Over the last couple nights, I’ve spent some time — hours of it — digging around The Timothy Carey Experience. It’s a terrific blog, full of images and video of Carey’s many parts in TV and movies — from his uncredited walk-ons in stuff like Hellgate (1952) to substantial parts in The Killing (1956) and The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976). And plenty of shows like CHiPs and Columbo. (Why wasn’t he ever in The Rockford Files?)
Timothy Carey is one of my favorite character actors, and he’s never less than mesmerizing. In the early days of his career, he gave unhinged performances in regular roles. Somewhere along the way, casting people starting putting him in parts meant to be unhinged — Lord High ‘N Low in Head (1968), for instance.
He’s seen above in an uncredited appearance in The Gunfight At Dodge City (1959). You know Joel McCrea has his work cut out for him when he’s trying to clean up a town where Timothy Carey wears a badge. The Gunfight At Dodge City is a good little Western, by the way. Great cast — McCrea, Julie Adams, John McIntire, Nancy Gates, Carey, etc., good ‘Scope cinematography and direction by the always-reliable Joseph M. Newman. (The DVD of it looks good, too.)
50 Westerns From The 50s. 
I saw Kubrick’s THE KILLING on TV when I was very young, less than 10 years old, and two things always stuck in my mind from that first viewing. The first was Sterling Hayden’s slightly creepy mask he wears during the heist, and the second was Carey’s twitchy horse assassin. I was too young to know who the actor was but every time I saw him in anything again I immediately recognised him.
He was also very memorable in ONE EYED JACKS and CRIME WAVE.
I’d completely forgotten he was in GUNFIGHT AT DODGE CITY – I really ought to dig that movie out and give a go again soon.
Gunfight At Dodge City is a bit of a sleeper. Whenever I bump into it, I’m really impressed with it.
Carey in Crime Wave is amazing. It’s hard to believe his name isn’t even in the credits to that one!
I didn’t know the name, but I sure recognized the face. The first time I remember seeing him was in an episode of Baretta where he really played a nasty bad guy. I also think I remember seeing him as another really low bad guy in Kojak. That is one scary looking guy. You know who else was a scary guy, in real life too? Jack Lambert. That was a bad unfriendly guy, from all that I read about him (which wasn’t much, not much has been said about him). But he looked as mean as he seemed to have been in real life. Carey looks like a guy who may have had fun playing a bad guy, but Lambert looks like he never has fun.
Johnny, he was never on Kojak, but he did do four episodes of Baretta. He did a heck of a lot of TV in the 60s and 70s. He did indeed have fun playing bad guys! In real life he was affable and funny. Yeah, Jack Lambert – I wouldn’t have wanted to run into him in a dark alley…
Thanks for bringing crazy Timothy Carey into the conversation. I can’t remember the first time I saw him, maybe it was The Killing, but afterwards he was never forgotten. Whenever he appeared in a film, or TV series, sometimes unexpected, I began to worry, and was ready to hit the panic button, what would he do next ?
He must have given poor Phyllis Kirk nightmares in Crime Wave, hopefully she knew he was only acting.
Some hapless writer tried to interview Lambert years ago for a “Where Are They
Now” feature. His reply “I dont give a **** if people wonder where Im at;
I know where Im at and thats all that matters.”
A great,great bad guy!
The opening scene of Gunfight At Dodge City where McCreas Bat Masterson
tries to explain what its really like to kill someone;to a mentally backward
hero-worshipping kid; is classic stuff.
Film is co-written by Martin Goldsmith of Detour fame.
Goldsmith also wrote the script for the underrated Fort Massacre;now available
in a lovely scope transfer from the MGM/UA folks.
Paging Colin: if you are out there;
What did you think of the Bounty DVD of “Drum Beat”
It looks to me like a remastered version of the Spanish DVD.
It is not true scope;more like 1.1:85 but I can live with it because I was
desperate to get this one. With Warners no longer holding the rights Im
afraid this is as good a version that we are going to get!.
I have never seen the Spanish DVD so I would like to know how it compares.
I wonder if other films on Ladds Jaguar imprint will surface like
“The Big Land” Guns Of The Timberland” and “Hell On Frisco Bay”
Toby,sorry to hi-jack this thread with an Alan Ladd theme!
Hijack away! That’s what it’s for.
Since I stuck this post up here, I’ve been thinking a lot about The Gunfight At Dodge City. It’s a lot better picture than it gets credit for being.
That scene with the kid is great.
John, Bounty’s DRUM BEAT looks like a slightly better version of the Spanish disc – but I’m only going by screencaps I’ve seen of that Spanish disc. It is something like 1.85:1 anamorphic or maybe a tad wider, but soft and lacking the kind of definition to do the film true justice. Still, it is better than nothing. I’d love to see a release of GUNS OF THE TIMBERLAND too.
And Toby, thanks for allowing us to spin off on a tangent from time to time.
Colin,I thought the Bounty edition was taken off the Spanish disc because
the Spanish title of the film appears on the credits. As you say its better
than nothing.”The Big Land” has its moments too with Ladds buddy Tony
Carusoe on blistering form as the heavy.
Not a Western but the latter day Ladd “13 West Street” is worth a look too.
Just released by Columbia Classics film pre-figures the Death Wish
films.Ladd plays an Aerospace Engineer(!) who is beaten to a pulp by a gang
of teenager thugs.Film is full of surprises especially as the “kids” all come
from wealthy backgrounds and Rod Steiger underplays the cop on the
case.Taut,thoughtful and excellent little gem!
Going even further off in a tangent has anyone heard about a new Eastwood
project with him back in front of the camera and not directing!Would seem
to be a sort of Road Movie with a Baseball subtext.
[…] humble blog got a wonderful mention over at 50 Westerns From the 50s! If you haven’t seen it, it’s a nifty little blog about, well, read the title, […]
Aw thank you, Toby! I really appreciate the plug. Yes, Tim was very independent and unconventional, and oftentimes gave directors and producers trouble by not behaving they way they thought he should. They often retaliated by doing things such as taking his name off the credits. Their loss, really. Tim put his unique stamp on every role he played. His attitude was, “This may be the very last role I ever do; I want to make it the best.” You’re right, he should have been in The Rockford Files! He was utterly unique and he is sorely missed (he passed away from a stroke in 1994).
I know I’ve seen him in a detective show of the ’70’s besides Baretta, I thought it was Kojak, perhaps it was Rockford Files. But my memory says it was Kojak. I haven’t watched Kojak series recently, so this is just my memory bank working, but I know I’ve seen Tim in some detective show of ’70s besides Baretta. Things get foggier the older you get.
He was in several episodes of Columbo — he and Peter Falk were connected through John Cassavetes.
Yep. He also appeared on Mannix, McCloud, Toma, Ellery Queen, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, Supertrain, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, CHiPs, The Greatest American Hero, The New Mike Hammer and Airwolf. He was busy! And Johnny, I hear you about age bringing on the fog. Ain’t it the truth.
He had a great line in a gangster movie I can’t remember the title of but he was at a used car dealers lot needing a get-away-car. The line cut short was “something that blends in with the Sunday traffic”.
I nodded and laughed it was right on for the scene. It was b/w if anyone remembers it, I’d love to see it again and add to my library. His look and devil may care attitude is hard to come by. Thanks.
Wayne, that was actually from the Baretta episode “Set Up City” (1975). It’s not officially on DVD yet, but you might be able to get an “unofficial” copy from someone on ioffer.com or someplace like that. Here’s one of my blog entries on the episode: http://thetimothycareyexperience.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/pic-of-the-day-set-up-city/ It’s definitely one of Tim’s best performances!