Showing posts with label Lee Remick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lee Remick. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: HARVEY SPENCER STEPHENS


One of the movies that I simply love watching at Halloween is the original The Omen from 1976. However, with have a young son now and a wife who hates scary movies, I do not get the chance to watch it as much as I'd like. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick were the big name actors in the movie, but I wanted to see whatever happened to the true star of the movie - the child actor who played Damien. Harvey Spencer Stephens played the role perfectly, but never really did a lot in Hollywood.

Stephens was born on November 12, 1970 in Putney, London, England. He was four years old when picked for the part, which required him to have his blond hair dyed dark brown. According to Omen director Richard Donner, during an interview with AMC, Stephens got the part after he beat up Donner and punched him in the testicles, at Donner's urging. Because Harvey was so young, Richard Donner found that the best way to direct him was to provoke genuine reactions before the camera. For example, when Damien is angry at being taken to church, Donner got his peeved facial expression by shouting to Stephens off camera "What are you looking at you little bugger? I'll clobber you."


It was the only major film role in Stephens' career, apart from a small role in the 1980 TV film Gauguin the Savage. He also appears in the DVD special features section of the 2006 version of The Omen, and has a small role as a tabloid journalist in the film.

Interview footage of Stephens from 1996 was used in the 2005 documentary The Curse of the Omen, a programme detailing the supposed eerie coincidences surrounding the making of the film. Thirty years after originating his role in The Omen, he appeared in the 2006 remake as a news reporter. Stephens appeared on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Radio on 23 April 2008 to promote a film he was working on. As of today, it does not look like the movie ever was made. He said he also has started appearing at autograph signings / horror conventions "with my tricycle." Harvey is back to living in England now, where he has been employed as a futures trader on the London stock market and as late as 2010 was a property developer in Kent, England. He is married with a son, but I have no clue if his son is named Damien...


Friday, September 30, 2011

TCM IN OCTOBER: MY TOP PICKS

It's time to see what goodies TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will be showing in the month of October. Here are my top ten picks of what is on:

OCTOBER 2 11:00 AM
The Time Machine(1960) - SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY


A turn-of-the-century inventor sends himself into the future to save humanity. I have always loved this movie of time travel. The Morlocks in the movie still scare me! (Cast: Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux)


OCTOBER 12 3:00 PM
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House(1948) - COMEDY


A New York businessman's dream of a country home is shattered when he buys a tumbledown rural shack. Next to Arsenic And Old Lace, this is the best Cary Grant comedy! (Cast: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Melvyn Douglas)

OCTOBER 19 1:00 AM
Tea And Sympathy(1956) - DRAMA


A faculty wife risks her marriage to help a troubled teen tormented by his fellow students. I saw this movie back when TNT showed classic movies, and I'd love to see it again. (Cast: Deborah Kerr , John Kerr , Leif Erickson)

OCTOBER 20 10:00 AM
State Fair(1945) - MUSICAL


An Iowa family finds romance and adventure at the yearly state fair. This musical was one of my grandfather's favorite movies. It brings back memories of me going to the fairs with him too. (Cast: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes)

OCTOBER 25 11:00 AM
The Days of Wine and Roses(1962) - DRAMA


A husband and wife fight to conquer alcoholism. This is one of those classic movies that I have never seen - but I want to! (Cast: Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford)


OCTOBER 26 5:45 PM
The Bad Seed(1956) - HORROR


A woman suspects that her perfect little girl is a ruthless killer. This is what a classic horror should be. No blood or guts are needed to show true terror! (Cast: Gage Clarke, Jesse White, Joan Croyden)

OCTOBER 27 4:45 PM
April Showers (1948) - DRAMA


A family vaudeville act is torn apart by the father's drinking problem. I have never heard of even seen this movie, but from the description, I want to now. (Cast: Jack Carson, Ann Sothern, Robert Alda)

OCTOBER 30 12:00 PM
Berserk (1967) - HORROR


A lady ringmaster milks the publicity from a string of murders. Joan Crawford of the late 1960s was definitely not the Crawford of the MGM years. It's a great camp movie. (Cast: Joan Crawford, Ty Hardin, Diana Dors)

OCTOBER 30 8:00 PM
In The Good Old Summertime(1949) - MUSICAL


In this musical remake of The Shop Around the Corner, feuding co-workers in a small music shop do not realize they are secret romantic pen pals. This is the last great Judy Garland of the old years at MGM. (Cast: Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall)

OCTOBER 31 8:00 PM
Village Of The Damned (1960) - HORROR


After a mysterious blackout, the inhabitants of a British village give birth to emotionless, super-powered offspring. Another classic horror movie that does not need blood to scare the heck out of people!
(Cast: George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens)