Comments on: Biopics with actual footage

Question: Biopics with actual footage

gluechunk — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 00:36:11 -0800

What were the first few mainstream/indie biographical films that ended by transitioning from the actor to the real-life person that the actor was portraying?
[examples inside may be considered spoilers]

Examples from recent years include:
Schindler's List
Rabbit-Proof Fence
America Splendor
The Motorcycle Diaries

But surely this technique goes back a lot further than Schindler's List, no?

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 05:23:36 -0800

Nixon.
The Limey does something weird like this where they flash back to another older movie the same character was in as a weird means of giving the guy a history.

By: thomas j wise

thomas j wise — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 05:47:06 -0800

Europa Europa.

By: grumblebee

grumblebee — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 05:49:03 -0800

"The Naked Civil Servant" begins with the real Quentin Crisp who then is played by John Hurt for the rest of the film.

"Yellow Submarine" stars cartoon-drawings and voice actors, but there's a transition to the real Beatles at the end.

By: tetsuo

tetsuo — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 06:34:35 -0800

I think Blow ends talking to the real George Jung, but that's pretty recent.

How about Audie Murphy playing Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back based on his autobiography. No transition necessary, the actor is the person. Also (thanks to one of the discussions on IMDB) Jackie Robinson and Howard Stern did the same sort of thing. Probably not exactly what you were looking for, sorry to digress, found it interesting.

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 08:35:39 -0800

American Splendor

By: whatnot

whatnot — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:52:48 -0800

What's Love Got To Do With It? again, recent.

By: y2karl

y2karl — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:58:51 -0800

Um, Timefactor--There are now eight comments here, starting with:

Examples from recent years include:
Schindler's List
Rabbit-Proof Fence
America Splendor
The Motorcycle Diaries

By: LinnTate

LinnTate — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:20:49 -0800

What's Love Got to Do with It, if memory serves.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:31:19 -0800

Jessamyn, that older movie is Poor Cow and features the same actor, Terrance Stamp.

The prisoners in Le Trou are played by themselves, don't know if that counts. Like, they're not prisoners acting in a prison movie. They're prisoners playing themselves who were prisoners at the time the story is taking place.

If I recall correctly Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens with footage of the real Hole In the Wall Gang.

By: TimeFactor

TimeFactor — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 11:29:09 -0800

I have made a mistake and therefore must die! Kill me kill me kill kill kill. Thank you.

By: glibhamdreck

glibhamdreck — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 11:34:00 -0800

In 24 Hour Party People the real Tony Wilson (portrayed by Steve Coogan in the film) appeared as an extra.

By: Clay201

Clay201 — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 12:47:21 -0800

I seem to recall that, Great Balls of Fire, the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic, either opens or closes with a sequence in which the actor playing the role (Dennis Quaid) and the real Jerry Lee goof around at the piano together.

By: briank

briank — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 12:48:57 -0800

It's not quite the same thing, but in Jolson Sings Again (which is the sequel to The Jolson Story), there is a scene where Larry Parks (as Jolson) watches Larry Parks as himself playing Jolson.

By: glibhamdreck

glibhamdreck — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 13:07:07 -0800

The Newton Boys, too... though I think you'll have tough time find the beginning of this trend, since biopics on living subjects has to be a somewhat recent cinematic development.

By: glibhamdreck

glibhamdreck — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 13:36:16 -0800

I apologize for the tangent. But if you recall from blaxploitation class, in Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, writer/director Melvin Van Peebles played Sweetback and cast his own son Mario to play the young Sweetback. In Baadasssss: How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass, writer/director Mario's homage to Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Mario played Melvin playing Sweetback (and a young actor played a young Mario playing the young Sweetback). They slipped Melvin into the end of the credits, I think.

By: schoolgirl report

schoolgirl report — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 18:26:55 -0800

I'm pretty sure "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" ends with some words from the real Chuck Barris.