You learn the strangest things on road trips. Recently, while my wife and I were staying at a Sausalito hotel during our sojourn to Northern California, I discovered some fascinating trivia about one of the most underrated actors of his generation. It all started when I struck up a conversation with one of the managers at our hotel and he told us about some sites we shouldn't miss.
When I mentioned I was a part-time film instructor in Los Angeles and he opened the can of trivia. Sterling Hayden had moved to the city back in the early 1960's and lived there until his death in 1986. What is so intriguing about Hayden is how he could convey the toughness of a Kirk Douglas without having overreach. He was, in essence, an average joe making tough decisions. He could work both as a villain and a hero.
As is the case with all film noirs, there are no true heroes in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, only survivors. And that's what Sterling excelled at: surviving. He wasn't a big box office draw, but he was well-respected by industry insiders and his peers. Stanley Kubrick used Hayden's reputation to get funding for his first studio feature, THE KILLING in 1956. They would work together again in 1964, on the political satire DR. STRANGELOVE. His portrayal of Brigadier General Jack Ripper gave George C. Scott and Peter Sellers a run for their money.
His performance is a great example of creating tension by pulling back layers of his character's dementia. Even when he worked with Francis Ford Coppola on THE GODFATHER, as Captain McCluskey, he brought a gritty reality to the relatively small part. That's the poise and grace of Sterling Hayden -- and what fuels his enduring enigma.
Like all his performances, this old pro kept his technique deceivingly simple. But don't be deceived. Hayden was a master of subtly. It's rare to see an actor who has real patience and who can really listen to other actors in any given scene. In the final analysis, he was an actor who made you believe every word he said and every icy stare.
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From Sterling Hayden to Orson Welles, you never know what you're going to learn when you book a vacation at a Sausalito hotel . Broaden your horizons and give the Bay Area a go.
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