When I saw the Godfather for the first time I remember recognizing the guy that played Brian Piccolo was playing Sonny Corleone. He was the friendly looking guy with a disarming personality and a mischievous grin. He could also turn on a dime and if you were lucky he would only threaten you with violence that you had no doubt he was capable of executing.
James Caan exuded cool just like James Dean and Steve McQueen used to do also, and he carried that into the parts he played. RIP James Caan.
RIP my Kraut-Mick friend.
If you want to see a still alive version of James look no farther that his son Scott Caan. An actor most recently of the Hawaii Five-0 reboot.
My wife is into cop shows on the ION channel and I was watching 5-0 and said, “that has to be James Caan’s son, looks just like him,” and it was.
No, that was Duvall. Caan was the Jewish guy from The Bronx playing a very convincing Italian guy.
Brian’s Song was a great made for TV movie. Billy Dee Williams played his friend as Gale Sayers. Brian Piccolo was an NFL player who contracted cancer and died. The freindship between those two still makes my eyes water thinking about it. If you get a chance, and you can find it, I highly recommend watching it.
It was an ABC Movie of the Week, before Netflix, HBO, or anyone else was making original content movies for TV.
Here is a trailer for Brian’s Song.
Brian’s Song 1971 Trailer | James Caan | Billy Dee Williams - YouTube
Jimmy is dead? That’s it, we’re going to the mattresses.
mmm
So you’re saying he WAS just another lying old dirty birdy.
They were great together on that “5-0” episode.
My favorite line of his, from, “Eraser,” with Ah-nold:
[after John hits him with a concealed throwing knife] John, I can’t believe you nailed me with this cheap piece of mail-order shit!
“Eraser,” is not that bad a movie.
After we get them exterminated.
When think of JC, I think of Thief first because I loves him as a heavy, but Honeymoon In Vegas a very close second! He could do light. Plus, for a Nic Cage movie it’s pretty damn good.
“I love Brian Piccolo. And I’d like all of you to love him too. And tonight, you hit your knees: Please ask God to love him …”
James had just finished working on a project with Pierce Brosnan. Another mob picture.
James was permanently typecast since the Godfather. He made a good living from it.