The first movie I saw of Gene Hackman's was The Poseidon Adventure with my Aunt and Uncle at a drive in movie theatre back in 1972 or 1973. My little 10 year old heart went all crushing on him 💕💕and I have revered him and his movies ever since. He was such a natural actor and a huge talent. So many actors play themselves or the same character in every movie, but every role for Mr Hackman was different because he BECAME that character. He always had a powerful screen presence and it was pretty hard to take your eyes off him whenever he was in a scene. I guess my 63 year old heart still has a soft spot for this incredible, wonderful actor! RIP Mr Hackman - you were a brilliant, shining STAR that brought joy to many people all over the world through your remarkable body of work. We will never forget you! 🌟🌟🌟😊
He became one of my two favorite actors when I was in my twenties and I saw "I Never Sang For My Father" and "The Poseidon Adventure". I had a kind of crush on him too in that latter movie. He preached and practiced TAKING ACTION backed by faith and inspired me powerfully. ✨
In this brief but poignant synopsis, you wrote my story too. Even down to the age! Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel.❤❤❤❤ Your memory will forever be a blessing #GeneHackman 🥀🖤💔🥀
Just came to say he was my favourite and one of the very best,never gave anything but a 100 per cent.
4 місяці тому+17
An incredible actor. Such a natural talent, always knew how much of emotion would be perfect to the character he played. His performance always dominated the scene and stayed long in my memory. My favorite actor is gone. Thank you for memories. Fly high in your heaven Gene !! ❤🇵🇱
I was madly in love with Gene Hacknan's acting & just adored him. He was a genius in his field. Therr wasn't a role in the world that he couldn't play. He was wonderful!.
He was good looking I think he should have been lead far more often. He made every film he was in feel ..... Worthwhile high caliber top shelf a REAL movie with teeth legs substance. Indescribably incredible man. What a loss for us.
RIP Mr. Hackman - The Greatest Character Actor of All Time. They broke the mold with you. There will never be another Gene Hackman. I just watched The Royal Tenenbaums before your passing. RIP Sir.
Gene Hackman is one of my all-time favorite actors... A Hollywood legend... And one that I had the honor of meeting once... I had to come on here today to pay my respects and celebrate his life... Hackman's very first impact on "MY" life?...Well, that would be Richard Donner's comic book classic... SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE... I'll NEVER forget seeing it in the theatre in 1978 when I was 12-years-old ... Richard Donner, John Williams, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman really gave me something very special and magical with that timeless and perfect film... I came out of that movie AWESTRUCK and ELATED, and all these decades later, I STILL haven't quite come down from that moment... Those memories are literally burned into my soul, and I cherish that masterpiece to this very day... It's one of my all-time favorite films... Growing up in the mid-1970's as I did, this film was ONE of the VERY FIRST FEW seminal cinematic moments of my movie-going youth that helped me SOLIDIFY my life-long love and passion for movies... Gene Hackman was, by association, obviously a big part of that happiness... Hackman's character, super-villain Lex Luthor, and his incredible performance... balancing an evil menace with, at the same time, a hilarious charm... Well, it absolutely captivated me as a child... For that, I will truly be forever thankful... And so, my life-long journey into the films of Gene Hackman began... Everything that had proceeded SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE... and everything that would follow... "What a journey" it was. "Good times!" My 30 favorite Gene Hackman offerings (in order) are... #01. SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) #02. SUPERMAN ll (1981) #03. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) #04. FRENCH CONNECTION ll (1975) #05. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) #06. THE CONVERSATION (1974) #07. NARROW MARGIN (1990) #08. MAROONED (1969) #09. PRIME CUT (1972) #10. NIGHT MOVES (1975) #11. THE HUNTING PARTY (1971) #12. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) #13. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) #14. A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977) #15. MARCH OR DIE (1977) #16. HOOSIERS (1986) #17. BAT 21 (1988) #18. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995) #19. LUCKY LADY (1977) #20. UNFORGIVEN (1992) #21. SCARECROW (1973) #22. UNCOMMON VALOR (1983) #23. MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1988) #24. THE PACKAGE (1989) #25. COMPANY BUSINESS (1991) #26. CRIMSON TIDE (1995) #27. UNDER FIRE (1983) #28. SUPERMAN lV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)... PS: I know it's a "HOT MESS"... BUT, it's a "Guilty Pleasure" of mine! And 2 Bonus efforts from Hackman's early TV days... #29. THE INVADERS - TV Series episode "The Spores" (1967) #30. I SPY - TV Series episode "Happy Birthday Everybody" (1968) And out of ALL of these on my list, I regard the first six... SUPERMAN 1 & 2, THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1 & 2, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, and THE CONVERSATION... to be nothing short of cinematic juggernauts, and among the greatest films ever made! A few of my PERSONAL FAVORITE Gene Hackman moments are... In SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, Hackman saying "Otis... Feed the babies", and yelling "Miss Teschmacher!"... Great! Hackman in the WH Oval Office with Zod, Ursa, and Non in SUPERMAN ll... "Revenge! Now we're cooking, huh?"... Hilarious! OF COURSE... Hackman's CLASSIC car chase with the elevated train in THE FRENCH CONNECTION... Unbelievable! Hackman blowing away "Frog 0ne" at the end of FRENCH CONNECTION ll ... BANG - DEAD - ROLL CREDITS ... Perfection! In THE POSEIDEN ADVENTURE, Hackman cradling the deceased Mrs. Rosen... "Oh, God... Not this woman!"... Heart-breaking... And screaming out, just before he falls... "How many more sacrifices? How much more blood? How many more LIVES?"... Powerful! Hackman's office scene with Harrison Ford's evil Mr. Stett in THE CONVERSATION and the "tug-of-war" over the tapes... Intense! BONUS: Hackman's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN blind hermit cameo... "Wait! Where are you going? I was going to make espresso!" ...He may have only been in the film for 5 minutes, but it was 5 minutes of "Comedy Gold!" In February 2000, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Hackman (EXACTLY 25yrs ago... Where does the time go?). He was doing a local book signing in my town, along with co-author Daniel Lenihan, for their first collaborative novel "Wake of the the Perdido Star" when it first came out... I got to exchange a few brief, pleasant words with Hackman, and also get his autograph... He was very nice, and pretty "cool", too!... What a thrill that was... Gene Hackman was one of the greatest movie stars EVER, with SO MANY great films and performances over his stellar career... What a fiery actor and passionate man he was.. .He seemed to LIVE his roles, not just play them... His acting, and the characters he embodied, was wide and varied... HOWEVER, having said ALL of that... For ME personally... Gene Hackman will ALWAYS be... first and foremost... Super-villain Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind, the Man of Steel's #1 arch-enemy. "OTIS... FEED THE BABIES!" Mr. Hackman, thank you for all the happiness over ALL these many years... And in particular, thank you for that glorious day in 1978 when you made a 12-year-old "ME" so happy for the very FIRST time... I think it's SAFE to say that a marathon of your best films is soon to be in my IMMEDIATE future... But TODAY, I will "pick my feet in Poughkeepsie" in your memory... R.I.P. to you, sir... And R.I.P. to your wife..
Thank you for this excellent comment for a most excellent actor! I was 12 in 1978, too. Mr. Hackman was my first movie star crush in The Poseidon Adventure lol. Don’t ask me how that came to be since I was only about 7 at that time, but I remember wanting to grow and be Pamela Sue Martin with a handsome rescuer like Gene lol. Ive always loved him and his movies ever since. What a great time to grow up. I’m so sad to hear of this tragic end for such a charismatic and legendary man. Rest in peace Mr and Mrs Hackman 😢
@@rheannak3934 I had a crush on him also for "The Poseidon Adventure" when I was 22. His preaching and practicing action based on faith inspired me and instilled some power in me. ✨
@keithmacintyre1889. That is a wonderful well-written tribute and actual article. There are so many aspects and qualities to it. It should be published somewhere. Do you know how or who could help you circulate it somewhere?
RIP Gene Hackman, age 95, Jan 30th 1930 - Feb 26th 2025. In summing up his impact on cinema & the feelings of all of us myriad fans worldwide at the news of his passing, one can't put it any better than in the words expressed a few days ago by his lifelong friend, Dustin Hoffman: 'Gene was like Brando, in that he brought something unprecedented to our craft, something people didn’t immediately understand as genius....He was that good. Powerful, subtle, brilliant. A giant among actors. I miss him already.'
I salute you Marine, and commend your unparalleled skill, talent, and inherent ability to mesmerize and captivate whole audiences with your unforgettable performances that will touch our hearts and minds for ages. RIP
44 minutes and nothing about Another Woman (1988)? I know... Woody Allen ... serious drama ... smaller role. But it is amazing. Legend has it that when cut was called on scenes between Gena Rowlands and him, the crew gave them a standing ovation.
I completely agree. I didn't see it when it came out, but years later on TV. His verbal dismantling of Ian Holm's characater's deficiencies is an acting master class.
No one has mentioned the movie 'No Way Out" yet. That was my favorite Gene Hackman film co-staring Kevin Cosner. Love, love, loved that movie, with his Phenomenal Performance....
@@MicheleStrongoni "No Way Out" is one of my favorite movies too with two of my favorite actors Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner. I've been surprised not to see it mentioned very often in the discussions and comments on Gene Hackman, even though he made so many movies. I enjoy watching this one every once in awhile. ✨
I know that he has made so many movies, but I've been surprised not to see "No Way Out" mentioned much in discussions and comments. Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner, two of my favorite actors, in one of my favorite movies. I enjoy watching it over again also.
Everyone who never heard of Gene needs to watch his movies. Not one bad one. Rest in Peace Gene, Betsy and ZInna 😢. Still sad. He was my favorite since the 70s. Died horribly instead of naturally. Waiting for the autopsy results now.
Good actor the simple man next door loved him in the French connection and the conversation, Superman, I never sang for my father brilliant film many other films he's in my top 5 actors . Still going strong at 94 years young one of the greats . Hollywood don't turn out actors like him anymore best of my generation 💯 👌
Mr Hackman as a human being was a really good man.. I've enjoyed all of his movies I've seen...a favorite was mississippi Burning, there was something real for me, about how he treated the leading lady in that movie.
Just checked out BAT21. A couple of other older films I was trying, got kind of restless watching. But, BAT21, that was the kind of stuff we have come to like about Gene. This should be on your watchlist.
When anyone asks, "who's the most underrated actor in cinema history?"...The answer is always, hand's down, Gene Hackman. Was so natural in every role he played. IMO, The sign of an amazing actor is even when they're so famous, and you know who they are; when they're on the screen (in their role), you forget your watching 'Gene Hackman', you're actually watching that character. In other words, he becomes that character. Side note: Hoosiers is the greatest sports movie of all time :-)
@@FredofromChicago My point being, when ever people are asked to name the Greatest actors in the last 1/2 century, it's always the same names mentioned: DeNiro, Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall, Hanks. Then when you mention Gene Hackman, they always say, "oh yeah, I forgot about him".
@@neilirvine95 My point being, when ever people are asked to name the Greatest actors in the last 1/2 century, it's always the same names mentioned: DeNiro, Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall, Hanks. Then when you mention Gene Hackman, they always say, "oh yeah, I forgot about him".
Naturally I loved The French Connection (I saw it in the movie theater when I was in high school), but he was amazing in The Conversation. Completely different kinds of characters.
Desde la óptica de un simple espectador que mejor manera de rendirle tributo a un gran actor en este caso Gene Hackman ver sus películas incluso algunas más de una ves descansa en paz.
@@CeciliaCecilia-i7i Because when he was younger than 50 he looked about 50 and when he was older than 50 he still looked about 50, in his acting roles (not when he was very old, in his 80s and 90s). Thus he had a maturity that added strength to his characters.
I just watched Scarecrow the other day. It’s a good movie but it’s a great performance by Hackman. It’s one of this movies and performances that are never mentioned. I thought he was great in that film.
Interesting but morbid fact I learned while studying journalism: The major networks keep an autobiographical file on actors and other famous people who are either very old or sick or both so that they can save time when they do pass away. This is why they are ready so fast when it happens.
One of my favorites. Crimson Tide was my favorite movie of his. He’s been retired for over 20 years. But I believe he could have continued making great movies. But he got out right before Hollywood went weird and woke. Rest now mr hackman
The conversation is probably the best political movie of all time. (Outside of wartime dramas) then he did the funniest political movie of all time with The Birdcage. That’s range.
Love the Hackman content. IMHO, his best are Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning, Crimson Tide, and Enemy of the State. However, the critics/commentator must be outside the US or are just lazy when it comes to writing/editing. The comment @14:40 where the Hackman character in ScareCrow asks the waitress if this is "her first day" had nothing to do with Hackman putting down or embarrassing the actress in that role. The waitress was clueless and mixed up their orders. It was Hackman's character in the movie asking the waitress "is this your first day"? It was a scene written into the movie. And he didn't say "is this your first time" as quoted by the critic. He actually said "is this your first day"? which obviously what you'd say to someone working in restaurant, not "first time...", which would imply acting of any sort. There's no need to embellish Hackman's reputation for difficulty by spinning the scene to something that didn't happen. And then there is a comment @26:00 by one of the critics that thinks Hackman's character, Norman Dale, came to the small town to "take on a College team". No, it was clearly a story that centered entirely on High School basketball in the state of Indiana and how important the sport is to all the small towns in Indiana. The movie spends so much time on what it's like to coach and play HS basketball in Indiana that you'd think he never even saw the movie.
It's his eyes that are so intense they go straight thru you. They have a look that you can't tell whether he's happy to see you or clobber you & the mouth also has a smirk that comes into play. The eyes are ever youthful & the face thus aligns.
Having so- called experts analyze the work of Gene Hackman is a disservice and pointless. Its him on the screen and us enjoying his brilliance.....period.
I get that. Having amateur or wiki-guided opinionated people (like Bonnie Greer) there for token presence, explaining him and his life and his work is just laughable and I can imagine what forced him to disappear. Just watch the work! RIP Gene Hackman.
Yes, how can you describe electric and magnetic and charismatic, complex paradoxical emotional intensity and also sensitivity. Actually one of the reasons I love reading social media about him is that we try to describe him. And I've never seen so many creative words and sentences to try to describe anyone before. And yet none ever quite capture describing this captivating actor.
Two films they missed that I think deserved to be mentioned are TWICE IN A LIFETIME (one of Hackman's only romantic leads) and BAT-21, about a meek military desk officer who gets thrown by accident onto the Vietnam battlefield. Both films are layered with Hackman's contradictions and eccentricities. He cries when he shoots and kills someone in BAT-21, and in TWICE IN A LIFETIME when he cheats on his wife with Ann-Margaret the guilt is all over his face without him seeming to know it.
*This intensely self-effacing and immensely talented man's epitaph should simply be, "Here Lies Gene Hackman: **_The Natural"_** (When you hear the phrase, "They just don't make 'em like THAT anymore!" he's the poster child.)*
Uhhhh, at 11:56 that guy is talking nonsense. Friedkin had called Gene to come into NYC a few weeks early of shooting so he could have him and Scheider hang out with Egan and Grosso. By "hang out", he meant "go to the shooting galleries with them and learn what it's like to be a cop".
@@marymichael1211 Dad compared the role Hackman played in Hoosiers to real life. Dad played basketball with the Kansas University Jayhawks. Karl Malden played basketball in college where he received his signature nose. Between Karl Malden, his own experience and Hackman on film, Dad thoroughly enjoyed all three stories. He watched Hoosiers probably 100 times.
@@williamrowlett740 Thank you for sharing that. That's how movies can be important to us. Your father related with those movies and you could relate with your father through them. Was your father a kind of everyman hero to you? And thanks for the information on Karl Malden's signature nose!
@@marymichael1211 Yes. When I look back on it, my Dad was kind of an everyman. He grew up during the Great Depression, came from a small town in Kansas, served in the USMC in Korea and became a real estate developer in Dallas. He was grateful for the blessings that came his way. His employees (some of whom attended his funeral and I still stay in contact with) spoke fondly of him and said above all, he was kind to them and had a hard and fast rule against any men cussing in the presence of females. That's consistent with how I remember him. He and Gene Hackman were about 1 year about in part in age and grew up in the Midwest. Both were Marines. Hackman used his GI Bill to go to acting school and Dad used his to finish college. So who was the smarter man? They both were.
Thank you for sharing about your father. My father also grew up during the Great Depression and was in the USMC, though he was born in 1924 and was in WW2. He had what I called "war wounds" (called PTSD after Vietnam) and also effects of coming from Atlanta, Georgia with "the lost cause" of the Civil War. There was violent child abuse to us which profoundly impacted me, though I worked hard on recovery, and my father and family did some healing. My father died at 88 in 2012 and my mother died at 91 in 2019. My father was captain of the football team in high school, used the GI bill to begin college but then went to work when I was born to get a middle class house for us in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and earned a good position at General Motors. He was also respected and smart, creative and interested in many things, and I learned much from him. There seems to be some similarities between Gene Hackman, your father, and my father -- all Marines of the same generation -- that they were both "tough and tender". I'm surprised at how I often feel deep emotional love, with tears, for my father and mother. 💜💜
If Gene Hackman owes his career to anyone it would be Phil D'Antoni, the producer of his breakout film, The French Connection. Director William Friedkin thought Hackman was wrong for the part and was vocal about it. He wasn't wrong, the real Popeye, Eddie Egan, should have been played by Jackie Gleason or Charles Durning (who hadn't yet had a major role). After much prodding, D'Antoni finally broke down Friedkin and convinced him to use Hackman. What they got was unexpected. While he couldn't do Egan's "deze, dem, doze" Brooklynese, Hackman brought his Marine swagger and his own brand of charisma to the role, and almost he alone, elevated the film to greatness. As Friedkin said later, "You can't think of that movie without thinking of him." Near the end of his career when asked how long he would continue making movies, Hackman responded, "If there were more producers like Phil D'Antoni, I'd work until I was 90."
I have loved Gene Hackman ever since I was a kid and he was Lex Luthor. He was just so precisely shy of being camp in that movie. I loved it. Of course I didn’t know all that as a child, I just knew that I really enjoyed the Lex Luthor scenes more than I did Superman. Somehow Gene made Luthor mean but not scary to kids. I thought he was hysterically funny.
Gene Hackman made about 80 films over a 6 decade career. I was surprised and glad when he retired because I was concerned about the effects of his intensity on his heart as he aged. He probably wouldn't have lived to be 95 if he hadn't retired. ✨
@Keep-Believing-Mark536 There's so much information to learn, and if it is accurate, in this world. I'd just learned what I shared. Thanks for bringing up the subject. That's how we learn. ✨
im sorry but The Royal Tenenbaums is his all time best and last performance - his beast acting and best comedy - and what the best way to end a career but with a performance that equally matches drama performance and comedy - its almost unheard of to balance that acting craft
Love love love Gene Hackman. Never disappointed by any of his performances.
The first movie I saw of Gene Hackman's was The Poseidon Adventure with my Aunt and Uncle at a drive in movie theatre back in 1972 or 1973. My little 10 year old heart went all crushing on him 💕💕and I have revered him and his movies ever since. He was such a natural actor and a huge talent. So many actors play themselves or the same character in every movie, but every role for Mr Hackman was different because he BECAME that character. He always had a powerful screen presence and it was pretty hard to take your eyes off him whenever he was in a scene. I guess my 63 year old heart still has a soft spot for this incredible, wonderful actor! RIP Mr Hackman - you were a brilliant, shining STAR that brought joy to many people all over the world through your remarkable body of work. We will never forget you! 🌟🌟🌟😊
❤️ thank you for sharing your story ❤
Beautifly written. I'm 57 and always have and will have that soft spot for Gene.
He became one of my two favorite actors when I was in my twenties and I saw "I Never Sang For My Father" and "The Poseidon Adventure". I had a kind of crush on him too in that latter movie. He preached and practiced TAKING ACTION backed by faith and inspired me powerfully. ✨
In this brief but poignant synopsis, you wrote my story too. Even down to the age! Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel.❤❤❤❤
Your memory will forever be a blessing #GeneHackman 🥀🖤💔🥀
RIP Mr Hackman - you were one of the greatest. Your memory will live on in your films. 27.2.2025.
❤️
I love you Gene.❤
Simply one of the best.
Love this guy.
This was a great tribute to a great actor RIP Mr Hackman
And you know he never watched it ❤
@@synthWizkid no doubt
One of the best actors in film industry. There’s something about him that reminds me of someone close to me. RIP greatest one and deeply missed. 🙏
One of our finest (if not THE finest) american actors of all time. How many unbelievable roles... how many incredible performances? RIP & salute.
I will watch any film with Gene Hackman in it. One of Hollywood’s best actors who has never disappointed.
Absolutely. He's one of our national treasures.
I have always loved Gene Hackman... if he was in a movie, I wanted to see it. My heart is broken 💔
RIP Gene Hackman 😪🙏💔❤️
So do I...the best and most diversified actor in my lifetime.
I'm working my way through them again.
Totally agree 👍
Just came to say he was my favourite and one of the very best,never gave anything but a 100 per cent.
An incredible actor. Such a natural talent, always knew how much of emotion would be perfect to the character he played. His performance always dominated the scene and stayed long in my memory. My favorite actor is gone. Thank you for memories. Fly high in your heaven Gene !! ❤🇵🇱
He never disappoints. He will be missed
I was madly in love with Gene Hacknan's acting & just adored him. He was a genius in his field. Therr wasn't a role in the world that he couldn't play. He was wonderful!.
He was good looking I think he should have been lead far more often. He made every film he was in feel ..... Worthwhile high caliber top shelf a REAL movie with teeth legs substance. Indescribably incredible man. What a loss for us.
Agree
One of most underrated actors out there....
He is the most marvellous actor. My favourite by far. Loved all his movies. Always gave quality performances.
RIP Mr. Hackman - The Greatest Character Actor of All Time. They broke the mold with you. There will never be another Gene Hackman. I just watched The Royal Tenenbaums before your passing. RIP Sir.
Gene Hackman is one of my all-time favorite actors... A Hollywood legend... And one that I had the honor of meeting once... I had to come on here today to pay my respects and celebrate his life... Hackman's very first impact on "MY" life?...Well, that would be Richard Donner's comic book classic... SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE... I'll NEVER forget seeing it in the theatre in 1978 when I was 12-years-old ... Richard Donner, John Williams, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman really gave me something very special and magical with that timeless and perfect film... I came out of that movie AWESTRUCK and ELATED, and all these decades later, I STILL haven't quite come down from that moment... Those memories are literally burned into my soul, and I cherish that masterpiece to this very day... It's one of my all-time favorite films...
Growing up in the mid-1970's as I did, this film was ONE of the VERY FIRST FEW seminal cinematic moments of my movie-going youth that helped me SOLIDIFY my life-long love and passion for movies... Gene Hackman was, by association, obviously a big part of that happiness... Hackman's character, super-villain Lex Luthor, and his incredible performance... balancing an evil menace with, at the same time, a hilarious charm... Well, it absolutely captivated me as a child... For that, I will truly be forever thankful...
And so, my life-long journey into the films of Gene Hackman began... Everything that had proceeded SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE... and everything that would follow... "What a journey" it was. "Good times!"
My 30 favorite Gene Hackman offerings (in order) are...
#01. SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978)
#02. SUPERMAN ll (1981)
#03. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
#04. FRENCH CONNECTION ll (1975)
#05. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)
#06. THE CONVERSATION (1974)
#07. NARROW MARGIN (1990)
#08. MAROONED (1969)
#09. PRIME CUT (1972)
#10. NIGHT MOVES (1975)
#11. THE HUNTING PARTY (1971)
#12. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)
#13. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
#14. A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977)
#15. MARCH OR DIE (1977)
#16. HOOSIERS (1986)
#17. BAT 21 (1988)
#18. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995)
#19. LUCKY LADY (1977)
#20. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
#21. SCARECROW (1973)
#22. UNCOMMON VALOR (1983)
#23. MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1988)
#24. THE PACKAGE (1989)
#25. COMPANY BUSINESS (1991)
#26. CRIMSON TIDE (1995)
#27. UNDER FIRE (1983)
#28. SUPERMAN lV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)... PS: I know it's a "HOT MESS"... BUT, it's a "Guilty Pleasure" of mine!
And 2 Bonus efforts from Hackman's early TV days...
#29. THE INVADERS - TV Series episode "The Spores" (1967)
#30. I SPY - TV Series episode "Happy Birthday Everybody" (1968)
And out of ALL of these on my list, I regard the first six... SUPERMAN 1 & 2, THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1 & 2, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, and THE CONVERSATION... to be nothing short of cinematic juggernauts, and among the greatest films ever made!
A few of my PERSONAL FAVORITE Gene Hackman moments are...
In SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, Hackman saying "Otis... Feed the babies", and yelling "Miss Teschmacher!"... Great!
Hackman in the WH Oval Office with Zod, Ursa, and Non in SUPERMAN ll... "Revenge! Now we're cooking, huh?"... Hilarious!
OF COURSE... Hackman's CLASSIC car chase with the elevated train in THE FRENCH CONNECTION... Unbelievable!
Hackman blowing away "Frog 0ne" at the end of FRENCH CONNECTION ll ... BANG - DEAD - ROLL CREDITS ... Perfection!
In THE POSEIDEN ADVENTURE, Hackman cradling the deceased Mrs. Rosen... "Oh, God... Not this woman!"... Heart-breaking... And screaming out, just before he falls... "How many more sacrifices? How much more blood? How many more LIVES?"... Powerful!
Hackman's office scene with Harrison Ford's evil Mr. Stett in THE CONVERSATION and the "tug-of-war" over the tapes... Intense!
BONUS: Hackman's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN blind hermit cameo... "Wait! Where are you going? I was going to make espresso!" ...He may have only been in the film for 5 minutes, but it was 5 minutes of "Comedy Gold!"
In February 2000, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Hackman (EXACTLY 25yrs ago... Where does the time go?). He was doing a local book signing in my town, along with co-author Daniel Lenihan, for their first collaborative novel "Wake of the the Perdido Star" when it first came out... I got to exchange a few brief, pleasant words with Hackman, and also get his autograph... He was very nice, and pretty "cool", too!... What a thrill that was...
Gene Hackman was one of the greatest movie stars EVER, with SO MANY great films and performances over his stellar career... What a fiery actor and passionate man he was.. .He seemed to LIVE his roles, not just play them... His acting, and the characters he embodied, was wide and varied... HOWEVER, having said ALL of that... For ME personally... Gene Hackman will ALWAYS be... first and foremost... Super-villain Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind, the Man of Steel's #1 arch-enemy. "OTIS... FEED THE BABIES!"
Mr. Hackman, thank you for all the happiness over ALL these many years... And in particular, thank you for that glorious day in 1978 when you made a 12-year-old "ME" so happy for the very FIRST time... I think it's SAFE to say that a marathon of your best films is soon to be in my IMMEDIATE future... But TODAY, I will "pick my feet in Poughkeepsie" in your memory... R.I.P. to you, sir... And R.I.P. to your wife..
Thank you for this excellent comment for a most excellent actor! I was 12 in 1978, too. Mr. Hackman was my first movie star crush in The Poseidon Adventure lol. Don’t ask me how that came to be since I was only about 7 at that time, but I remember wanting to grow and be Pamela Sue Martin with a handsome rescuer like Gene lol. Ive always loved him and his movies ever since. What a great time to grow up. I’m so sad to hear of this tragic end for such a charismatic and legendary man. Rest in peace Mr and Mrs Hackman 😢
Also what about Enemy of the State ??
And "I Never Sang For My Father".
@@rheannak3934
I had a crush on him also for "The Poseidon Adventure" when I was 22. His preaching and practicing action based on faith inspired me and instilled some power in me. ✨
@keithmacintyre1889. That is a wonderful well-written tribute and actual article. There are so many aspects and qualities to it. It should be published somewhere. Do you know how or who could help you circulate it somewhere?
Mississippi Burning , he gave a fantastic performance.
Love Gene Hackman.He was so believable in all his roles!
My favorite actor, hands down.
Doyle, Mr. Doyle!
Yeah one of the all time greats! I would love to see him in just one more movie!
@@virgil227 Anyone want a milkshake????
Mine too, but I also like Michael Keaton.
My favorite actor, hand in my pockets.
Wonderful video I loved it great job. RIP Gene and Betsy and the poor dog.
I once said Gene Hackman is one of the few actors that acted with balls. Especially in action thrillers he was great
The French Connection had such cool energy via William Friedkin but my favorite role was The Conversation. It had such an ominous mood.
Such a presence in any movie that as soon as he is on the screen, it becomes The Gene Hackman Show. Mesmerizing.
That's it. 💥
Peace to Gene and Lovely Wife Betsy Blessings ✌️🍀❤️🙏🙌❤️🩷💙💚
mon acteur préféré. il est excellent.
Best actor I've ever seen - could play any role
Zero pretensions
RIP Mr Hackman
RIP Gene Hackman, age 95, Jan 30th 1930 - Feb 26th 2025. In summing up his impact on cinema & the feelings of all of us myriad fans worldwide at the news of his passing, one can't put it any better than in the words expressed a few days ago by his lifelong friend, Dustin Hoffman: 'Gene was like Brando, in that he brought something unprecedented to our craft, something people didn’t immediately understand as genius....He was that good. Powerful, subtle, brilliant. A giant among actors. I miss him already.'
I salute you Marine, and commend your unparalleled skill, talent, and inherent ability to mesmerize and captivate whole audiences with your unforgettable performances that will touch our hearts and minds for ages. RIP
The vast array of emotions that this man is capable of conveying is awe inspiring...what a amazing career
So many great flicks..what a great actor..intense and fun at same time *
What a career what an actor!
Beautiful documentary about a beautiful man!
Broke my heart to hear about his final years and days.
Much love and RIP to Gene and Betsy. ❤❤❤😢
Gene was the best! Something about him! Forever in our hearts!!!!!
He did Scarecrow with a young Al Pacino. Hard to track that film down, but it was extremely underrated. My favourite ever actor, RIP.
44 minutes and nothing about Another Woman (1988)? I know... Woody Allen ... serious drama ... smaller role. But it is amazing. Legend has it that when cut was called on scenes between Gena Rowlands and him, the crew gave them a standing ovation.
I completely agree. I didn't see it when it came out, but years later on TV. His verbal dismantling of Ian Holm's characater's deficiencies is an acting master class.
Oh, I want to see it! Two of my few very favorite actors together. Thank you for mentioning it.
No one has mentioned the movie 'No Way Out" yet. That was my favorite Gene Hackman film co-staring Kevin Cosner. Love, love, loved that movie, with his Phenomenal Performance....
@@MicheleStrongoni
"No Way Out" is one of my favorite movies too with two of my favorite actors Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner. I've been surprised not to see it mentioned very often in the discussions and comments on Gene Hackman, even though he made so many movies. I enjoy watching this one every once in awhile. ✨
I know that he has made so many movies, but I've been surprised not to see "No Way Out" mentioned much in discussions and comments. Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner, two of my favorite actors, in one of my favorite movies. I enjoy watching it over again also.
Gene is the man. 💪
In every films he’s associated with major or minor roles, it’s a film u don’t wanna miss. They would be all great movies. 🙏RIP
R.I.P. to an Amazing talent! 🕊🕊🕊
Hoosiers, what an amazing movie!
Everyone who never heard of Gene needs to watch his movies. Not one bad one. Rest in Peace Gene, Betsy and ZInna 😢. Still sad. He was my favorite since the 70s. Died horribly instead of naturally. Waiting for the autopsy results now.
Anyone who hasn’t heard of Gene Hackman probably doesn’t have very good taste in films.
Good actor the simple man next door loved him in the French connection and the conversation, Superman, I never sang for my father brilliant film many other films he's in my top 5 actors . Still going strong at 94 years young one of the greats . Hollywood don't turn out actors like him anymore best of my generation 💯 👌
I met Mr. Hackman in 1969 - one of my favorite actors and he got his first Oscar nom in my favorite film - BONNIE AND CLYDE.
Right at the top of my list too B&C. I spent a whole weeks wage buying it on VHS in 1981 £40😳 “Don’t sell that cow” lol R.I.P Gene🙏🏻
Mr Hackman as a human being was a really good man.. I've enjoyed all of his movies I've seen...a favorite was mississippi Burning, there was something real for me, about how he treated the leading lady in that movie.
Just checked out BAT21. A couple of other older films I was trying, got kind of restless watching. But, BAT21, that was the kind of stuff we have come to like about Gene. This should be on your watchlist.
When anyone asks, "who's the most underrated actor in cinema history?"...The answer is always, hand's down, Gene Hackman. Was so natural in every role he played. IMO, The sign of an amazing actor is even when they're so famous, and you know who they are; when they're on the screen (in their role), you forget your watching 'Gene Hackman', you're actually watching that character. In other words, he becomes that character.
Side note: Hoosiers is the greatest sports movie of all time :-)
You don't get nominated 5 times and win 2 Oscars and are considred underrated. He has alwayd been very respected for his talent in the film community.
Underrated by nobody
@@FredofromChicago My point being, when ever people are asked to name the Greatest actors in the last 1/2 century, it's always the same names mentioned: DeNiro, Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall, Hanks. Then when you mention Gene Hackman, they always say, "oh yeah, I forgot about him".
@@neilirvine95 My point being, when ever people are asked to name the Greatest actors in the last 1/2 century, it's always the same names mentioned: DeNiro, Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall, Hanks. Then when you mention Gene Hackman, they always say, "oh yeah, I forgot about him".
@@66Bunn
I know what you mean. He was acknowledged and yet not quite enough. Thank you for explaining.
Hackman y su enorme catálogo de grandes actores en su momento novatos o ya consolidados la lista es enorme gran tipo.
Always been a favourite
Naturally I loved The French Connection (I saw it in the movie theater when I was in high school), but he was amazing in The Conversation.
Completely different kinds of characters.
Mine too......even wrote a piece of music for him
Desde la óptica de un simple espectador que mejor manera de rendirle tributo a un gran actor en este caso Gene Hackman ver sus películas incluso algunas más de una ves descansa en paz.
Thanks for posting.
Wish they talk more about his time in the Marines during the Chinese Revolution.
Honestly my favourite actor.
Intense actor shall we say. Preferred his 70s films, others varied. Depending on his intensities! French Connection superb. His best.
They don't make actors like Mr. Hackman anymore. The freaking man.
Hackman was 50 years old his whole life. Worked out to his benefit.
Good point!
Porque¿
@@CeciliaCecilia-i7i
Because when he was younger than 50 he looked about 50 and when he was older than 50 he still looked about 50, in his acting roles (not when he was very old, in his 80s and 90s). Thus he had a maturity that added strength to his characters.
Hackman was manly, intelligent, interesting.
Great video thank you. Gene Hackman is a truly interesting actor.
There are few actors who play tough guys who you’d think would really hurt! GH is the exception.
I'm really glad this clip came along.n
I just watched Scarecrow the other day. It’s a good movie but it’s a great performance by Hackman. It’s one of this movies and performances that are never mentioned. I thought he was great in that film.
Very good cutaways!
Interesting but morbid fact I learned while studying journalism: The major networks keep an autobiographical file on actors and other famous people who are either very old or sick or both so that they can save time when they do pass away. This is why they are ready so fast when it happens.
I'd wondered that. Thanks for the comment.
The Conversation is my favorite Coppola film.
I don’t know him personally, but I will miss him 😔
NITE MOVES, NO WAY OUT, UNDER FIRE, Uncommon Valor also left out. GERONIMO also.
RIP 🪦 to a MASTER
Rest in peace Gene
One of my favorites. Crimson Tide was my favorite movie of his. He’s been retired for over 20 years. But I believe he could have continued making great movies. But he got out right before Hollywood went weird and woke. Rest now mr hackman
Entrega del Oscar 2025 a trabajar tomen su tiempo en honrar a este gran actor.
I love how he rocked his natural receding hair like he didn't give a flying f87k.
The conversation is probably the best political movie of all time. (Outside of wartime dramas) then he did the funniest political movie of all time with The Birdcage. That’s range.
Gene Hackman was NOT born January 30th 1937. He was born January 30th 1930.
Thnx.
Best in Mississippi Burning?
Love the Hackman content. IMHO, his best are Hoosiers, Mississippi Burning, Crimson Tide, and Enemy of the State. However, the critics/commentator must be outside the US or are just lazy when it comes to writing/editing. The comment @14:40 where the Hackman character in ScareCrow asks the waitress if this is "her first day" had nothing to do with Hackman putting down or embarrassing the actress in that role. The waitress was clueless and mixed up their orders. It was Hackman's character in the movie asking the waitress "is this your first day"? It was a scene written into the movie. And he didn't say "is this your first time" as quoted by the critic. He actually said "is this your first day"? which obviously what you'd say to someone working in restaurant, not "first time...", which would imply acting of any sort. There's no need to embellish Hackman's reputation for difficulty by spinning the scene to something that didn't happen. And then there is a comment @26:00 by one of the critics that thinks Hackman's character, Norman Dale, came to the small town to "take on a College team". No, it was clearly a story that centered entirely on High School basketball in the state of Indiana and how important the sport is to all the small towns in Indiana. The movie spends so much time on what it's like to coach and play HS basketball in Indiana that you'd think he never even saw the movie.
Thank you for the clarifications.
Genius Lex Luthor
Amazing 😢.
Is it me or has Gene Hackman always looked like he is about 38 years old?
It's his eyes that are so intense they go straight thru you. They have a look that you can't tell whether he's happy to see you or clobber you & the mouth also has a smirk that comes into play. The eyes are ever youthful & the face thus aligns.
That's funny. I know just what you mean. He has an older bearing.
It’s just you
@@brileyvandyke5792😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
😂
Fantastic actor and career! They just don’t make actors like this anymore.
Semper Fi bro. RIP.
'Miss. TessmachERRR!!' - Lex Luthor
RIP Eugene Hackman
Having so- called experts analyze the work of Gene Hackman is a disservice and pointless. Its him on the screen and us enjoying his brilliance.....period.
I get that. Having amateur or wiki-guided opinionated people (like Bonnie Greer) there for token presence, explaining him and his life and his work is just laughable and I can imagine what forced him to disappear. Just watch the work! RIP Gene Hackman.
Yes, how can you describe electric and magnetic and charismatic, complex paradoxical emotional intensity and also sensitivity. Actually one of the reasons I love reading social media about him is that we try to describe him. And I've never seen so many creative words and sentences to try to describe anyone before. And yet none ever quite capture describing this captivating actor.
Two films they missed that I think deserved to be mentioned are TWICE IN A LIFETIME (one of Hackman's only romantic leads) and BAT-21, about a meek military desk officer who gets thrown by accident onto the Vietnam battlefield. Both films are layered with Hackman's contradictions and eccentricities. He cries when he shoots and kills someone in BAT-21, and in TWICE IN A LIFETIME when he cheats on his wife with Ann-Margaret the guilt is all over his face without him seeming to know it.
Throw in "Zandy's Bride" with Liv Ullman, one of the best western dramas that nobody seemed to have heard of. It's on UA-cam.
Yes and yes to these rare love stories. And you've got me wanting to see Bat-21.
Grew up in Danville,IL
*This intensely self-effacing and immensely talented man's epitaph should simply be, "Here Lies Gene Hackman: **_The Natural"_** (When you hear the phrase, "They just don't make 'em like THAT anymore!" he's the poster child.)*
A "failed Priest" but yet does what the very essence of what a priest should do and he gave his life for his flock. His best film
Uhhhh, at 11:56 that guy is talking nonsense. Friedkin had called Gene to come into NYC a few weeks early of shooting so he could have him and Scheider hang out with Egan and Grosso. By "hang out", he meant "go to the shooting galleries with them and learn what it's like to be a cop".
The Domino Principle and Mandys Bride are 2 very good Hackman movies on youtube.
RIP ❤
Gene Hackman was up there with Karl Malden playing a non-pretty boy guy playing the everyman.
Good comparison.
@@marymichael1211 Dad compared the role Hackman played in Hoosiers to real life. Dad played basketball with the Kansas University Jayhawks. Karl Malden played basketball in college where he received his signature nose. Between Karl Malden, his own experience and Hackman on film, Dad thoroughly enjoyed all three stories. He watched Hoosiers probably 100 times.
@@williamrowlett740
Thank you for sharing that. That's how movies can be important to us. Your father related with those movies and you could relate with your father through them. Was your father a kind of everyman hero to you? And thanks for the information on Karl Malden's signature nose!
@@marymichael1211 Yes. When I look back on it, my Dad was kind of an everyman. He grew up during the Great Depression, came from a small town in Kansas, served in the USMC in Korea and became a real estate developer in Dallas. He was grateful for the blessings that came his way. His employees (some of whom attended his funeral and I still stay in contact with) spoke fondly of him and said above all, he was kind to them and had a hard and fast rule against any men cussing in the presence of females. That's consistent with how I remember him. He and Gene Hackman were about 1 year about in part in age and grew up in the Midwest. Both were Marines. Hackman used his GI Bill to go to acting school and Dad used his to finish college. So who was the smarter man? They both were.
Thank you for sharing about your father. My father also grew up during the Great Depression and was in the USMC, though he was born in 1924 and was in WW2. He had what I called "war wounds" (called PTSD after Vietnam) and also effects of coming from Atlanta, Georgia with "the lost cause" of the Civil War. There was violent child abuse to us which profoundly impacted me, though I worked hard on recovery, and my father and family did some healing. My father died at 88 in 2012 and my mother died at 91 in 2019. My father was captain of the football team in high school, used the GI bill to begin college but then went to work when I was born to get a middle class house for us in the suburbs of Los Angeles, and earned a good position at General Motors. He was also respected and smart, creative and interested in many things, and I learned much from him. There seems to be some similarities between Gene Hackman, your father, and my father -- all Marines of the same generation -- that they were both "tough and tender". I'm surprised at how I often feel deep emotional love, with tears, for my father
and mother. 💜💜
Rip 🙏
If Gene Hackman owes his career to anyone it would be Phil D'Antoni, the producer of his breakout film, The French Connection. Director William Friedkin thought Hackman was wrong for the part and was vocal about it. He wasn't wrong, the real Popeye, Eddie Egan, should have been played by Jackie Gleason or Charles Durning (who hadn't yet had a major role). After much prodding, D'Antoni finally broke down Friedkin and convinced him to use Hackman. What they got was unexpected. While he couldn't do Egan's "deze, dem, doze" Brooklynese, Hackman brought his Marine swagger and his own brand of charisma to the role, and almost he alone, elevated the film to greatness. As Friedkin said later, "You can't think of that movie without thinking of him." Near the end of his career when asked how long he would continue making movies, Hackman responded, "If there were more producers like Phil D'Antoni, I'd work until I was 90."
Ooooooh que lástima así no hubiera cogido Alzheimer❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Most memorable Gene Hackman line: "Do you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?"
inaudible on my iPhone maxed up volume ❓😿
I have loved Gene Hackman ever since I was a kid and he was Lex Luthor. He was just so precisely shy of being camp in that movie. I loved it. Of course I didn’t know all that as a child, I just knew that I really enjoyed the Lex Luthor scenes more than I did Superman. Somehow Gene made Luthor mean but not scary to kids. I thought he was hysterically funny.
I do think he retired too early. I wished He could have stayed in the biz and made more films for a little while longer.
Gene Hackman made about 80 films over a 6 decade career. I was surprised and glad when he retired because I was concerned about the effects of his intensity on his heart as he aged. He probably wouldn't have lived to be 95 if he hadn't retired. ✨
@@marymichael1211Oh, I did not know that. Then, I stand corrected.
@Keep-Believing-Mark536
There's so much information to learn, and if it is accurate, in this world. I'd just learned what I shared. Thanks for bringing up the subject. That's how
we learn. ✨
im sorry but The Royal Tenenbaums is his all time best and last performance - his beast acting and best comedy - and what the best way to end a career but with a performance that equally matches drama performance and comedy - its almost unheard of to balance that acting craft
There He Is, Evil Reverend Himself!