The streak of hits he clocked up thereafter is not fondly recalled, however. There were money troubles too – more serious later on, as the hits dried up and his divorce from Anderson required him to sell many of the luxury properties he owned across the world.Īrguably the greatest tragedy of his life and career, however, is that, though inescapable in the Seventies and Eighties, his legacy has not truly endured.ĭeliverance, in which he played an everyman pursued by murderous hillbillies, is remembered as one of the great thrillers of its age. In an industry notorious for producing rakes and charmers, he was in a class of his own. He was also reported to have had a multitude of affairs (including with Cannonball Run co-star Farrah Fawcett) and infamously posed nude (though not full-frontal) for Cosmopolitan 1972 (“I wish I hadn’t done that,” he would reflect. He was likeable, impossible to ruffle, the guy you wanted to stay up all night playing poker with even though you knew that as soon as you nodded off he’d probably sneak away with your girl. He was one of the world’s most recognisable celebrities – an ideal towards which millions of men aspired. Indeed, it is difficult to convey to modern cinema-goers how dazzlingly his star burned through his glory run. All he had to do was flash that winning smile and crinkle those sad-puppy eyes and audiences melted (but not before handing over their dollars). Between 19 he was the most bankable force in the movies. Starting with John Boorman’s Deliverance he enjoyed a streak of hits which no actor since has rivaled. Reynolds in his pomp was the biggest box office draw in cinema. He was also the last a-lister to look dazzlingly magnetic wearing a moustache. The actor, who has died of a heart attack aged 82, was both one of a kind and the last of a vanishing breed of movie star.Ĭharming, appreciative of the public’s undying devotion and with a personal life often more colourful than his films, he lived large and made appearing in movies feel like the least glamorous part of his job. There will never be another Burt Reynolds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |