Horror film legend Jeff Lieberman remembers the late actor George Kennedy.
Yesterday, as Hollywood busied itself with the 88th Academy Awards and international film fans of a certain persuasion got excited to watch the televised ceremony itself, Oscar winning actor George Kennedy gave his final bow at an urgent care facility in Idaho.
He was 91.
Although he starred in almost 200 movies in his 70 year career, Kennedy won the Academy Award once, for Best Supporting Actor in the Paul Newman prison drama COOL HAND LUKE. But for horror fans, he will be fondly remembered for his appearance in several films, from the Canadian tax-shelter chiller DEATH SHIP to CREEPSHOW 2 to BRAIN DEAD and more.
One of those great genre films is SQUIRM director Jeff Lieberman‘s 1981 slasher classic JUST BEFORE DAWN.
We contacted Jeff today to get his thoughts about the passing of the Hollywood titan and perhaps share an experience from the set of JUST BEFORE DAWN.
Here’s Jeff…
So George, you’ve got to remember this…
We’re out in the dead center middle of nowhere in a national forest outside of Salem, Oregon shooting a movie called JUST BEFORE DAWN. Mike Kellen, the ‘hunter’ from the opening scenes of the movie, was also shooting another movie with Burt Reynolds called PATERNITY at the same time in New York City. So, to make it work, Mike had to shuttle back and forth three times between the two movies.
So, George and I figured, hey, we’re out here in the wilderness and Mike is going back to civilization, then coming back. Why not put in our orders for New York City take out? We made a list. New York Post. Bagels. Cream Cheese. And a deck of cards.
Five days later there’s Mike, trekking through the brush in full wardrobe and big grin, holding up the NY Post along with a bag full of the other goods. We all sat down on apple crates for a game of Gin Rummy and bagels and cream cheese, pretending we were back in New York.
We should’ve shot that scene for future use when this thing called ‘extras’ would be created for DVD’s and Blu-rays.
Who knew?
RIP George.
A great, great man…
-Jeff Lieberman
