A Face Like Prison Bread
April 1, 2009 11:05 AM Subscribe
Warren Mercer Oates was one the greatest character actors to ever appear in American film.
A fascinating biography of the actor's life and career was published this week, and is titled Warren Oates: A Wild Life
He worked with many of the most daring filmmakers of the sixties and seventies, including:
Sam Peckinpah, Monte Hellman, Terrence Malick, John Milius, Thomas McGuane, and Peter Fonda.
He couldn't work with them all: Werner Herzog wanted Oates for FITZCARRALDO and Sergio Leone wanted to sign him to a three picture deal.
If you have never seen a picture in which Warren Oates appeared in a leading role - I recommend heading on over to Netflix and throwing TWO-LANE BLACKTOP or THE HIRED HAND to the top of your queue. Those more familiar with the actor might want to seek out his less visible and hard to find films including COCKFIGHTER (the trailer makes it look like exploitation but its really an art film) and 92 IN THE SHADE.
He worked with many of the most daring filmmakers of the sixties and seventies, including:
Sam Peckinpah, Monte Hellman, Terrence Malick, John Milius, Thomas McGuane, and Peter Fonda.
He couldn't work with them all: Werner Herzog wanted Oates for FITZCARRALDO and Sergio Leone wanted to sign him to a three picture deal.
If you have never seen a picture in which Warren Oates appeared in a leading role - I recommend heading on over to Netflix and throwing TWO-LANE BLACKTOP or THE HIRED HAND to the top of your queue. Those more familiar with the actor might want to seek out his less visible and hard to find films including COCKFIGHTER (the trailer makes it look like exploitation but its really an art film) and 92 IN THE SHADE.
Oates is one of my favorite actors. Thanks for the heads up on the book.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:21 AM on April 1, 2009
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:21 AM on April 1, 2009
Probably the first movie that I saw him in was Stripes, and even though he played his part completely straight, "Lighten up, Francis" is one of the funniest lines in the film.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2009
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:23 AM on April 1, 2009
Just saw "Two-Lane Blacktop" last year when going through a spate of driving movies. Great stuff!
posted by rhizome at 11:26 AM on April 1, 2009
posted by rhizome at 11:26 AM on April 1, 2009
"Who can bring us back to Paradise? Who can purge us of our sins? Who can put us right? Who can remind us what humans were like, back when there were humans? Who can turn us into an audience, rather than a bunch of actors playing the part of an audience?
Only Warren Oates. Warren Oates will give you the willies, and there is no theory that can explain him away, or tell you what you're feeling, or how you're supposed to feel, when you're watching him work. Warren Oates transforms the most ironic, knowing docent into an utter square."
After reading this article a few years back, I went back and found some of his old films, and yes, the man is incredible. Nice post.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:39 AM on April 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Only Warren Oates. Warren Oates will give you the willies, and there is no theory that can explain him away, or tell you what you're feeling, or how you're supposed to feel, when you're watching him work. Warren Oates transforms the most ironic, knowing docent into an utter square."
After reading this article a few years back, I went back and found some of his old films, and yes, the man is incredible. Nice post.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:39 AM on April 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Cockfighter is one of those things where I rented it as a joke, not knowing jack-shit about Hellman or Oates, several years ago. I found it on Zip.ca (the Canadian equivalent of NetFlix), made some popcorn, and sat down for a rollicking evening of LOLHICKS.
And then I was a Hellman fan.
And an Oates fan.
And a Willeford fan.
Everything about that movie is fantastic, from Oates investing churlish, soiled dignity in the world's shittiest sport, to Willeford's stark and unvarnished story and script, to Hellman's laconic it's-just-there now deal with it directorial hand. Lots of people try their hand at creating stories about the nobility of perseverance among the desperate and despicable, but this is one of the few things I've ever seen that really pulled it off.
posted by Shepherd at 11:46 AM on April 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
And then I was a Hellman fan.
And an Oates fan.
And a Willeford fan.
Everything about that movie is fantastic, from Oates investing churlish, soiled dignity in the world's shittiest sport, to Willeford's stark and unvarnished story and script, to Hellman's laconic it's-just-there now deal with it directorial hand. Lots of people try their hand at creating stories about the nobility of perseverance among the desperate and despicable, but this is one of the few things I've ever seen that really pulled it off.
posted by Shepherd at 11:46 AM on April 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
He was in a Zone episode, too: "The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms."
posted by steef at 11:49 AM on April 1, 2009
posted by steef at 11:49 AM on April 1, 2009
Shepherd: "Oates investing churlish, soiled dignity in the world's shittiest sport... Lots of people try their hand at creating stories about the nobility of perseverance among the desperate and despicable, but this is one of the few things I've ever seen that really pulled it off."
Man, if you haven't already, you have got to see Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia.
You've just given a capsule summary of what makes it such a great film - and the specific contribution Oates makes towards that greatness.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:56 AM on April 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Man, if you haven't already, you have got to see Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia.
You've just given a capsule summary of what makes it such a great film - and the specific contribution Oates makes towards that greatness.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:56 AM on April 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'm gettin' to old for this SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
posted by grubi at 12:01 PM on April 1, 2009
posted by grubi at 12:01 PM on April 1, 2009
When I was a kid, I saw Oates in films all over the place. Always on his game.
re: stripes, without Warren Oates, we would not have R. Lee Emery
Semper Fi, Jarheads!
posted by djrock3k at 12:08 PM on April 1, 2009
re: stripes, without Warren Oates, we would not have R. Lee Emery
Semper Fi, Jarheads!
posted by djrock3k at 12:08 PM on April 1, 2009
Oates was Elmore Leonard's choice to play Ernest "Stick" Stickley, hero of Swag and Stick. He even described Stick as looking like Oates. The producers chose Burt Reynolds instead. The movie bombed.
posted by CCBC at 1:43 PM on April 1, 2009
posted by CCBC at 1:43 PM on April 1, 2009
Oates was great in Dillinger. I just saw a trailer for the Michael Mann film Public Enemies where Johnny Depp plays Dillinger. Depp's good but he doesn't seem to play the roll with as much glee as Oates does.
posted by Rashomon at 2:25 PM on April 1, 2009
posted by Rashomon at 2:25 PM on April 1, 2009
Oates was incredible. I'm on the younger side (26? is that considered younger side), anycrap I was a film major and thought I knew a lot but I had barely heard of the guy by name. Then I was exposed to him in an "American Cinema of the 70s Class" where he was basically a staple of many films. I discovered Monte Hellman and Two-Lane Blacktop/Cockfighter. Just great work.
Great post. I love reading all these oats tidbits.
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 2:35 PM on April 1, 2009
Great post. I love reading all these oats tidbits.
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 2:35 PM on April 1, 2009
Oates* yikes.
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 2:36 PM on April 1, 2009
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 2:36 PM on April 1, 2009
A Face Like Prison Bread
That's great. You've gotta love Oates.
posted by nola at 2:42 PM on April 1, 2009
That's great. You've gotta love Oates.
posted by nola at 2:42 PM on April 1, 2009
thought i'd look into cockfighter and only made it as far as the best tagline of all time.
He came into town with his cock in hand, and what he did with it was illegal in 49 states.
posted by andywolf at 5:08 PM on April 1, 2009
He came into town with his cock in hand, and what he did with it was illegal in 49 states.
posted by andywolf at 5:08 PM on April 1, 2009
The trailer for COCKFIGHTER is an interesting tale in and of itself. It was a Roger Corman production and bombed in its initial rollout into theaters. Corman pulled all of the prints and told his trailer editor, Joe Dante, to add some choice scenes from NIGHT CALL NURSES and PRIVATE DUTY NURSE to the film:
He told me, “Cut it into the movie right after Warren [Oates] goes to sleep and he wakes up. And it’ll be a dream sequence.” I say okay. “Now,” he adds “we’re going to call the picture Born to Kill and we’re going to make a new trailer and we’re going to put all these new scenes into the trailer and make it look like a picture with trucks and girls and tits and guns and all these things that really aren’t in the picture. And this will save the picture.”
- Joe Dante
This quote is from "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime" by Roger Corman - Corman says that COCKFIGHTER was the only film he ever lost money on...
posted by cinemafiend at 6:00 PM on April 1, 2009
He told me, “Cut it into the movie right after Warren [Oates] goes to sleep and he wakes up. And it’ll be a dream sequence.” I say okay. “Now,” he adds “we’re going to call the picture Born to Kill and we’re going to make a new trailer and we’re going to put all these new scenes into the trailer and make it look like a picture with trucks and girls and tits and guns and all these things that really aren’t in the picture. And this will save the picture.”
- Joe Dante
This quote is from "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime" by Roger Corman - Corman says that COCKFIGHTER was the only film he ever lost money on...
posted by cinemafiend at 6:00 PM on April 1, 2009
I just saw Two-Lane Blacktop for the first time a few nights ago and I was floored at how Warren Oates anchored that film. Amongst the other zen-like acting and dialogueless stretches, Oates stood out. I have to check out Garcia now, along with some Peckinpah.
posted by myopicman at 6:05 PM on April 1, 2009
posted by myopicman at 6:05 PM on April 1, 2009
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...with his "big toe" is going to see how far he can STICK IT UP YOUR ASS.
posted by jquinby at 11:15 AM on April 1, 2009