Does Anyone Know If He Stopped Drinking When He Got Sick?
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WarpedRecord — 15 years ago(July 08, 2010 12:21 PM)
Why do you find it hard to imagine John as an alcoholic? I love the man, and I love his work, but I can practically smell the booze wafting from his performances and direction. He appeared to be extremely addicted both as a human and an artist.
I'm not intending any disrespect to him when I say that he "looks" like an alcoholic, just as I'm not intending any disrespect to you if you don't see it. I just know that alcoholics and other addicts can be very prolific in their careers. John appeared to be a very functioning alcoholic to me. -
aidosh94 — 15 years ago(July 08, 2010 12:34 PM)
I don't think it's disrespecting to call someone who was an alcoholic, an alcoholic! And I like your last line, "John appeared to be a very functioning alcoholic to me.", some heavy drinkers let the booze get in the way of their work but it seems to me that John wasn't one of them.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU STARVE FIRST?!"Humphrey Bogart
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'Dead End' (1937) -
Brian Scott Mednick — 15 years ago(July 08, 2010 02:27 PM)
I am not trying to make a joke by saying this, but alcoholics are really discriminated against. I would say the majority of alcoholics are functioning people who hold down jobs, pay their bills, and, as Cassavetes proved, are great artists. Just because you drink does not mean you are violent, drive drunk, or are otherwise a bad person.
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sstack-3 — 14 years ago(August 23, 2011 09:29 AM)
Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePptcNqXRJA
And, yeah, he's not slurring but you can tell he's had a few. But his observations still hold true today. Bunch of corporations pitching all these summer Transformer/Superhero mindless shoot 'em up blockbusters, so no real movies get made. And when they do, no one goes to see them. The only film I've seen of Cassavettes was Rosemary's Baby. Thought that was excellent. I'll have to check out more as he seems like a fascinating guya guy I'd like to have a drink (or ten) with. Like someone said, he apparently smoked and drank and lived life to the hilt and got 60 good years. If he were alive now, he'd probably be drooling on himself in a nursing home. Functioning alcoholic? Maybe. But to quote Winston Churchill, I (and apparently John) have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me. -
cassavetes45 — 14 years ago(August 25, 2011 12:28 PM)
i had posted this before, so i'll post it again.
back in 1967 he was on location in mexico filming 'sol madrid'. he was sent home and was hospitalized with hepatitis which he probably contracted from drinking tainted water.
he was advised not drink alcohol for at least 6 months afterward, and in the future to keep his alcohol consumption at a minimum.
because he probably ignored this advice he almost certainly left himself open to contracting cirrhosis of the liver.
hi, my name is carleeni'm harmless. -
death_jamm_productions — 14 years ago(September 26, 2011 06:36 AM)
he had tremendous willpower though he was given only months after love stream wrapped but he pushed on with life for five more years not to mention direct another film and come close to a few others
http://www.mickey-rourke.com/ -
death_jamm_productions — 13 years ago(October 22, 2012 04:42 PM)
also as a post script to roegcamels original reply, the incident happened on the set of Sol Madrid not Bandits in Rome, Cassavetes had to return to the US while Telly Savalas replaced him
http://www.mickey-rourke.com/ -
BoogieKnight — 13 years ago(November 05, 2012 02:07 AM)
I guess he was one of those who consciously preferred a shorter life due to regular drinking as opposed to more time in the world, but without. Obviously he had people who genuinely cared for him, but they weren't enough to stop him. Other earlier noteables like John Barrymore and W.C. Fields went out the same way, they had people who truly cared for them, but they knew they were going to go out that way. Peter Lawford died this way as well around the same time as Cassavetes, but nobody seemed to really care about him, including his live-in partner or his family. I think this sort of death is a thing of the 5b4past though among celebs, what with rehab being so big now, and people with money are able to keep nutritionists on the payroll to balance out the bad habits. The one which surprised me the most was Alexander Godunov, who is most remembered as one of the terrorists from Die Hard. He was a famous ballet dancer, yet he was a big alcoholic. I'd wager someone like Oliver Reed would have eventually died this way had a heart attack not hit him first.