William Holden
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merryapril — 11 years ago(September 20, 2014 10:17 PM)
He's absolutely terrific in
Network- a much needed, soulful foil for just about every other character in the film (except for his wife Louise, portrayed by the beautiful and classy Beatrice Straight in her very brief but Oscar-winning performance). Max Schumacher was a great role that suited him to a t, and he played it to perfection.
William Holden was my favorite leading man when I was a little girl. Even today, I can't think of anyone I like better. In addition to the ones you mentioned generalusgrant,
Bridge On The River Kwai, Stalag 17, Picnic, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing and Born Yesterday
are all movies he starred in that I watch again and again.
His dance scene with Kim Novak in
Picnic
is pure magic.
- a much needed, soulful foil for just about every other character in the film (except for his wife Louise, portrayed by the beautiful and classy Beatrice Straight in her very brief but Oscar-winning performance). Max Schumacher was a great role that suited him to a t, and he played it to perfection.
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merryapril — 11 years ago(September 21, 2014 04:53 PM)
Correct ecjones1951, I watched it last night!
I gather, after reading other threads on this board, that some people find
Network
too wordy and starkly moralistic. I can't disagree entirely, especially when it comes to William Holden's character Max as he's interacting with Faye Dunaway's Diana during their break up. Were it not for Dunaway's physical beauty and relative youth, it would be hard to believe a man like him would even be attracted to someone as manipulatively ambitious, shrill and amoral as she was. He knew she was all of those things, but I simply view him as an old fool who hoped he'd convince her to change. And such a vain hope required quite a bit of talking!
Still, I love the film and William Holden's portrayal of an over-the-hill newsman having a late-life crisis. -
ecjones1951 — 11 years ago(November 23, 2014 10:09 PM)
Excellent analysis of the Max/Diana relationship. Doesn't he tell his wife that (paraphrasing) he's been dead inside and Diana makes him feel alive? Pretty cruel thing to say to a wife who has remained loyal, (and most likely faithful) to him for 25 years, although he probably has had a number of affairs in that time.
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merryapril — 11 years ago(October 07, 2014 09:49 PM)
Oh yeah pullman1881, I LOVE that film too even though I forgot to include it in my list!!! He was
just perfect
in it. There was a certain nasal(?) characteristic in his voice that really lent itself to cynical roles like Joe Gillis.