1960. The two had a daughter Giovanna, born in the early 1960s.

The actress Angelica Ippolito was his companion from 1977 until his death in 1994.

Death

He died from a heart attack in 1994 at Florina, Greece during the filming of ''Ulysses' Gaze'', directed by Theo Angelopoulos. His role in the film was recast to Erland Josephson.

As he asked, Volonté's final resting place is a small cemetery on the Sardinian island of Isola della Maddalena.

Selected filmography

''Under Ten Flags'' (1960)

''Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis'' (1961)

''The Four Days of Naples'' (1962)

''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964, credited as "Johnny Wels")

''For a Few Dollars More'' (1965)

''L'armata Brancaleone'' (1966)

''Quien sabe?'' (also known as ''A Bullet for the General'', 1966)

''A Gangstergirl'' (1966)

''Faccia a faccia'' (1967)

''A ciascuno il suo'' (1967)

''Bandits in Milan'' (1968)

''Le Cercle rouge'' (1970)

''Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion'' (1970)

''Sacco e Vanzetti'' (1971)

''Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina'' (1972)

''The Working Class Goes to Heaven'' (1972)

''The Mattei Affair'' (''Il Caso Mattei'', 1972)

''Lucky Luciano'' (1973)

''Giordano Bruno'' (1973)

''Todo modo'' (1976)

''Letters from Marusia'' (1976)

''Io ho paura'' (1978)

''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' (1979)

''Operación Ogro'' (1979)

''The Lady of the Camellias'' (1981)

''La Mort de Mario Ricci'' (1983)

''Il caso Moro'' (1986)

''Cronica di una morte annunciata'' (1987)

''Un ragazzo di Calabria'' (1987)

''The Abyss'' (1988)

"L'Œuvre au noir" (1988)

''L'opera al nero'' (1988)

''Pestalozzi's Mountain'' (1989)

''Funes, un gran amor'' (1993)

References

External links

http://www.gianmariavolonte.it/ Official Site

Category:1933 births Category:1994 deaths Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in Greece Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Italian film actors Category:People from Milan Category:Spaghetti Western actors Category:Western (genre) film actors Category:Alumni of the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica

ca:Gian Maria Volontè de:Gian Maria Volontè es:Gian Maria Volonté eo:Gian-Maria Volonte eu:Gian Maria Volonté fr:Gian Maria Volontè id:Gian Maria Volonté it:Gian Maria Volonté he:ג'אן מריה וולונטה sw:Gian Maria Volontè la:Ioannes Maria Volontè hu:Gian Maria Volontè nl:Gian Maria Volonté ja:ジャン・マリア・ヴォロンテ pl:Gian Maria Volontè pt:Gian Maria Volonté ru:Волонте, Джан Мария sc:Gian Maria Volonté sh:Gian Maria Volontè fi:Gian Maria Volontè sv:Gian Maria Volontè tr:Gian Maria Volontè

Eugenio Finardi (born July 16, 1952) is an Italian singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.

Life

Eugenio Finardi was born in Milan, Italy, on July 16, 1952, in a musical family: his father was an Italian music sound engineer and his mother an American opera singer; at age six Finardi made his first record, Palloncino Rosso Fuoco, a children song.

Finardi became part of a thriving music scene in Milan in the late 1960s. Rooted in the Blues, classic Rock'n'Roll and the hippy counter-culture, he became an active member of the left-wing youth movement of those years. His first band was called The Tiger, in 1969. Soon he started playing with Alberto Camerini, a singer and guitarist born in Brazil, who a few years later would be instrumental in introducing American and British New Wave to Italian Pop music. Together they even emulated the US film Easy Rider by travelling on motorbikes from Milan to Amsterdam. The scene Finardi became part of included among others bands like Area and Stormy Six, Claudio Rocchi and female singer-songwriter Donatella Bardi. Finardi made a living by day teaching English, in which he was fluent because of his American mother, and as a musician by night, as singer, guitarist and piano-player. After forming the band Il Pacco with Camerini, Finardi recorded a single in English in 1973, Spacey Stacey/Hard Rock Honey for Numero Uno, the first Italian independent record label started by singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti and his writing partner Mogol, who had a long string of Italian and international hits under their belts, and who had introduced in Italian Pop music different styles from the US and the UK, from the Rock music of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, to Blues and Soul. Finardi's single went largely unnoticed.

Early Career, the 1970s

Thanks to his friendship with the band Area and their singer Demetrio Stratos, in 1974 Finardi signed with the label Cramps, run by Gianni Sassi. 1975 saw the release of his first album Non Gettate Alcun Oggetto Dal Finestrino. The album was a mixture of the style of Italian singer-songwriters and Rock'n'Roll. Camerini on guitar, Lucio Fabbri on violin, Walter Calloni on drums were among the musicians who played on the record, which included a Rock version of traditional Italian protest folk-song Saluteremo Il Signor Padrone, and original songs by Finardi - one, Taking It Easy, in English - with social commentary about metropolitan alienation, against the compulsory national service in the Italian army, and political prisoners. The album was influenced by both Prog-Rock, which was extremely popular in Italy, and Hippie idealism. Finardi became known from playing at Milan's alternative Festival in Parco Lambro in 1976, introducing a Rock sound to the Italian genre of singer-songwriters who were often politically involved, and mostly somewhat derivative of Folk Rock, the early protest songs of Bob Dylan, and of the American West-Coast music of artists like Neil Young. Finardi looked to the more electric and up-tempo sound of Rock&Roll; and The Rolling Stones, and his sound was also often influenced by Jazz Rock fusion, thanks to Area members Patrizio Fariselli and Ares Tavolazzi, and bass-player Hugh Bullen.

Years Of Lead

Finardi's sound and style became a success in 1976, with his second album ''Sugo'', and his third ''Diesel'' in 1977. The first included the counter-cultural youth anthem Musica Ribelle, and the hymn to pirate radio-stations La Radio; the second the love ballad Non e' Nel Cuore, which were all released as singles. Finardi, who had started performing live often on his own with an acoustic guitar and sitting down, was now touring with a four or five-piece Rock band. His introduction of Rock'n'Roll in the genre of socially and politically aware Italian singer-songwriters was what made Finardi stand out and endeared him to the counter-cultural youth of late 1970s Italy, which in 1976-78 was in the midst of political upheaval and almost civil war, with the occupations of factories, universities and high-schools, demonstrations which ended in pitched battles with the police - often with fatal casualties - and the rise of political movements like Autonomia, the Indiani Metropolitani and terrorist groups like the Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse). This eventful period of Italian contemporary history is known as the Anni di piombo (Years Of Lead)and also as the era of the Movimento '77, the youth movement for which 1977 was a pivotal year, somewhat an Italian equivalent of the Punk Rock upheaval in the US and Great Britain. The dramatic and eventful climate of the period was the result of the so-called Strategy of tension (Strategia della tensione): the confrontation between youth counter-culture and left-wing activists against an Italian government perceived as reactionary, repressive, corrupt, unstable, manouvred by the US, which disseminated disinformation and engaged in false-flag terror attacks blamed on the left in order to establish a more authoritarian regime. Finardi was a notable counter-cultural and musical protagonist of these years, with songs like La C.I.A. about the American Secret Services' involvement in Italian politics, Soldi about consumerism, Giai Phong, about the Vietnam War, Scuola about the education system, Tutto Subito about the confrontational street demos of Autonomia, and Scimmia which chronicled Finardi's past heroin addiction and subsequent self-detoxification through 'cold turkey', a particularly relevant song for touching upon a subject that would become a growing social problem in Italy starting in the following decade, the 1980s. Songs like Voglio and Oggi Ho Imparato A Volare were optimstic hymns for the revolutionary youth of the Italian left, and Diesel celebrated both Finardi's life on the road as a musician and the life of everyday working-class Italians. Finardi started to make his transition from this turbulent period of Italian history and its cultural landscape with the album Blitz and single Extraterrestre in 1978, and Roccando Rollando (Rocking and Rolling) in 1979, which contained Legalizzatela, his song-manifesto for the legalization of cannabis. Other significant hits were Patrizia, and the bitter-sweet ballad Le Ragazze Di Osaka in 1981.

From the 1980s to the present

Since then Finardi has lived periodically abroad, in London, UK, and in the United States. He has appeared at the Mecca of Italian commercial Pop music, the annual musical contest of the San Remo Festival, which would have been unthinkable in the 1970s. Through many different collaborations, he has released regular albums: among them one made entirely of songs with English lyrics, Secret Streets in 1982; the live album Strade (1984), Dolce Italia (1987), the entirely acoustic Acustica in 1993, for which he toured in the same 'unplugged' mode, the re-reading of songs from his back catalogue Cinquantanni in 2002, his exploraton of spirituality Il Silenzio e Lo Spirito in 2003, and a return to his youthful love for the Blues with the album Anima Blues in 2005. Eugenio Finardi's most recent works have a large audience, as proven by the success of the album Un Uomo (2007), a compilation of a 30 years long career, celebrated also in the show Suono in Italian theatres - and released also on DVD - in which Finardi tells his story through a series of monologues. His last work Il Cantante Al Microfono saw him accompanied by a classical music sextet. Eugenio Finardi's albums from the 1970s are considered classics of Italian Rock, and he remains one of Italy's most successful and influential Rock singers and musicians.

Discography

Albums

''Non gettate alcun oggetto dal finestrino'' (1975)

''Sugo'' (1976)

''Diesel'' (1977)

''Blitz'' (1978)

''Roccando rollando'' (1979)

''Finardi'' (1981)

''Secret streets'' (1982)

''Dal Blu'' (1983)

''Strade'' (Live, 1984)

''Colpi di fulmine'' (1985)

''Dolce Italia'' (1987)

''Il vento di Elora'' (1989)

''La forza dell'amore'' (collection of remastered songs, plus 2 previously unreleased songs, 1990)

''Millennio'' (1991)

''Musica Desideria'' (1992)

''Acustica'' (1993)

''Occhi'' (1996)

''Accadueo'' (1998; re-released in 1999 with one 1 bonus track)

''La forza dell'amore 2'' (2001)

''Cinquantanni'' (2002)

''Il silenzio e lo spirito'' (2003)

''Anima blues'' (2005)

''Un uomo'' (2007)

''Un Cantante Al Microfono'' (2008)

Singles

''Spacey Stacey/Hard Rock Honey'' (1973)

''Soldi/Voglio'' (1975)

''Musica ribelle/La radio'' (1976)

''Non è nel cuore/Giai Phong'' (1977)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:People from Milan Category:Italian male singers Category:American people of Italian descent

it:Eugenio Finardi

Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. Composed of thin, Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and heavy, American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) they became well known during the late 1920s to the mid-1940s for their visual slapstick comedy, with Laurel playing the clumsy and childlike friend of the pompous Hardy. They made over 100 films together, initially short films before expanding into feature length films in the 1930s. Their films include ''Sons of the Desert'' (1933), the Academy Award winning short film ''The Music Box'' (1932), ''Babes in Toyland'' (1934), and ''Way Out West'' (1937). Hardy's catchphrase ''Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!'' is still widely recognized.

Prior to the double act both were established actors with Laurel appearing in over 50 films and Hardy in over 250 films. Although the two comedians first worked together on the film ''The Lucky Dog'' (1921), this was a chance pairing and it was not until 1926, when both separately signed contracts with the Hal Roach film studio, that they began appearing in movie shorts together. Laurel and Hardy officially became a team the following year in the silent short film ''Putting Pants on Philip'' (1927). The pair remained with the Roach studio until 1940, then appeared in eight "B" comedies for 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1945. Disappointed by the reduced level of creative control they had had over their films they instead concentrated on stage shows from 1946 to 1950, embarking on a music hall tour of England, Ireland and Scotland. In 1950 they made their last film, a French/Italian co-production called ''Atoll K'', before retiring from the screen. In total they appeared together in 107 films. They starred in 40 short sound films, 32 short silent films and 23 full length feature films, and made 12 guest or cameo appearances, including the recently-discovered ''Galaxy of Stars'' (1936).

A common comedy routine was a tit-for-tat fight. Their silent film ''Big Business'' (1929), which includes one of these routines, was added to the Library of Congress as a national treasure in 1992. Notable Laurel traits included crying like a baby while being berated and scratching his hair when in shock. On December 1, 1954, the team made their only American television appearance, surprised by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program, ''This Is Your Life''.

The works of Laurel and Hardy have been re-released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals, 16mm and 8mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home video since the 1930s. They were voted the seventh greatest comedy act in a 2005 UK poll by fellow comedians. The duo's signature tune, known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos", played on the opening credits of their films. The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as The Sons of the Desert, after a fraternal society in their film of the same name.

Before the teaming

Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel (June 16, 1890 – February 23, 1965) was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Lancashire (now Cumbria), England. His father was a showman who served as actor, director, playwright and theatrical entrepreneur in many northern English cities. Laurel began his career in Glasgow's Britannia Theatre of Varieties and the Alhambra Theatre Glasgow at the age of 16. He crafted a comedy act largely derivative of famous music hall comedians of the day, including George Robey and Dan Leno. He gradually worked his way up the ladder of supporting roles until he became the featured comedian, as well as an understudy to Charlie Chaplin in Fred Karno's comedy company. He emigrated to America in 1912 where he changed his name to Stan Laurel.

Making his first film appearance in ''Nuts in May'' (1917), Laurel continued to make more than 50 silent films for various producers. At first he experienced only modest success as a solo comedian. Producer Hal Roach later attributed this to the difficulty in photographing Laurel's pale blue eyes on early pre-panchromatic film stock, perhaps giving the appearance of blindness (which, in his earliest films, Laurel tried to remedy by adding heavy defining makeup around his eyes). Moreover, Laurel did not have an identifiable or easily marketable screen character.

Oliver Hardy

Oliver Hardy (January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia. He took his father's first name, calling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy." His offscreen nicknames were "Ollie" and "Babe." Hardy's nickname "Babe" originated from an Italian barber near the Lubin Studios in Jacksonville, Florida who would rub Hardy's face with talcum powder and say, "That's nice a baby!" which the other Lupin actors mimicked. Hardy was billed as "Babe Hardy" in his early films. By his late teens, Hardy was a popular stage singer, and he operated his own movie house in Milledgeville, Georgia, the Palace Theater, financed partially by his mother. Seeing film comedies inspired him with an urge to take up comedy himself and in 1913, he began working with Lubin Motion Pictures in Jacksonville, Florida. He started out by helping around the studio with lights, props and other duties, gradually learning the craft as a script-clerk. Around the same time, he married his first wife, Madelyn Salosihn.

In 1914, Hardy acted as Babe in his first film called ''Outwitting Dad''. Between 1914 and 1916, Hardy made 177 shorts as Babe with the Vim Comedy Company, which were released up to the end of 1917. Exhibiting a versatility in playing heroes, villains and even female characters, Hardy became much in demand as a supporting actor, comic villain or second banana. For the next 10 years he memorably assisted star comics Billy West, a Charlie Chaplin imitator, Jimmy Aubrey, Larry Semon and Charley Chase. In total, Hardy starred or co-starred in more than 250 silent shorts, about 150 of which have been lost. While in New York, his abortive effort to enlist in 1917 led him and his wife, Madelyn, to seek new opportunities in California.

History

Films

The first film pairing of the two comedians, although as separate performers, took place in ''The Lucky Dog'', produced in 1919 by Sun-Lite Pictures and released in 1921. Laurel was the star while Hardy had his then common role as a "heavy" attempting to rob Laurel. The association was so casual that based upon interviews given in the 1930s both had forgotten it entirely. Several years later, both comedians had signed for the Hal Roach film studio and next appeared in ''45 Minutes From Hollywood'' (1926). Their subsequent film, ''Duck Soup'' (1927), had Laurel and Hardy work together as a team, playing characters close to their familiar incarnations. However, in several subsequent films in which they both appeared, they reverted to playing various characters, with only hints of their subsequent teaming.

Hal Roach kept them a team until they left his studio in 1940, making silent shorts, talking shorts, and feature films. While most silent-film actors saw their careers decline with the advent of sound, Laurel and Hardy made a successful transition with the short ''Unaccustomed As We Are'' (1929). Laurel's English accent and Hardy's deep voice and subtle southern American accent and singing brought new dimensions to their characters. The team also proved skillful in their melding of visual and verbal humor, adding dialogue that served to enhance rather than replace their popular sight gags.

They appeared for the first time in a feature film as one of several acts in ''The Hollywood Revue of 1929'' and the following year, they appeared as the comic relief in a lavish all-Technicolor musical feature entitled ''The Rogue Song'' (1930), now considered a lost film. In 1931, Laurel and Hardy's first starring feature was released, ''Pardon Us''. Following its success, the duo made fewer shorts in order to concentrate on feature films, which included ''Pack Up Your Troubles'' (1932), ''Fra Diavolo'' (or ''The Devil's Brother'', 1933) and ''Sons of the Desert'' (1933). Their classic short ''The Music Box'' (1932) won the first ''Academy Award'' for Best Short Subject, (Comedy).

The popularity of the double feature diminished the demand for short subjects and Hal Roach cancelled all of his shorts series, save for ''Our Gang''. The final short in the Laurel and Hardy series was 1935's ''Thicker Than Water''. The duo's subsequent feature films included ''Bonnie Scotland'' (1935), ''The Bohemian Girl'' (1936), ''Our Relations'' (1936), ''Way Out West'' (1937) (which includes the famous song "Trail of the Lonesome Pine"), ''Swiss Miss'' (1938), and ''Block-Heads'' (1938).

Although Hal Roach employed writers and directors such as H. M. Walker, Leo McCarey, James Parrott, James W. Horne on Laurel and Hardy films, Laurel would rewrite entire sequences or scripts, have the cast and crew improvise on the soundstage, and meticulously review the footage for editing. While Hardy did contribute to the routines, he was generally content to follow Laurel's lead and spent most of his free time on hobbies such as golf. ''Babes in Toyland'' (1934) retains a timeless appeal and remains a perennial on American T.V. at Christmas. Hal Roach spoke scathingly about the film and Laurel's behavior during its making. Laurel was unhappy with Roach's plot and after an argument was allowed to make the film his own way. The rift permanently damaged Roach-Laurel relations to the point that Roach said that after ''Toyland'' he no longer wished to produce Laurel and Hardy films, although their association continued for another six years.

By 1936, although the relationship between Laurel and Hardy remained strong, Laurel's dealings with producer Roach were strained amid a tangle of artistic differences. Roach insisted that his feature-length comedies should also contain musical numbers and/or subplots. Laurel maintained that such padding distracted from the team's comedy. Because of this friction, extended stand-off periods became common during the late 1930s, with Roach threatening to pair Hardy with someone else. Laurel countered Roach's announcement in October 1938 by announcing he had signed for Roach's old rival Mack Sennett to star in comedy features for his new Sennett Pictures Corporation Studio. Those films were not made, since by April 1939, the dispute between Laurel and Roach was settled and the comedy team was again reunited for further work with Roach. They made two more films for Roach, ''A Chump at Oxford'' (filmed in 1939, released 1940) and ''Saps at Sea'' (1940). Both of these films were released through United Artists, as Roach's distribution arrangement with MGM had ended in 1938. As their new agreement with Roach was non-exclusive, Laurel and Hardy also starred in ''The Flying Deuces'' (1939), a feature-length remake of ''Beau Hunks'' (1931) produced and released by RKO Radio Pictures.

Hoping for greater artistic freedom, Laurel and Hardy split with Roach and signed with major studios 20th Century-Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. However, they were now only hired only as actors, relegated to the B-film divisions, and initially not allowed to improvise or contribute to the scripts. When the films proved popular, the studios allowed the team more input with Laurel and Hardy starring in eight features through 1945.

After spending the remainder of the 1940s performing on stage in Europe, Laurel and Hardy made one final film together in 1950. ''Atoll K'', later reissued in abridged form in the United States as ''Utopia'', released in 1954, was a French-Italian co-production directed by Leo Joannon. It was plagued by language barriers, production problems, and both Laurel and Hardy's grave health issues during shooting. Hardy developed an irregular heartbeat while Laurel experienced painful prostate complications. Critics were disappointed with its storyline, English dubbing, and Laurel's sickly physical appearance with his weight down to . The film was not a success, and brought an end to Laurel and Hardy's film careers. Due to copyright problems in the United States, the film became available under the provisions of public domain and was widely distributed by small distributors, remaining one of the most easily available of the team's features, along with ''The Flying Deuces''

A number of their films were re-shot with Laurel and Hardy talking in Spanish, Italian, French or German. The plots for these films were similar to the English language version although the supporting cast were often native language actors. Laurel and Hardy could not speak a foreign language and they received voice coaching to reproduce their lines. ''Pardon Us'' (1931) was re-shot in all four foreign languages. ''Blotto'' (1930), ''Chickens Come Home'' (1931) and ''Below Zero'' (1930) had a French and Spanish version.

Most of the Laurel and Hardy films survive, and have never gone out of circulation permanently. Three of their 107 films are considered lost, as they have not been seen in full since the 1930s. The silent ''Hats Off'' (1927) has vanished completely. The first half of ''Now I'll Tell One'' (1927) is lost and the second half has yet to be released on video. In the operatic Technicolor musical ''The Rogue Song'' (1930) Laurel and Hardy appear in 10 sequences, only one of which is known to exist along with the complete soundtrack.

Style of comedy and characterizations

The humor of Laurel and Hardy was generally visual with slapstick used for emphasis. They often had physical arguments with each other, which were quite complex and involved cartoon violence, and their characters preclude them from making any real progress in even the simplest endeavors. Much of their comedy involves milking a joke, where a simple idea provides a basis from which to build several gags without following a defined narrative.

Laurel and Hardy had an inherent physical contrariety, Stan Laurel was of average height and weight, but appeared small and slight next to Oliver Hardy, who was tall and weighed about 280 lb (127 kg) in his prime. Laurel kept his hair short on the sides and back, but let it grow long on top to create a natural "fright wig". At times of shock he would simultaneously cry while pulling up his hair. In contrast, Hardy's thinning hair was pasted on his forehead in spit curls and he wore a toothbrush moustache. To achieve a flat-footed walk, Laurel removed the heels from his shoes. Both wore Bowler hats, with Laurel's being narrower than Hardy's, and with a flattened brim. The characters' normal attire also called for wing collar shirts, with Hardy wearing a standard neck tie which he would twiddle and Laurel a bow tie. Hardy's sports jacket was too small for him and done up with one straining button, whereas Laurel's double breasted jacket was loose fitting.

A common routine the team performed was a "tit-for-tat" fight with an adversary. This could be with their wives—often played by Mae Busch, Anita Garvin or Daphne Pollard—or with a neighbour, often played by Charlie Hall or James Finlayson. Laurel and Hardy would accidentally damage someone else's property, with the injured party retaliating by ruining something belonging to Laurel or Hardy. After calmly surveying the damage they would find something else to vandalize and conflict would escalate until both sides were simultaneously destroying property in front of each other. An early example of the routine occurs in their classic short, ''Big Business'' (1929), which was added to the Library of Congress as a national treasure in 1992, and one of their short films, which revolves entirely around such an altercation, was titled ''Tit for Tat'' (1935).

One of their best-remembered dialogue routines was the "Tell me that again" routine. Laurel would tell Hardy a genuinely smart idea he had come up with, and Hardy would reply, "Tell me that again." Laurel would attempt to repeat the idea, but jumble it into utter nonsense. Hardy, who had difficulty understanding Laurel's idea when expressed clearly, would understand perfectly when hearing the jumbled version.

While much of their comedy remained visual, various lines of humorous dialogue appeared in Laurel and Hardy's talking films. Some examples include: • "You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be led." (Laurel, ''Brats'') • "I was dreaming I was awake, but I woke up and found meself asleep." (Laurel, ''Oliver the Eighth'') • "A lot of weather we've been having lately." (Hardy, ''Way Out West'')

In some cases, their comedy bordered on the surreal, a style Stan Laurel called "white magic". For example, in ''Way Out West'' (1937), Laurel clenches his fist and pours tobacco into it, as if it were a pipe. Then, he flicks his thumb upward as if he held a lighter. His thumb ignites, and he matter-of-factly lights his "pipe." The amazed Hardy, seeing this, would unsuccessfully attempt to duplicate it throughout the rest of the film. Much later in the film, Hardy finally succeeds – only to be terrified when his thumb catches fire.

Rather than showing Hardy suffering the pain of misfortunes such as falling down stairs or being beaten by a thug, banging and crashing sound effects were often used so the audience could visualize the scene for themselves. Hardy often looked directly at the camera, breaking the fourth wall, to express his frustration with his situation to the film audience.

Offscreen, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were quite the opposite of their movie characters: Laurel was the industrious "idea man," while Hardy was more easygoing.

Final years

After ''Atoll K'', Laurel and Hardy took several months off, so that Laurel could recuperate. Upon their return to the European stage, they undertook a successful series of public appearances in short sketches Laurel had written: "A Spot of Trouble" (in 1952) and "Birds of a Feather" (in 1953). On December 1, 1954, the team made their only American television appearance, surprised by Ralph Edwards on his live NBC-TV program, ''This Is Your Life''. Lured to the Knickerbocker Hotel as a subterfuge for a business meeting with producer Bernard Delfont, the doors opened to their suite #205, flooding the room with light and the voice of Edwards. The telecast was preserved on a kinescope and later released on home video. Partly due to the positive response from the television broadcast, the pair was renegotiating with Hal Roach Jr. for a series of color NBC Television specials to be called ''Laurel and Hardy's Fabulous Fables''. However, plans for the specials were shelved, as the aging comedians suffered from declining health.

In 1955, Laurel and Hardy made their final public appearance together, taking part in ''This Is Music Hall'', a BBC Television program about the Grand Order of Water Rats, a British variety organization. Laurel and Hardy provide a filmed insert during which they reminisce about their friends in British variety. They made their final appearance on camera in 1956 in a home movie titled "One Moment Please". The film was shot by a family friend at Laurel's home, it is without audio and lasts three minutes.

Under doctor's orders to improve a heart condition, Hardy lost over in 1956. Several strokes resulted in loss of mobility and speech. He died of a major stroke on August 7, 1957. Longtime friend Bob Chatterton said Hardy weighed just at the time of his death. Hardy was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood.

Just after Hardy's death, Laurel and Hardy's films returned to movie theaters, as clips of their work were featured in Robert Youngson's silent-film compilation ''The Golden Age of Comedy''. For the remaining eight years of his life, Stan Laurel refused to perform, even turning down Stanley Kramer's offer to make a cameo in his landmark 1963 movie, ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World''. In 1960, Laurel was given a special Academy Award for his contributions to film comedy. Despite not appearing onscreen after Hardy's death, Laurel did contribute gags to several comedy filmmakers. Most of his writing was in the form of correspondence; he insisted on answering every fan letter personally. Late in life, he hosted many visitors of the new generation of comedians and celebrities, including Dick Cavett, Jerry Lewis, Peter Sellers, Marcel Marceau and Dick Van Dyke. Laurel lived until 1965, surviving to see the duo's work rediscovered through television and classic film revivals. He died on February 23 in Santa Monica, and is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California.

Supporting cast

Laurel and Hardy's films included a memorable supporting cast, some of whom appeared regularly.

Harry Bernard, played bit parts as waiter, bartender and cop.

Mae Busch played a formidable Mrs. Hardy, and some other characters.

Charley Chase, the Hal Roach film star and brother of James Parrott, Laurel and Hardy writer/director, made 4 appearances.

Baldwin Cooke played bit parts as waiter, bartender and cop.

James Finlayson, a small, balding, moustachioed Scotsman known for displays of indignation and squinting "double takes", made 33 appearances.

Anita Garvin was a memorable Mrs. Laurel.

Billy Gilbert, made many appearances, most notably in the classic ''The Music Box'' (1932).

Charlie Hall, who usually played angry "little men", appeared nearly 50 times.

Jean Harlow, the "Blonde Bombshell" had a small role in their short ''Double Whoopee'' (1929) and two other films, before her breakout stardom.

Arthur Housman made memorable appearances as a comic drunk.

Edgar Kennedy master of the "slow burn", often appeared as a cop, hostile neighbor or relative.

Walter Long played grizzled, physically threatening villains.

Sam Lufkin appeared several times.

Daphne Pollard was featured, mostly as Oliver's shrewish wife.

Charley Rogers, the English actor, appeared several times.

Tiny Sandford was a very tall and burly man who played authority figures, notably cops.

Thelma Todd appeared several times.

Ben Turpin the cross eyed actor made two memorable appearances.

Music

The duo's famous signature tune, known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku", or "The Dance of the Cuckoos", was composed by Roach musical director Marvin Hatley as the on-the-hour chime for the Roach studio radio station. Laurel heard the tune on the station, and asked Hatley to use it as the Laurel and Hardy theme song. In Laurel's eyes, the song's melody represented Hardy's character (pompous and dramatic), while the harmony represented Laurel's own character (somewhat out of key, and only able to register two notes: "coo-coo"). The original theme, recorded by two clarinets in 1930, was re-recorded with a full orchestra in 1935. Leroy Shield composed the great majority of the music used in the Laurel and Hardy short sound films. A compilation of songs from their films titled ''Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' was released in 1975. The title track was released as a single in the UK and reached #2 in the charts.

Influence and legacy

Catchphrases

The catchphrase most used by Laurel and Hardy on film is: The phrase, which was earlier used by W. S. Gilbert in The Mikado (1885) and again in The Grand Duke (1896), was first used by Hardy in ''The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case'' (1930). In popular culture the catchphrase is often misquoted as "Well, here's another ''fine'' mess you've gotten me into." The misquoted version of the phrase was never used by Hardy on film; the misunderstanding stems from the title of their film ''Another Fine Mess'' (1930). Numerous variations of the quote appeared on film. In ''Chickens Come Home'' (1931), Ollie says impatiently to Stan, "Well...." with Stan replying, "Here's another nice mess I've gotten you into." In ''Thicker than Water'' (1935) and ''The Fixer-Uppers'' (1935), the phrase becomes "Well, here's another nice kettle of fish you pickled me in!" In ''Saps at Sea'' (1940) it becomes "Well, here's another nice bucket of suds you've gotten me into!" "D'oh!" is a catchphrase used by James Finlayson, the mustachioed Scottish actor who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films. The phrase, expressing surprise, impatience, or incredulity, was the inspiration for "D'oh!" as spoken by the fictional character Homer Simpson in the long running animated comedy ''The Simpsons''. The Simpson's first intentional use of "d'oh!" occurred in the Ullman short "Punching Bag" (1988).

The Sons of the Desert

The official Laurel and Hardy appreciation society is known as The Sons of the Desert, after a fraternal society in their film of the same name (1933). It was founded in New York City in 1965 by Laurel and Hardy biographers John McCabe, Orson Bean, Al Kilgore, Chuck McCann and John Municino; with the sanction of Stan Laurel. Since the group's inception, well over 150 chapters of the organization have formed across North America, Europe and Australia. An Emmy-winning film documentary about the group, ''Revenge of the Sons of the Desert'', has been released on DVD as part of ''The Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1.''

Posthumous revivals

Since the 1930s, the works of Laurel and Hardy have been re-released in numerous theatrical reissues, television revivals (broadcast, especially public television, and cable), 16mm and 8mm home movies, feature-film compilations, and home video. After Stan Laurel's death in 1965, there were two major motion-picture tributes: ''Laurel and Hardy's Laughing '20s'', Robert Youngson's compilation of the team's silent-film highlights; and ''The Great Race'', a large-scale salute to slapstick which director Blake Edwards dedicated to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy." For many years the duo were impersonated by Jim MacGeorge (as Laurel) and Chuck McCann (as Hardy) in children's TV shows and television commercials for various products.

There are two Laurel and Hardy museums, one in Laurel's birthplace, Ulverston, United Kingdom, and the other in Hardy's birthplace, Harlem, Georgia, United States

Maurice Sendak showed three identical Oliver Hardy figures as bakers preparing cakes for the morning in his award-winning children's book ''In the Night Kitchen'' (1970). This is treated as a clear example of "interpretative illustration" wherein the comedians' inclusion harkened back to the author's own childhood.

A 2005 poll by fellow comedians and comedy insiders of the top 50 comedians for ''The Comedian's Comedian'', a TV documentary broadcast on UK's Channel 4, voted the duo the seventh greatest comedy act ever, making them the most popular double act on the list.

Numerous colorized versions of copyright-free Laurel and Hardy features and shorts have been reproduced by a multitude of production studios. Although the results of adding color were often in dispute, many of the popular titles are currently only available in the colorized version. The color process often renders the print into an "unwatchable" state, while some scenes were altered or deleted, dependent on the source material used. Many Laurel and Hardy films have been colorized. Helpmates (1932) was the first film to undergo the process, it was experimented upon by Colorization Inc., a subsidiary of Hal Roach Studios in 1983. Colorization became a success for the studio and Helpmates was released on home video with the colorized version of The Music Box (1932) in 1986. The technology for this process was inferior compared to today's digital colorization technology. There were numerous continuity errors and garish color design choices. However the most significant criticism that these versions received revolved around their editing, whole scenes were altered or deleted altogether, changing the character of the film.

Merchandiser Larry Harmon claimed ownership of Laurel's and Hardy's likenesses, and issued Laurel and Hardy toys and colouring books. He co-produced a series of ''Laurel and Hardy'' cartoons in 1966 with Hanna-Barbera Productions. His animated versions of Laurel and Hardy guest-starred in a 1972 episode of Hanna-Barbera's ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies''. In 1999, Harmon produced a direct-to-video feature, the live-action comedy ''The All-New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy'', with actors Bronson Pinchot and Gailard Sartain playing the lookalike nephews of the original Laurel and Hardy, Stanley Thinneus Laurel and Oliver Fatteus Hardy.

Filmographies

Laurel and Hardy filmography

Oliver Hardy filmography

Stan Laurel filmography

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

Andrews, Robert, ''Famous Lines: A Columbia Dictionary of Familiar Quotations''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-23110-218-6.

Barr, Charles. ''Laurel & Hardy''. Movie Paperbacks Caifornia, 1967.

Bergen, Ronald. ''The Life and Times of Laurel and Hardy''. New York: Smithmark, 1992. ISBN 0-8317-5459-1. Everson, William K. ''The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy''. New York: Citadel, 2000, First edition 1967. ISBN 0-8065-0146-4.

Gehring, Wes D. ''Laurel & Hardy: A Bio-Bibliography''. Burnham Bucks, UK: Greenwood Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0313251726.

Haines, Richard W. ''Technicolor Movies: The History of Dye Transfer Printing.'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1993. ISBN 0-89950-856-1.

Lanes, Selma G. ''The Art of Maurice Sendak''. New York: Harry N. Abrams; 2nd revised edition, 1998, first edition, 1980. ISBN 0-81098-063-0.

Louvish, Simon. ''Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy''. London: Faber & Faber, 2001. ISBN 0-571-21590-4. McCabe, John with Al Kilgore and Richard W. Bann. ''Laurel & Hardy''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1983, First edition 1975, E.P. Dutton. ISBN 978-0491017459.

McCabe, John. ''The Comedy World of Stan Laurel''. New York: Robson Press, 2004, First edition 1974, Doubleday & Co. ISBN 978-0940410237.

McGarry, Annie. ''Laurel & Hardy''. London: Bison Group, 1992. ISBN 0-86124-776-0.

Mitchell, Glenn. ''The Laurel & Hardy Encyclopedia''. New York: Batsford, 2010, First edition 1995. ISBN 978-1905287710.

Sagert, Kelly Boyer. ''Flappers: A Guide to an American Subculture.'' Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 2010. ISBN 978-0313-37690-0.

Smith, Leon. ''Following the Comedy Trail: A Guide to Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang Film Locations''. Littleton, Massachusetts: G.J. Enterprises, 1984. ISBN 978-0938817055.

External links

The official Sons of the Desert website

The official Laurel and Hardy website

Laurel & Hardy Films Official Website

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Coordinates	8°3′″N34°54′″N
name	Spencer Tracy
birth date	April 05, 1900
birth place	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
death date	June 10, 1967
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S. Interred: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
occupation	Actor
years active	1922–67
birth name	Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
spouse	Louise Treadwell (1923-67)
partner	Katharine Hepburn(1941-67) }}

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Tracy ninth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. He was nominated for nine Academy Awards for Best Actor in all, winning two consecutively in 1937 and 1938, being one of the only actors to do so along with Tom Hanks .

While in college, Tracy decided on acting as a career. He studied acting in New York and appeared in a number of Broadway plays, finally achieving success in the 1930 hit ''The Last Mile''. Director John Ford was impressed by his performance and cast him in ''Up the River'' with Humphrey Bogart. Fox Film Corporation signed him to a long term contract, but after five years of mostly undistinguished films, he joined the most prestigious movie studio of the time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where his career flourished. He won back-to-back Academy Awards for ''Captains Courageous'' (1937) and ''Boys Town'' (1938).

In 1942, he co-starred with Katharine Hepburn in ''Woman of the Year''. The teaming lasted for decades, both on-screen and off. The couple fell in love and proceeded to make eight more films together, ending in 1967's ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'', which was completed shortly before his death.

Early life

Tracy was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the second son of John Edward Tracy, an Irish American Catholic truck salesman, and Caroline Brown, a Protestant turned Christian Scientist. He was raised a Roman Catholic. Tracy's paternal grandparents, John Tracy and Mary Guhin, were born in Ireland. His mother's ancestry dates back to Thomas Stebbins, who immigrated from England in the late 1630s. Tracy attended six high schools, starting with Wauwatosa Senior High School in 1915 and St. John's Cathedral School for boys in Milwaukee the following year. The Tracy family then moved to Kansas City, where Spencer was enrolled at St. Mary's College, a boarding school in St. Marys, Kansas 30 miles west of Topeka, Kansas, then transferred to Rockhurst, a Jesuit academy in Kansas City, Missouri. John Tracy's job in Kansas City did not work out, and the family returned to Milwaukee six months after their departure. Spencer was enrolled at Marquette Academy, another Jesuit school, where he met fellow actor Pat O'Brien. The two young men left school in spring 1917 to enlist in the Navy after the American entry into World War I, but Tracy remained in Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, throughout the war. Afterwards, Tracy continued his high school education at Marquette Academy then transferred to Northwestern Military and Naval Academy near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. He finished his last few credits needed to graduate at Milwaukee's West Division High School (now Milwaukee High School of the Arts) in February 1921.

Tracy attended Ripon College from February 1921 to April 1922. At Ripon he made his first stage appearance, in a 1921 commencement play entitled ''The Truth'', and decided on acting as a career. While touring the Northeast with the Ripon debate team, he auditioned for and was accepted to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His first Broadway role was as a robot in Karel Čapek's ''R.U.R.'' (1922), followed by five other Broadway plays in the 1920s.

Career

Tracy performed in stock in Michigan, Canada, and Ohio for several years. Finally in 1930 he appeared in a hit play on Broadway, ''The Last Mile''. Director John Ford saw Tracy in ''The Last Mile'' and signed Tracy for ''Up the River'' (1930) with Humphrey Bogart for Fox Film Corporation. Shortly after that Tracy and his family moved to Hollywood, and he made 25 films in the next five years.

Tracy's reputation for versatility and naturalness are based on the twenty years (1935–1955) he acted at Metro Goldwyn Mayer and for the subsequent dozen years when he was an independent actor. Yet the twenty-five films he made prior to his move to MGM are notable in that they demonstrate the range and diversity of characters he would continue to deliver through his post-Fox career.

left|thumb||Tracy with Fredric March in ''[[Inherit the Wind (1960 film)|Inherit the Wind (1960).'']]Tracy won the Academy Award for Best Actor two years in a row, for ''Captains Courageous'' (1937) and ''Boys Town'' (1938). He was also nominated for ''San Francisco'' (1936), ''Father of the Bride'' (1950), ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), ''The Old Man and the Sea'' (1958), ''Inherit the Wind'' (1960), ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' (1961), and posthumously for ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (1967). Tracy and Laurence Olivier share the record for the most nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

thumb|Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the film ''Adam's Rib'' ([[1949 in film|1949).]]Tracy is remembered for his screen partnership with Katharine Hepburn. They first appeared together in in ''Woman of the Year'' (1942), directed by George Stevens. The duo formed one of Hollywood's most recognizable couples. Hepburn, with her agile mind and distinctive New England accent, complemented Tracy's working-class machismo. When Joseph Mankiewicz introduced them, Hepburn, who was wearing special heels that added several inches to her slender frame, said, "I'm afraid I'm too tall for you, Mr. Tracy." Mankiewicz retorted, "Don't worry, he'll soon cut you down to size." As ''The Daily Telegraph'' observed in Hepburn's obituary, "Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were at their most seductive when their verbal fencing was sharpest: it was hard to say whether they delighted more in the battle or in each other." Most of their films stress the difficulties that couples can have when they try to find an equitable balance of power. The sparring over power and control is almost always resolved in Tracy's favor: despite her feminist reputation, Hepburn submitted to second billing with Tracy and nearly always accepted the "comeuppance" at the end of their films together, being taught a lesson. Together Hepburn and Tracy appeared in nine movies, including ''Keeper of the Flame'' (1942), ''Adam's Rib'' (1949), ''Pat and Mike'' (1952), ''Desk Set'' (1957) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner''.

Personal Life

Tracy married actress Louise Treadwell in 1923. The couple had two children: John Tracy (who was born profoundly deaf) and Louise 'Susie' Tracy. John Tracy died at age 82 at his son's ranch in Acton, California, in 2007.

In 1941, during the filming of ''Woman of the Year'', Tracy began a relationship with Katharine Hepburn. He and his wife Louise had been estranged for some time, but neither party ever pursued a divorce. This relationship with Hepburn, which neither would discuss publicly, lasted until Tracy's death in 1967. Their relationship was complex, often made difficult by Tracy's alcoholism, and there were periods during which they were estranged.

He also had affairs at various times with actresses Loretta Young, Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Ingrid Bergman and Gene Tierney.

Death and legacy

During his later years, Tracy's health worsened after he was diagnosed with diabetes, exacerbated by his alcoholism. On 21 July 1963, less than eight months after finishing the filming of ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'', Tracy suffered a congested lung condition, forcing him to pull out of ''Cheyenne Autumn'' and ''The Cincinnati Kid''. Edward G. Robinson replaced him for both films. He spent most of the next four years inactive as his health further declined. On 10 June 1967, seventeen days after completing his last film, ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'', with Hepburn, Spencer Tracy died of a massive heart attack at age 67, having long suffered from emphysema since the early 1950s from his daily smoking habit. The film was released in December, six months after his death.

Katharine Hepburn was with him the night he died. According to her, he had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a glass of milk. She followed the sickly Tracy to the kitchen but before she got there she heard a glass shatter and then a loud thud. She found Tracy dead on the floor.

In 1988 the University of California at Los Angeles Campus Events Commission and Susie Tracy created the UCLA Spencer Tracy Award. The award has been given to actors in recognition for their achievement in film acting. Past recipients include William Hurt, James Stewart, Michael Douglas, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Harrison Ford, Anjelica Huston, Nicolas Cage, Kirk Douglas, Jack Lemmon and Morgan Freeman.

The main character Carl from Pixar's film ''Up'' was primarily based on a combination of Spencer Tracy and Walter Matthau, because, according to director Pete Docter, there was "something sweet about these grumpy old guys".

Filmography and awards

Tracy appeared in 75 feature films, and several short films. With Katharine Hepburn he starred in nine feature films, one of the most successful screen pairings in film history.

Nine of the films he starred in were nominated for Best Picture: ''San Francisco'' (Oscar Nomination), ''Libeled Lady'', ''Captains Courageous'' (Oscar), ''Test Pilot'', ''Boys Town'' (Oscar), ''Father of the Bride'' (Oscar Nomination), ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' (Oscar Nomination), ''How the West Was Won'' and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (Oscar Nomination).

He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor on nine occasions, and won the award in 1937, for ''Captains Courageous'', and in 1938, for ''Boys Town''. He won a Golden Globe Award for ''The Actress'' (1953) from a total of four nominations. He was awarded a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his posthumously released performance opposite Hepburn in ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (1967).

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- |rowspan=4|1930 |''The Strong Arm'' | |short subject |- |''Taxi Talks'' |Taxi Driver |short subject |- |''The Hard Guy'' |Guy |short subject |- |''Up the River'' |Saint Louis | |- |rowspan=3|1931 |''Quick Millions'' |Daniel J. 'Bugs' Raymond | |- |''Six Cylinder Love'' |William Donroy | |- |''Goldie'' |Bill | |- |rowspan=8|1932 |''She Wanted a Millionaire'' |William Kelley | |- |''Sky Devils'' |Wilkie | |- |''Disorderly Conduct'' |Dick Fay | |- |''Young America'' |Jack Doray | |- |''Society Girl'' |Briscoe | |- |''The Painted Woman'' |Tom Brian | |- |''Me and My Gal'' |Danny Dolan | |- |''20,000 Years in Sing Sing'' |Tommy Connors | |- |rowspan=5|1933 |''Face in the Sky'' |Joe Buck | |- |''Shanghai Madness'' |Pat Jackson | |- |''The Power and the Glory'' |Tom Garner | |- |''Man's Castle'' |Bill | |- |''The Mad Game'' |Edward Carson | |- |rowspan=5|1934 |''The Show-Off |J. Aubrey Piper | |- |''Looking for Trouble'' |Joe Graham | |- |''Bottoms Up'' |'Smoothie' King | |- |''Now I'll Tell'' |Murray Golden | |- |''Marie Galante'' |Dr. Crawbett | |- |rowspan=4|1935 |''It's a Small World'' |Bill Shevlin | |- |''The Murder Man'' |Steven 'Steve' Grey |first credited screen role of James Stewart |- |''Dante's Inferno'' |Jim Carter | |- |''Whipsaw'' |Ross 'Mac' McBride |with Myrna Loy |- |rowspan=4|1936 |''Riffraff'' |Dutch |with Mickey Rooney |- |''Fury'' |Joe Wilson | |- |''San Francisco'' |Father Mullin |with Clark GableNominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |''Libeled Lady'' |Warren Haggerty |The film was nominated for Best Picture, but lost out to The Great Ziegfeld |- |rowspan=4|1937 |''They Gave Him a Gun'' |Fred P. Willis | |- |''Captains Courageous'' |Manuel Fidello |with Lionel Barrymore, John Carradine, Melvyn Douglas, Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |''Big City'' |Joe Benton | |- |''Mannequin'' |John L. Hennessey | |- |rowspan=5|1938 |''Test Pilot'' |Gunner Morris |with Clark Gable |- |''Boys Town'' |Father Flanagan |with Mickey RooneyAcademy Award for Best ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |''Another Romance of Celluloid'' |himself |behind-the-scenes short film, includes filming of ''Test Pilot'', and shows Tracy accepting his Academy Award for ''Boys Town'' |- |''Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 9'' |himself |short subject showing Tracy accepting his Academy Award for ''Boys Town'' |- |''Hollywood Goes to Town'' |himself |short subject, showing notable Hollywood performers preparing for the world premiere of ''Marie Antoinette'' |- |rowspan=3|1939 |''Stanley and Livingstone'' |Henry M. Stanley | |- |''For Auld Lang Syne'' |himself |fundraising short film in which several actors, including Tracy, appeal for funds for the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital |- |''Hollywood Hobbies'' |himself |behind-the-scenes short film |- |rowspan=6|1940 |''I Take This Woman'' |Dr. Karl Decker | |- |''Young Tom Edison'' |uncredited role |with Mickey RooneyTracy appears as a man admiring a portrait of Edison; he plays the older Edison in ''Edison, the Man'' in the same year |- |''Northwest Passage'' |Major Rogers | |- |''Edison, the Man'' |Thomas Edison | |- |''Boom Town'' |Jonathan Sand |with Clark Gable |- |''Northward, Ho!'' |himself |behind-the-scenes short film about the filming of ''Northwest Passage'' |- |rowspan=2|1941 |''Men of Boys Town'' |Father Flanagan |with Mickey Rooney |- |''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' |Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Hyde | |- |rowspan=4|1942 |''Woman of the Year'' |Sam Craig |first film with Katharine Hepburn |- |''Tortilla Flat'' |Pilon | |- |''Keeper of the Flame'' |Steven 'Stevie' O'Malley |with Katharine Hepburn |- |''Ring of Steel'' |Narrator |Military documentary |- |rowspan=3|1943 |''His New World'' |Narrator |documentary |- |''A Guy Named Joe'' |Pete Sandidge | |- |''His New World'' |Narrator |War documentary |- |rowspan=2|1944 |''The Seventh Cross'' |George Heisler | |- |''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' | Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle | |- |1945 |''Without Love'' |Pat Jamieson |with Katharine Hepburn |- |rowspan=2|1947 |''The Sea of Grass'' |Col. James B. 'Jim' Brewton |with Katharine Hepburn |- |''Cass Timberlane'' |Cass Timberlane | |- |1948 |''State of the Union'' |Grant Matthews |with Katharine Hepburn |- |rowspan=4|1949 |''Edward, My Son'' |Arnold Boult | |- |''Adam's Rib'' |Adam Bonner |with Katharine Hepburn |- |''Malaya'' |Canaghan | |- |''Some of the Best'' |himself |retrospective of MGM's history |- |1950 |''Father of the Bride'' |Stanley Banks |Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor |- |rowspan=3|1951 |''Father's Little Dividend'' |Stanley Banks | |- |''The People Against O'Hara'' |James P. Curtayne | |- |''For Defense for Freedom for Humanity'' |himself |short film in which Tracy urges support for Red Cross fundraising |- |rowspan=2|1952 |''Pat and Mike'' |Mike Conovan |with Katharine Hepburn |- |''Plymouth Adventure'' |Captain Christopher Jones |with Gene Tierney |- |1953 |''The Actress'' |Clinton Jones |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Foreign ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |1954 |''Broken Lance'' |Matt Devereaux | |- |1955 |''Bad Day at Black Rock'' |John J. Macreedy |Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival) Prix d'interprétation masculine Nominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |1956 |''The Mountain'' |Zachary Teller |Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor |- |1957 |''Desk Set'' |Richard Sumner |with Katharine Hepburn |- |rowspan=2|1958 |''The Old Man and the Sea'' |The Old Man/Narrator |NBR Award for Best Actor (award was also for ''The Last Hurrah'')Nominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |''The Last Hurrah'' |Mayor Frank Skeffington |NBR Award for Best Actor (award was also for ''The Old Man and the Sea'')Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Foreign ActorNominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |- |1960 |''Inherit the Wind'' |Henry Drummond |Nominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Foreign ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |- |rowspan=2|1961 |''The Devil at 4 O'Clock'' |Father Matthew Doonan | |- |''Judgment at Nuremberg'' |Chief Judge Dan Haywood |Fotogramas de Plata Award for Best Foreign PerformerNominated — Academy Award for Best Actor |- |1962 |''How the West Was Won'' |Narrator | |- |1963 |''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' |Captain T. G. Culpepper |with Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Edie Adams, Ethel Merman, Jonathan Winters, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Phil Silvers, and numerous others |- |1967 |''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' |Matt Drayton |with Katharine HepburnBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (posthumous) Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor (posthumous)Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (posthumous)Nominated — New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (posthumous) |- |}

See also

1930 in film

1967 in film

References

Bibliography

Tracy is a character in this murder-mystery set against the 1940 World Premiere of ''Edison, the Man''.

External links

Profile @ Turner Classic Movies

Chang, David A. "Spencer Tracy's Boyhood: Truth, Fiction, and Hollywood Dreams," ''Wisconsin Magazine of History'', vol. 84, no. 1 (Autumn 2000)

Category:1900 births Category:1967 deaths Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Category:American film actors Category:California Democrats Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:20th-century actors Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Actors from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Category:Ripon College (Wisconsin) alumni Category:United States Navy sailors Category:American military personnel from Wisconsin

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