Which famous person is most deserving of a PROPER movie done about their life?

[charlie and algernon]

I think Ben Franklin is more than due for a movie or series done about his life. Personally, I think Tom Wilkinson HAS to reprise the role he perfected in the John Adams series. He WAS Ben Franklin. Now they need to give Wilkinson a full movie or HBO series to explore Franklin even deeper.

I also want to see a movie done about Bach, or at least a movie that covers the music scene in Vienna in the 16-1700's. In terms of a PROPER biopic, Beethoven needs a movie that doesn't focus on his "last night" or JUST his deafness through the eyes of a supposed copier. He needs the treatment Mozart got in Amadeus.

[bikebloke]

1. Tom Paine

I once read that Richard Attenborough wanted to do Tom Paine and the Rights of Man.

[PassingFair]

22. ...and Jefferson.

Their lives were intertwined.

[charlie and algernon]

32. they need to do what they're doing with the Avengers comic book heros

each founding father gets his own movie of his life leading up to the 1770s. Then one movie about 1775-1776 starring all the actors who portrayed the founding fathers in the previous movies.

[XemaSab]

34. Or make it like LOST

where it's a 30-part series and each founder gets several flashback episodes. :D

[charlie and algernon]

36. LOL

So I guess the Others are the British and the Dharma Initiative is the Native Americans?

Who would be the Smoke Monster?

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

42. King George

:D

[Jade Fox]

2. John L. Lewis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Lewis

[RFKHumphreyObama]

7. +1

[Radical Activist]

16. Hoffa gets a movie but not Lewis.

It's a shame that industry gets to pick who represents the labor movement.

[Jade Fox]

33. Lewis wasn't corrupt....

The popular view of powerful labor leaders is that they've all been corrupted in some way.

Lewis, on the other hand, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom among other things. He was a truly great American, and most people don't even know his name.

[wickerwoman]

18. Along similar lines... James Connolly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Connolly

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Dubya - with painstaking attention to all the coke, booze, AWOLness, sleeping on the job

failed businesses, rude behavior, being raised by vicious parents, skull and bones secretiveness, getting through life with a silver spoon and everything handed to him (hell, even the presidency didn't come to him except at the hands of his dad's cronies, just like all the businesses he ran).

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. What the hell was Oliver Stone thinking...

Oscar-winning Stone has insisted his personal politics did not influence the film, his third about a US president after Nixon and JFK, and that he aimed for an "empathetic" portrait.

"I wanted to understand the man," the director told CNN's Larry King this week.

"I couldn't make a movie with hate or malice. There is none in this movie. I see the guy as more like John Wayne, which is to say I don't like his politics but he's endearing in a strange, goofy, awkward way, and he did capture the imagination of the country."

Some critics appeared surprised by Stone's restraint.

"For a film that could have been either a scorching satire or an outright tragedy, W. is, if anything, overly conventional, especially stylistically," writes Todd McCarthy in Variety.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/republicans/3155424/Oliver-Stone-George-W-Bush-biopic-rushed-to-cinemas-before-US-election.html

[Richardo]

28. "I'm a hack director who wouldn't know character depth if I stepped into it up to my knees."

...well, if he were honest he'd be thinking that.

[Captain Hilts]

26. Yes. nt

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. I'm with you on Franklin - he's a fascinating man. I'd also like to see one on Teddy Roosevelt.

Another fascinating man. And Churchill.

And Frank Zappa.

[Captain Hilts]

24. Theo R, Winston Churchill and Franklin and Eleanor R are just about THE most fascinating

people to read about. I never tire of them.

I would like to see a good movie about Churchill's Christmas in Washington in '41.

[SoxFan]

5. Only one obvious choice

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[Bucky]

12. Starring....

but only in the "after" scenes. Maybe Maggie Gyllenhaal can play the young Carrot top.

[Skittles]

20. scheduling SoxFan for ass kicking

egregious

[Ikonoklast]

6. Sir Winston Churchill.

A very interesting life, a huge player in modern history, if only done justice by the proper screenwriter and director.

The actor to play him...that's a toughie.

[goldcanyonaz]

9. +1

[Captain Hilts]

48. None better. He, TR, FDR and ER are tops with me. nt

[jmowreader]

8. I was going to say Hunter S. Thompson...

but they already made Caligula.

[Bucky]

10. If we're doing Enlightenment figures, I'd vote for Jemmy Madison, our first emo president.

However Galileo Gallilei was a fascinating and politically sophisticated career man. The twists and turns of his life are amazing.

[Captain Hilts]

25. Capt. Hilts is totally a Madison Girl. He's my guy. nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. Arthur Rubinstein. Great pianist and party animal.

[Captain Hilts]

47. He gave Katharine Hepburn tips on piano playing for "Song of Life" in which

she plays Clara Schumann. Pianists consistently praise her playing.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

55. Didn't know that!

I saw Arthur give a full recital when I was in high school, in 1970.

I believe he was a pup of EIGHTY TWO at the time.

I can see this one as a movie too: Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, and Art Tatum swapping licks and stories.

I was told that these three hung out together by a guy I went to law school with, who happened to be Max Goberman's nephew. I didn't know Max Goberman was a famous conductor until I met Mike. Max got the job as musical director on West Side Story from Lenny, through the Abraham Lincoln Brigade connection.


They have already done the warts and all on Jacqueline du Pre called "Hilary and Jackie". It included hubby's other family with a Russian pianist lady in France. I don't think that little bombshell came out until after Jackie died in 1987. I dragged my child and husbo to see the movie because I was damned lucky. I saw Jackie play LIVE, the Elgar Concerto in 1968 or so, when she and Barenboim were the hot young couple of the classical world. She only recorded for a brief time - six years. I think she came to Houston because one of her mentors was Sir John Barbirolli. He was from London and a cellist. He was nearly dead then but still conducting the HSO sometimes.

Emily Watson did an excellent job portraying Jackie and how her senses got worse and worse.

Jacqueline duPre was the hottest fiddler of the 20th century. I mean "hot" as in "burning up a ton of energy while fiddling". She was always throwing her long blonde hair back before a heavy down bow. More charisma and joie de vivre than anybody else, practically.
Charisma levels up there with a few politicians, like Bill Clinton.


Damn I was lucky to live in the big city where the big name acts came thru.
I also heard two REAL orchestras: Cleveland and the Royal Philharmonic.


You'd never know I'm a classical freak would ya?
:D

[Captain Hilts]

59. I was told the Cleveland and Vienna Symphonies were the two best. What a thrill to

hear Horowitz play! "Horowitz in Moscow" is something I really need to own.

If you know piano, then you must see "Song of Love." Not a very good movie, BUT pianists really praise her playing as the most authentic on film. Still do. Arthur R said only he knows where Hepburn ended and his playing began. Rubenstein provides the soundtrack.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=horowitz+in+moscow&sprefix=horow

[blm]

64. Grew up in Cleveland...was proud as heck to show off Severance Hall to BeverlyHills friends

Cleveland is one of the most supportive cities of fine arts and music.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

68. This was in Houston.

Saw the Royal Philharmonic with Lawrence Foster cond. in 1970. It shook up the Houston music world.
Based on that appearance, Houston eventually hired Foster.

Saw Cleveland in Houston with Lorin Maazel in the mid 70s. I was playing in an excellent community orchestra and they had comp tickets. They either did Brahms' second or Brahms' Fourth, I don't remember which. Fiddler's heaven, of course.

Houston was immature in the 60s. Lots of oil money but no taste. They were so conservative they didn't want to hear Carl Nielsen!! And Mahler was suspect.

They fired Andre Previn when he was chasing Mia Farrow in 1968. He was 40, she was 22. She was separated from Frank Sinatra, and world-famous because she was the star of Rosemary's Baby. They canned Previn with no notice at all. Of course, they probably didn't like some of his programming, like the Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, where the celli do a low vibrato that really does sound like a B-24 bomber flying low....

Previn was just too brilliant, and too versatile and too much of a skirt chaser for their tastes. He was slumming. He went to Pittsburgh and London, and left the oil money hicks behind.
I heard that since then they have preferred homosexual conductors so they don't have scandals like Previn and Farrow having twins out of wedlock.

Like Christoph Eschenbach. Sacre bleu!

Houston is far less provincial now.

[Captain Hilts]

78. Houston has a great opera company. And a Houstonian buddy of mine, who

has a phd in classical music saw Previn out on the town with Farrow!!!!

He and the wife he ditched for Farrow still perform together.

[Orrex]

14. Chuggo.

[Radical Activist]

15. Bayard Rustin

Fascinating person who lead an exciting life. It's time he be given his proper place in history.

[Tabasco_Dave]

17. Abolitionist, John Brown

A positive movie that would really piss of the neo confederates.

[deutsey]

57. I've thought for some time that a really good movie about the Harper's Ferry raid should be made

Get into the politics that led up to it, but mostly focus on the tragic drama of that debacle as it played out.

[jobycom]

19. Caravaggio.

I know there's an 80s film about him, but I've never seen it. He seems to be en vogue these days, and like Mozart his life was as fascinating as his talent.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

21. Langston Hughes

a truly great American poet

[BethCA66]

37. +1 and Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Black Elk n/t

[Captain Hilts]

23. Ben Franklin rocks. Our first rock star. Twain's the 2nd. nt

[Richardo]

27. Mark Twain

One of the most remarkable, triumphant, tragic lives ever lived by a single person.

[deutsey]

58. I agree, but I don't think one movie could do his life justice

I would think a trilogy (at least) would be necessary, one focusing on his early life in Hannibal, his riverboat experience, his desertion from a ragtag Confederate unit and time out West up to his trip to the Holy Land/Europe; the second film would focus on the double-edged nature of his "rock star" years (as one biographer put it) as a writer/lecturer; the final one would focus on the tragedy of his his last couple decades (bankruptcy, tour of the world, death of his wife/brother/two daugthers).

[Tuesday Afternoon]

29. Dolly Madison

[Captain Hilts]

50. PBS is about to do an American Experience on her.

The AE program on Eleanor Roosevelt was not long enough.

[BlueIris]

30. Shirley Chisholm.

Mostly so people will learn to start spelling her name correctly. And by people I mean me.

[Captain Hilts]

49. She would be a VERY interesting choice. nt

[Dr Morbius]

31. Neils Bohr.

http://www.biography.com/articles/Niels-Bohr-38140?part=0

[XemaSab]

35. Carrie Nation

:o

[Tommy_Carcetti]

38. Roberto Clemente

I remember reading a biography of him as a kid and thinking it would make a great movie. The guy went out on top--exactly 3,000 hits. Died on a humanitarian mission. Even an as Orioles fan (who lost in 1971 in good part to Clemente) you have to tip your hat to that.

[Captain Hilts]

51. Ted Williams' life would also be interesting. nt

[Initech]

39. I could see an HBO mini series about Franklin.

[Tom_Foolery]

40. Roy Orbison.

[Submariner]

41. Whoever founded MOTOWN

The late 60's and early 70's MOTOWN music was only the best tunes EVER on planet earth...imho. The story of how he pulled that talent and sound together and made it so good would be a great story.

Around Xmas '65 I happened by the Longbeach Arena to see the likes of the Supremes, Jackson 5, Shirelles, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, The Ronettes and more, all on stage the same night...just Awesome.

[Jade Fox]

43. That would be Berry Gordy.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_Gordy

[proteus_lives]

44. Theodore Roosevelt!

The title would be:

"Tales From the Bully Pulpit!"

[Captain Hilts]

52. +1 for not calling him "Teddy," which he HATED. nt

[undeterred]

Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

Must have been a hell of a life together.

[undeterred]

45. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

Must have been a hell of a life together.

[undeterred]

46. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

Must have been a hell of a life together.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

54. They did a PBS series that was more about her.

[charlie and algernon]

62. Spielberg is doing a biopic on Lincoln, starring Liam Neeson and Sally Field

[undeterred]

65. Sally Field does well playing crazy.

[flying rabbit]

53. Pablo Piccasso

[JoDog]

56. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle,

Veronica Lake
Anias Nin
Eleanor of Aquitane
Julia Child (You said "proper movie". "Julie and Julia" doesn't count.)
Coco Chanel (Something that delves into her life as a business woman and artist. All the recent movies seem to focus more on her love life.)

[mikeSchmuckabee]

60. Oppenheimer or Feynman

[Dr Morbius]

61. Richard Feynman was a fascinating guy, perhaps the smartest man of his century.

And damn funny, too.

[lunatica]

63. I'd like to see a movie about Dick Cheney which really exposes him

An intimate portrait of him from his childhood to the present. Including a comprehensive look at his wife Lynn and his children.

All of it based on documented fact.

[jobycom]

72. Exposing Dick? Oh come on!

:rofl:

[kwassa]

66. Marcus Garvey, and the Universal Negro Improvement Association

which at it's high point in the 1920s had 4 million members.

Garvey founded his own shipping line, but was run down by young J. Edgar Hoover, and deported to his native Jamaica, where he founded a religion that became known as Rastafarian.

There is so much fascinating history out there that has never been touched by movies.

[Odin2005]

67. Thomas Jefferson!

[blm]

69. This country and the world is owed an ACCURATE account of the Bush Family.

That bio-pic would also do the most good in the world.

[Swede]

70. Poet Arthur Rimbaud led an interesting life.

I think it could make a good movie.

[Deep13]

71. Margaret Sanger.

[jobycom]

73. Edgar Allan Poe. There's a pretty good novel about his death

where the hero investigates Poe's life and influence and influences while trying to figure out how he died. Kind of like "Immortal Beloved" or "Amadeus." The biography part is fascinating, but the story is average. I'd like to see a good retelling of his actual life, without the exagerated opium stories and "mysterious" death stuff.

In some ways he's an American Vincent van Gogh--a passionate artist whose contributions were ridiculed in his lifetime but whose influence after death changed his field. Poe invented the detective story, and a lot of people don't realize that Arthur Conan Doyle was imitating his C. Auguste Dupin with Sherlock Holmes. Considering that Raymond Chandler copied Sherlock Holmes, and Ian Fleming used Chandler's Philip Marlowe for James Bond, and that most modern detectives are a descendant of Marlowe in some ways. Not to mention his influence on the horror genre.

Great writer, interesting life.

[KittyWampus]

77. didn't know that about Doyle. Your post is a great example of what I love about DU.

And a good movie about Poe might very well be popular.

[Mopar151]

74. Nikola Tesla, Charles Steinmetz

And how Edison and Marconi stole their inventions

[elehhhhna]

75. MOTHER JONES

[KittyWampus]

76. Eugene Ballard. First African American pilot who flew in World War ONE. An amazing life

he was also a prize fighter. Left home early and lived with gypsies, stowed away on a ship to Europe.

[klm55500]

79. martin van buren