John Saxon
(August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020)
John Saxon has passed away at 83. He was a very good actor who never got the recognition he was due. He’s terrific in The Appaloosa (1966), where he easily outdid Marlon Brando. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for that one.
He also did the Westerns The Unforgiven (1960), Death Of A Gunfighter (1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), Mario Bava’s The Evil Eye (1963) and the Bruce Lee picture Enter The Dragon (1973). He stayed busy on TV, too.
Posse From Hell (1960) was one of the U-I Audie Murphy pictures produced by Gordon Kay. It’s worth a second look. Saxon’s really good in it.
In an interview John Saxon said THE APPALOOSA was his favourite film that he starred in .He said that he was able to contribute something to it such as writing scenes etc .He said it was a good experience. He got along well with Marlon Brando and called him Mr Brando in the interview .RIP.John Saxon.
*for wearing out a few horses so he can catch up with a demented Joseph Wiseman in a powerful scene from the John Huston western, THE UNFORGIVEN (1960), United Artists. A terrific actor; RIP-JOHN SAXON.
Yes, John Saxon was a very good versatile actor with a lengthy and prolific career When Quentin Tarantino directed the “Grave Danger” episode of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION in 2005, he cast Saxon as the criminal villain, later explaining that he needed someone who could match wits “with another mastermind” — just as Saxon had in the 1966 western THE APPALOOSA, in which he played a Mexican outlaw who steals Marlon Brando’s horse. “John Saxon is the only actor to ever steal a movie from Marlon Brando,” Tarantino said.
NEW YORK TIMES movie critic Bosley Crowther, was especially admiring of John Saxon’s work in THE APPALOOSA, which was directed by Sidney J. Furie. “Somehow you find yourself tensing as Mr. Brando, cautious and slow, moves into the alien territory of his wickedly smiling nemesis, who is played by dark-eyed John Saxon with remarkably fearsome oiliness,” wrote Crowther. “Quickly your muscles tighten as the two men, now face to face, contend in a show-down hand-wrestle on a table fringed with scorpions.”
JOHN SAXON R.I.P.
I was more saddened by this news than expected. Over the years, it became a comfort to see John Saxon doing his thing so well.
The last couple days, I keep remembering certain TV shows he did where he was great. Gonna pull out his Rockford Files episode tonight.
Toby, “The Portrait of Elizabeth” episode of THE ROCKFORD FILES, which first aired on January 23, 1976 is a good one. Also, Peggy Stewart, leading lady of Westerns at Republic Pictures, plays the maid in this episode.
Pretty Boy to Tough Guy, Always gave 100% whatever role he played and always worth watching