Timothy Carey(1929-1994)
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Timothy Carey had one of the most unusual careers of all Hollywood
character actors, obtaining full cult status for his portrayals of the
doomed, the psychotic and the plain crazy. Carey's career was an "only
in America" type of story, and he retains his status as a great
American original many years after his death.
As a 22-year-old acting school graduate, Carey made his film debut in 1951,
as a corpse in a Clark Gable western, but it was his brief, uncredited part
as Chino's Boy #1, a member of Lee Marvin's motorcycle gang The Beetles in The Wild One (1953)
which made an impression, and was a harbinger of the unsavory characters to
come.
Prone to improvising, it was the fearless Carey who came up with the idea of squirting beer in Marlon Brando's face, even though the great
methods actor himself had expressed reservations about what Carey was up
to.
Carey registered the same year as the bordello bouncer who threatens
James Dean in East of Eden (1955), making his face, if not his name (he was uncredited
in both parts), known to the mass audience.
Carey followed this up with superb acting jobs in 2 Stanley Kubrick films;
The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
In the former he played the sociopath, Nikki Arane,
who 's contracted to shoot a race horse, which he does with great glee.
In Paths of Glory (1957), Carey had an atypically sympathetic role as French
soldier, Pvt. Ferol, unjustly condemned to be shot to atone for the
stupidities of his generals during World War I. However, it was in
Bayou (1957) in which Carey reached what must be considered good apex as an actor: as the psychotic
Cajun Ulysses, he crafted an indelible performance that went beyond the
acceptable limits of cinema scenery-chewing. He became Ulysses,
on-screen, the mad Cajun who epitomized evil, his insanity perfectly
encapsulated in the psychotic jig Carey danced to more fully limn his
character's madness. This classic exploitation film was re-cut and
re-released as "Poor White Trash" (1961), and became a grind house
Gone with the Wind (1939), playing to crowds throughout the decade.
With these performances, Carey's career as a Hollywod heavy was established, though many
directors saw the talent lurking within his physically forbidding, 6'4"
frame. His former co-star Brando directed him in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (Brando's sole
directorial effort),
gunning down the shotgun-wielding heavy in the process. Francis Ford Coppola tried to hire him for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), but Carey was working on his own
project during the shooting of the first classic, and turned down the
opportunity to appear in the second. He did agree to appear in
Coppola's The Conversation (1974), yet another classic, but walked off the set during
filming. John Cassavetes gave him a prominent role in Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and cast him as
the second lead in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976).
Carey's penchant for improvising (in the execution scene for Paths of Glory (1957), his character was supposed to remain silent, but Carey began
moaning, I don't what to die,', and Kubrick kept it in the film) coupled
with his eccentric behavior gave him a reputation as difficult to work
with in the 1960s.
During that tumultuous decade, Carey spoofed his
psycho screen image in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), playing South Dakota Slim, who - like villains of old flickers - straps the second female lead to a buzz saw.
As the heavy Lord High-and-Low, he menaced The Monkees in the
Jack Nicholson-penned Head (1968). Nicholson was one of his biggest fans.
Carey's greatest role was in a film he produced, wrote and directed
himself, The World's Greatest Sinner (1962), in which he played a rock 'n roll-singing evangelist
who, in a burst of hubris, names himself "God," runs for President and
is struck down by God himself at the film's climax.
As Clarence
Hilliard, the insurance salesman who drops out of straight society,
starts his own evangelical religion (using rock 'n roll music played by
himself and a band featuring a woman saxophone player to whip up the crowds and manipulate the masses) and eventually runs for president, Carey fully realised his talent, a grind house, exploitation circuit
John Gielgud assaying his Hamlet.
Filmed fitfully between 1958- 61 for a total cost of approximately $100-thousand (the shooting was sporadic, as the production kept running out of money), it remains one of
the most notorious works in grind house cinema--even Elvis Presley himself
asked Carey for a copy! (Carey, always in character as the Jester,
refused The King's request).
Carey's last film was Echo Park (1985). A favorite actor of cineaste/video store
clerk Quentin Tarantino, he tested for the role of crime boss Joe Cabot in
Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), but the tyro director didn't think he
was right for the role. Instead, he cast Lawrence Tierney (equally great in the
movie heavy and eccentricity departments) and dedicated the film to
Carey.
Timothy Carey taught acting in his later years. This true American original died of a stroke on May 11, 1994, age of 65. He's sorely missed, as his like will not be seen again.
character actors, obtaining full cult status for his portrayals of the
doomed, the psychotic and the plain crazy. Carey's career was an "only
in America" type of story, and he retains his status as a great
American original many years after his death.
As a 22-year-old acting school graduate, Carey made his film debut in 1951,
as a corpse in a Clark Gable western, but it was his brief, uncredited part
as Chino's Boy #1, a member of Lee Marvin's motorcycle gang The Beetles in The Wild One (1953)
which made an impression, and was a harbinger of the unsavory characters to
come.
Prone to improvising, it was the fearless Carey who came up with the idea of squirting beer in Marlon Brando's face, even though the great
methods actor himself had expressed reservations about what Carey was up
to.
Carey registered the same year as the bordello bouncer who threatens
James Dean in East of Eden (1955), making his face, if not his name (he was uncredited
in both parts), known to the mass audience.
Carey followed this up with superb acting jobs in 2 Stanley Kubrick films;
The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
In the former he played the sociopath, Nikki Arane,
who 's contracted to shoot a race horse, which he does with great glee.
In Paths of Glory (1957), Carey had an atypically sympathetic role as French
soldier, Pvt. Ferol, unjustly condemned to be shot to atone for the
stupidities of his generals during World War I. However, it was in
Bayou (1957) in which Carey reached what must be considered good apex as an actor: as the psychotic
Cajun Ulysses, he crafted an indelible performance that went beyond the
acceptable limits of cinema scenery-chewing. He became Ulysses,
on-screen, the mad Cajun who epitomized evil, his insanity perfectly
encapsulated in the psychotic jig Carey danced to more fully limn his
character's madness. This classic exploitation film was re-cut and
re-released as "Poor White Trash" (1961), and became a grind house
Gone with the Wind (1939), playing to crowds throughout the decade.
With these performances, Carey's career as a Hollywod heavy was established, though many
directors saw the talent lurking within his physically forbidding, 6'4"
frame. His former co-star Brando directed him in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (Brando's sole
directorial effort),
gunning down the shotgun-wielding heavy in the process. Francis Ford Coppola tried to hire him for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), but Carey was working on his own
project during the shooting of the first classic, and turned down the
opportunity to appear in the second. He did agree to appear in
Coppola's The Conversation (1974), yet another classic, but walked off the set during
filming. John Cassavetes gave him a prominent role in Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and cast him as
the second lead in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976).
Carey's penchant for improvising (in the execution scene for Paths of Glory (1957), his character was supposed to remain silent, but Carey began
moaning, I don't what to die,', and Kubrick kept it in the film) coupled
with his eccentric behavior gave him a reputation as difficult to work
with in the 1960s.
During that tumultuous decade, Carey spoofed his
psycho screen image in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), playing South Dakota Slim, who - like villains of old flickers - straps the second female lead to a buzz saw.
As the heavy Lord High-and-Low, he menaced The Monkees in the
Jack Nicholson-penned Head (1968). Nicholson was one of his biggest fans.
Carey's greatest role was in a film he produced, wrote and directed
himself, The World's Greatest Sinner (1962), in which he played a rock 'n roll-singing evangelist
who, in a burst of hubris, names himself "God," runs for President and
is struck down by God himself at the film's climax.
As Clarence
Hilliard, the insurance salesman who drops out of straight society,
starts his own evangelical religion (using rock 'n roll music played by
himself and a band featuring a woman saxophone player to whip up the crowds and manipulate the masses) and eventually runs for president, Carey fully realised his talent, a grind house, exploitation circuit
John Gielgud assaying his Hamlet.
Filmed fitfully between 1958- 61 for a total cost of approximately $100-thousand (the shooting was sporadic, as the production kept running out of money), it remains one of
the most notorious works in grind house cinema--even Elvis Presley himself
asked Carey for a copy! (Carey, always in character as the Jester,
refused The King's request).
Carey's last film was Echo Park (1985). A favorite actor of cineaste/video store
clerk Quentin Tarantino, he tested for the role of crime boss Joe Cabot in
Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), but the tyro director didn't think he
was right for the role. Instead, he cast Lawrence Tierney (equally great in the
movie heavy and eccentricity departments) and dedicated the film to
Carey.
Timothy Carey taught acting in his later years. This true American original died of a stroke on May 11, 1994, age of 65. He's sorely missed, as his like will not be seen again.