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Marlon Brando, one of the most celebrated actors of all time, had many heroes in the film industry. He admired legends like James Cagney, John Barrymore, Fredric March, and Spencer Tracy. But above all of them, there was one man he respected the most, Paul Muni.

Muni, best known as the original Scarface, worked with Brando in 1946 on the stage play A Flag Is Born. Brando later said that Muni’s work in the production was “the best acting I ever saw in my life.”

In an interview with actor and comedian Alan King, Brando spoke about the greatest actor he had ever seen. He said, “[Paul] Muni, my first hero. Probably because my parents had taken me to the Yiddish theatre to see him when his name was still Muni Weisenfreund. I got to know him toward the end of his life, when he was doing Inherit the Wind on Broadway.

Marlon Brando may have been one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, but even he had heroes. Among his favorite actors were James Cagney, John Barrymore, Fredric March, and Spencer Tracy. Yet, none of them impressed him as much as Paul Muni, the man who originally played Scarface.

Brando first met Muni when they worked together in 1946 on the stage production A Flag Is Born. Speaking about that experience, Brando said Muni’s performance was “the best acting I ever saw in my life.”

In a later interview with actor and comedian Alan King, Brando was asked who he thought was the greatest actor he had ever seen. He replied, “[Paul] Muni, my first hero. Probably because my parents had taken me to the Yiddish theatre to see him when his name was still Muni Weisenfreund. I got to know him toward the end of his life, when he was doing Inherit the Wind on Broadway.

Gangster icons aren’t always determined by top billing. Sometimes it’s decided by a flip of a coin. Director Howard Hawks’ 1932 gangster classic Scarface recently celebrated its 90th anniversary. Producer Howard Hughes was so committed to presenting a realistic depiction of mob violence that the film pushed the Motion Picture Production Code to its limit. Paul Muni puts in a gritty, animalistic performance in the title role of Antonio “Tony” Carmonte, modeled after Al Capone, but the actor with the gangland bona fides was the co-star, George Raft.

Hired for his dark and menacing presence, Raft doesn’t have many lines in Scarface. To give the inexperienced actor something to do, Hawks directed him to flip a nickel. Raft practiced the toss to perfection, setting the film up for one of the most memorable mob movie moments: a coin rolling across a floor to a dead stop.

Raft would...

The first installment of Infinite Fest, a monthly column by festival programmer and film critic Eric Allen Hatch, author of the recent “Why I Am Hopeful” article for Filmmaker Magazine, tackling the state of cinema as expressed by North American film festivalsIllustration by Alice Meteignier.The first film festival I ever attended was the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) in 1998. I was there, improbably, as a bonus from my retail job as a manager at Video Americain, Baltimore’s late, great rental shop immortalized in John Waters’ Serial Mom. With me was the manager of another Video Americain location, Sean Williams (perhaps now better known as the cinematographer of films like Queen of Earth and Good Time). It was a whirlwind trip on a tight budget: a frighteningly compact puddle-jumper from Delaware to Buffalo; a rental-car jaunt across the border; two days, one night in Toronto.I was young, glum,...

“A Heavenly Beginning”

By Raymond Benson

They must have done something right. Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) has proven to be a timeless and universal movie that keeps on giving, and the welcome new release from the Criterion Collection attests to it.

The premise of the film has been around for a while. Most of our generation know the remake better—Heaven Can Wait (1978, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie)—which is a superb Oscar-nominated romantic comedy in its own right. Another remake in 2001, Down to Earth, starred Chris Rock.

But that’s not all. It wasn’t until I’d viewed the supplements on the new disk that I appreciated the fact that Mr. Jordan was indeed the first of several Hollywood pictures dealing with “heavenly” concepts—angels, the afterlife, and second chances. In a video discussion, critic Michael Sragow and filmmaker/distributor Michael Schlesinger reveal how the picture’s popularity actually began a trend of similar movies throughout the 1940s—A Guy Named Joe, Angel on My Shoulder, A Matter of Life and Death, It’s a Wonderful Life, and even Mr. Jordan’s direct sequel, Down to Earth (1947, not to be confused with the Chris Rock remake), which features both James Gleason and Edward Everett Horton again playing their roles from the first movie.

Here Comes Mr. Jordan was a major release and surprise hit from Columbia Pictures, a studio that always struggled to be one of the majors despite having director Frank Capra on their team in the ‘30s. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the picture successfully blends fantasy, romance, comedy, and intrigue, creating a delightful, and sometimes thought-provoking, piece of entertainment. It was nominated for Best Picture of 1941, Best Director (Alexander Hall), Best Actor (Robert Montgomery), Best Supporting Actor (James Gleason, and he steals the movie!), and Best B&W Cinematography. The film deservedly won the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story, for Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller.

The story concerns Joe Pendleton (enthusiastically played by Montgomery in a stretch from his usual sophisticated tuxedo-clad characters) as a prizefighter with a heavy New Jersey accent who crashes in his private plane. His soul is saved by the Messenger (Horton), an angel whose job is to escort to Heaven the departing souls from his “territory.” In the mist-filled outskirts of Heaven, Mr. Jordan (benevolently portrayed by Claude Rains), a sort of St. Peter in a three-piece suit, checks in the new souls as they board another plane to take them to their afterlife homes. But Joe’s soul was accidentally taken before his body actually died—and therefore Mr. Jordan grants Joe a second chance. However, his consciousness must be placed into a recently deceased person—so Joe winds up inside a rich, corrupt banker’s body. Joe, in his new persona, sets about turning the banker’s life around for good, and he also attempts to continue his prizefighting. For the latter, he calls in his former manager, Corkle (Gleason) to train him. First, though, he’s got to convince Corkle that he’s really Joe inside the new man’s form. To complicate things, Joe falls in love with the daughter (Evelyn Keyes) of a man the banker destroyed financially and sent to prison. Joe also doesn’t know it yet, but he will have to jump bodies one more time before the story plays out.

The comedy and romance work like a charm, and the fantasy elements of Mr. Jordan are surprisingly effective. The movie is intelligently written and treats its subject matter with respect; and yet it has fun with the mechanics of death and the philosophical discourse of what we think the afterlife really is. The audience is tricked, in a way, into pleasantly enjoying a movie about death. What happens to Joe Pendleton at the end isn’t the norm for a romantic comedy. Technically it’s not a happy ending—and yet, it is. It’s a feel-good movie with a bittersweet center. This is a testament to the quality of writing in Here Comes Mr. Jordan.

The new 2K digital restoration looks fabulous. It has an uncompressed, monaural soundtrack. Along with the aforementioned video conversation about the film, the supplements include a long audio interview with Elizabeth Montgomery (daughter of Robert Montgomery, and, yes, the star of Bewitched) about her father and the movie; the Lux Radio Theatre radio adaptation starring Cary Grant (who was originally approached to star in the film—one can only imagine what it would have been like with Grant), Rains, Keyes, and Gleason; and a trailer. An essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme adorns the booklet.

A little gem from Hollywood released just prior to America’s entrance into World War II, Here Comes Mr. Jordan is a genuine classic, arguably superior to its many remakes and imitations. You will believe...

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On May 7th, Edm superstar Kaskade played to a packed crowd at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The sold out show saw about 20,000 people piling into the venue to hear the DJ and producer perform – and he didn’t disappoint. As a special treat to his fans, Kaskade has now uploaded a full recording of the show to Soundcloud, and it can be heard in the player above.

The live set opens with a brief introduction from the DJ himself, before a beautiful passage of ambient jazz fills the speakers. From there, Kaskade masterfully curates the set, focusing mostly on his own work both in original and remixed form. A number of tracks from other artists are included in the mix as well though, with music by Galantis, Max Vangelli, and Missy Elliot all featuring in the tracklist.

A whopping forty tracks compose the more than two hour long live set,...

Natalie Cole died as a result of heart failure, her family has confirmed. ABC News report that her heart failure was brought on by idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (Ipah). The iconic R&B and jazz star died at the age of 65 on New Year's Eve at a hospital in Los Angeles. Cole's family also revealed that the singer underwent a successful kidney transplant in 2009, after which she was diagnosed with Ipah. "This is a very serious and progressive disorder," Cole's family said in the statement obtained by ABC News. "(Cole) responded well to Pah-specific agents over many years, during which she performed many concerts world-wide,...

Natalie Cole died as a result of heart failure, her family has confirmed. ABC News report that her heart failure was brought on by idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (Ipah). The iconic R&B and jazz star died at the age of 65 on New Year's Eve at a hospital in Los Angeles. Cole's family also revealed that the singer underwent a successful kidney transplant in 2009, after which she was diagnosed with Ipah. "This is a very serious and progressive disorder," Cole's family said in the statement obtained by ABC News. "(Cole) responded well to Pah-specific agents over many years, during which she performed many concerts world-wide,...

With a father like jazz legend Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole was always going to have an extraordinary life. The nine-time Grammy-award-winning singer, who died on Thursday at 65 due to complications from ongoing health issues, had a life of extreme ups and downs, from decades-long battles with addiction to chart-topping success. One of five children, Cole grew up singing songs with her father in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Hancock Park. In her autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder, she describes her father singing "gibberish" songs to her and her siblings. "I cherish those memories, and I...

With a father like jazz legend Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole was always going to have an extraordinary life. The nine-time Grammy-award-winning singer, who died on Thursday at 65 due to complications from ongoing health issues, had a life of extreme ups and downs, from decades-long battles with addiction to chart-topping success. One of five children, Cole grew up singing songs with her father in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Hancock Park. In her autobiography, Angel on My Shoulder, she describes her father singing "gibberish" songs to her and her sibling. "I cherish those memories, and I...

As the daughter of music legend Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole was never far from the shadow of his iconic legacy and presence. But, following a string of hits and Grammy Awards, she soon proved to be a musical powerhouse in her own right. As the death of Cole at the age of 65 leaves many in shock, fans are remembering the songbird for her incredible talent on stage. And like her father, she leaves behind a rich body of work, proving that she truly is "Unforgettable." Here's a look back at some of Cole's greatest hits and biggest moments: One...

Los Angeles (AP) — Natalie Cole, the Grammy-winning daughter of Nat "King" Cole who carried on her late father's musical legacy and, through technology, shared a duet with him on "Unforgettable," has died. She was 65.

Natalie died Thursday evening at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles due to compilations from ongoing health issues, her family said in a statement.

"Natalie fought a fierce, courageous battle, dying how she lived ... with dignity, strength and honor. Our beloved Mother and sister will be greatly missed and remain Unforgettable in our hearts forever," read the statement from her son Robert Yancy and sisters Timolin and Casey Cole.

Cole had battled drug problems and hepatitis that forced her to undergo a kidney transplant in May 2009. Cole's older sister, Carol "Cookie" Cole, died the day she received the transplant. Their brother, Nat Kelly Cole, died in 1995.

Natalie Cole was inspired by her dad at an early...

To be completely honest, writing with authority on Kaskade‘s ninth studio album, Automatic, has been something of a challenge. Contrary to what you might expect from my opinions on some of the tracks he’s already released from the effort, I haven’t just been gearing up to trash talk the entire album. …Well, yes, I actually was, but only if it was deserving. What Kaskade has put out, however, is a collection of songs that – regardless of what each of them conveys individually – tells a story of the world-class DJ/producer making a bold stylistic transition over the course of one of the Edm movement’s stranger hours.

Naturally, though, he wasn’t transparent enough to lay it out in chronological order. You have to know what you’re listening for and put the puzzle together yourself.

It’s likely that the first track he started working on...

Ryan Raddon, or Kaskade as most of you probably know him, has announced that he’ll be releasing a best of compilation titled I Remember via Ultra Records. Featuring 19 of his biggest hits, the album will drop on July 22nd and serve as a way for people to, as Kaskade puts it, “dig deeper into my catalog, and find some of the quieter moments that aren’t as obvious. Tracks that make those albums, and me as an artist – truly unique.”

“Every song on I Remember is a piece of work I’m extremely proud of,” Raddon says. “It’s not a ‘Best Of,’ but it is a good initiation into my world,” said the DJ.

With songs like I Remember, Turn It Down, Eyes and Move For Me, there’s definitely a lot of reasons to be excited for this release. Kaskade is one of the most exciting DJs...

Ryan "Kaskade" Raddon has performed for fans all over the world, but when it comes to New Year's Eve, the Grammy nominated electronic music producer - who's famously remixed songs by Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Katy Perry - couldn't be more thrilled to spin in Las Vegas. "My favorite part about New Year's Eve is all the anticipation and excitement that leads up to the big night," Raddon, who will provide the jams at the Cosmopolitan Hotel's Marquee nightclub where he serves as a resident deejay, tells People. "People arrive at the show with so much energy that it is always a huge evening.