My only interview with John Candy was in May of 1991, at a Los Angeles hotel where he was being grilled by the press about his starring role in "Only the Lonely." Candy's co-star for that film was the venerable Maureen O'Hara, who played his mother.
And, truth be told, I was there because I wanted to interview O'Hara.But during his sit-down sessions with reporters, Candy proved to be true to his reputation as one of the nicest guys in town, a genuinely sweet-natured and humble gentleman, who obviously belonged in some other, nicer business.
Candy died in his sleep last weekend of a massive heart attack. He was in Mexico, playing the role of a wagonmaster in "Wagons East," a comic Western.
As with other comics who came from a television skit background, Candy made a lot of bad movies. And as a result, he was the brunt of jokes from smug peers, like Arsenio Hall. During a monologue on his TV talk show some years ago, Hall said something to this effect: "Please stop John Candy from making any more movies!"
This from a guy whose biggest claim to movie fame is Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" and the abominable "Harlem Nights."
It's true, however, that like Murphy, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short and others, Candy appeared in more than his share of losers - "Nothing But Trouble," "Once Upon a Crime," "Who's Harry Crumb?," "Delirious," "Speed Zone," "The Great Outdoors," "Armed and Dangerous," etc.
But it's also true that Candy landed some big winners - "Cool Runnings," "Only the Lonely," "Home Alone," "Splash," "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Stripes."
My favorite Candy movie is "Planes, Trains & Automobiles," in which he gave a terrific co-starring performance opposite Steve Martin. Candy was the stereotypical overbearing, obnoxious traveling salesman with whom we've all been stuck at one time or another, on a long airline flight or bus ride.
The character was very funny as written, but Candy managed to invest the role with a richness and warmth that might not have been as accessible to another performer.
With "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Only the Lonely," and even more so with his dramatic cameo in "JFK," Candy was obviously trying to branch out a bit, in the same way Dan Aykroyd has managed to do.
Aykroyd, especially with the "My Girl" movies and "Driving Miss Daisy" (for which he received an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor), has demonstrated that he's more than just a "Ghostbuster."
Similarly, Candy might have been able to demonstrate other sides to his screen persona, had he not been cut down so young. Candy died at age 43.
It is not yet known whether Candy's final film, "Wagons East," which was scheduled for two more weeks of shooting, will be finished or abandoned.
Candy had already completed a role in the comedy "Canadian Bacon," which will be released later this year, and he made his directing debut with the Fox TV movie "Hostage for a Day," scheduled to air in the spring.
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK: John Candy:
"Your intention going in is to do the best you can. You go in and do your work, day to day, the best you can. But it's entirely up to the director and the editor and the producers and the studio how it turns out."
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK II: Mike McGrady, New York Newsday film critic, writing in 1986:
"He has been in more turkeys than stuffing mix, yet everyone seems to love him. Given a role with meat to it reveals himself to be an accomplished comic actor."