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John Ritter Americas greatest everyman ?

Started by armful, April 01, 2017, 05:16:47 PM

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armful

 John Ritter Americas greatest everyman ?

For years I have had a soft spot for the American comedy performer and actor John Ritter. I was discussing this with my mates last night and they all claimed they can't remember who he was.  I found this outrageous I have enjoyed  loads  of his work from the sitcom 8 Simple Rules to movies like Flight of Dragons, Problem Child 1 and 2, Bad Santa, Stay Tuned. He was even in the original Mini series of Stephen Kings IT.  Apparently he was ace in the sitcom Threes Company (I need to track this down) He had great comic timing and I always found so  easy to  watch.

I was just wondering if anyone can recommend any other Ritter performances worth tracking down ? 

Also does anybody  know if he ever did stand up comedy  ?

Gulftastic


armful

Quote from: Gulftastic on April 01, 2017, 06:00:13 PM
He was good in the Buffy episode 'Ted'.

I never knew he was in that show What kind of character did he play? 
Ritter  was best mates with Henry  Winkler   as well, the man was just a legend

Steven

He's great as Vaughan 'the only gay in the village' Cunningham in Sling Blade, a brilliantly odd film with a lot of heart and some brilliant acting from the cast. It even includes a cameo from Robert Duvall which I imagine is a nod to his role in Tomorrow (1972) which most probably inspired Billy Bob Thornton into creating the character of Karl Childers for the film.


Gulftastic

Quote from: armful on April 01, 2017, 06:55:00 PM
I never knew he was in that show What kind of character did he play? 



I'll spoiler it just in case.

Spoiler alert
He begins dating Buffy's Mum, and seems like the perfect man, but turns out to be a robot built be a nutter in the 50's and who has since that time been kidnapping women and holding them hostage until they die in a bunker.
[close]

armful

Quote from: Steven on April 01, 2017, 07:03:21 PM
He's great as Vaughan 'the only gay in the village' Cunningham in Sling Blade, a brilliantly odd film with a lot of heart and some brilliant acting from the cast. It even includes a cameo from Robert Duvall which I imagine is a nod to his role in Tomorrow (1972) which most probably inspired Billy Bob Thornton into creating the character of Karl Childers for the film.




That look ace, Ritter with an edgy  look, Ill be watching that at some  point 

armful

Quote from: Gulftastic on April 01, 2017, 07:12:51 PM

I'll Spoiler it just in case.

Spoiler alert
He begins dating Buffy's Mum, and seems like the perfect man, but turns out to be a robot built be a nutter in the 50's and who has since that time been kidnapping women and holding them hostage until they die in a bunker.
[close]




I'm not really a fan of Buffy  ( I did love the movie with Donald Sutherland  in mind you)  but I will tack  this down as it seems so different  to his usual kind of roles   


Malcy

He was brilliant in 8 Simple Rules and the episodes dealing with his death were very well done.

armful

Quote from: Malcy on April 01, 2017, 09:41:50 PM
He was brilliant in 8 Simple Rules and the episodes dealing with his death were very well done.

I agree. David Spades character and the Grandad was a great way of keeping the balance of male characters as the sitcom continued. Both actors did amazing jobs

steveh

I've can only remember watching two things with him: Stay Tuned, which is great and really underrated, and Americathon, in which he plays a dumb American president who holds a telethon to stop the country going under, which while quite contemporary in some of its themes is a bit of a drag to get through.

Attila

Grew up in the US, and my dad was a huge fan of Three's Company, so he'd watch it whenever it was on  first run and then endlessly in syndication. The girls were there to wiggle about and the stuff with the Ropers was....ropey innuendo, but Ritter was brilliant.

There was one episode where his character gets roped into going to a party, and he's quite nervous -- and has an adverse reaction to valium (or some other pill taken to relax him out of his nervousness)[nb]the episode is called 'Up in the Air'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6hkJeFuAE, sequence starts at around 17 mins[/nb]; Ritter consequently goes through a slapstick comedy dance routine that just about killed my dad laughing.

Here's a youtube channel that is full episodes

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqt6Qnkj_6mwFqDRP4AD57A


armful

Quote from: Attila on April 02, 2017, 09:47:21 AM
Grew up in the US, and my dad was a huge fan of Three's Company, so he'd watch it whenever it was on  first run and then endlessly in syndication. The girls were there to wiggle about and the stuff with the Ropers was....ropey innuendo, but Ritter was brilliant.

There was one episode where his character gets roped into going to a party, and he's quite nervous -- and has an adverse reaction to valium (or some other pill taken to relax him out of his nervousness)[nb]the episode is called 'Up in the Air'  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j6hkJeFuAE, sequence starts at around 17 mins[/nb]; Ritter consequently goes through a slapstick comedy dance routine that just about killed my dad laughing.

Here's a youtube channel that is full episodes

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqt6Qnkj_6mwFqDRP4AD57A


Thanks for this link, a whole feast of Ritter. He is such  an underrated performer, well here in the UK he is. I just found him so likeable.

Here is a link with him and Robin Williams doing some live stuff, quite an interesting watch.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcmc4AkrTT8


Glebe

Don't forget the other greatest American everyman John:


Black_Bart

QuoteI was just wondering if anyone can recommend any other Ritter performances worth tracking down ?

Hooperman. (It was massive in the 80s for a bit, then he did movies and nobody ever mentioned it again)

armful

Quote from: Black_Bart on April 03, 2017, 01:26:40 PM
Hooperman. (It was massive in the 80s for a bit, then he did movies and nobody ever mentioned it again)


What's Hooperman ( if you tell me to piss off and find out for myself I'll understand )

armful

Quote from: Glebe on April 03, 2017, 01:18:38 PM
Don't forget the other greatest American everyman John:

[/quote
Acrachniphobia his performance in that film is legendary round my house ( I'm the only one who gives a shit about it, but my comment stands )

Black_Bart

QuoteWhat's Hooperman

QuoteHooperman is an American comedy-drama series which aired on ABC from September 23, 1987 until July 26, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John Ritter. The series was created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, who were the team responsible for creating L.A. Law.

Loved it as a kid (with Crazy Like a Fox), can't remember it tho.