John Candy | Everybody's Uncle Buck | A Docu-Mini

my next guest tonight is Gianni LaRue orson welles dr. tongue Shelley Winters and were delighted to have him back with us tonight please welcome John Candy [Applause] [Music] I feel good ah you look great I feel good yeah some kind of some kind of radiation leak backstage right oh nothing serious nothing serious really that's impressive stuff you've even colored gears a little bit haven't you yeah I went for the color on my yeah it really looks good though I feel good about it I never did introduce myself del Griffith I'm your Uncle Buck I'm a MOG half-man half-dog Harry crumb my name is Dewey augsburger my friends call me ox Gus Polinski pulled the king of the Midwest's or uh melanoma head they'll call me that melanoma heads coming whenever I'm watching TV and I see that a John Candy movie is on I have to instantly stop what I'm doing and tune into that channel even though I've seen his films dozens of times own most of them on blu-ray and can even recite quotes from his movies like song lyrics I still find myself drawn to his performances like no other actor I think I speak for many a movie fans when I say there's something so utterly infectious about his screen performances that keep us all coming back for repeat viewings and man is this guy missed I'll admit it's strange to miss someone I've never even met to be affected by an actor's performance so much that I actually find myself wishing they were still here every single time I watch them on screen I don't think there's a single person that watches John Candy and anything that doesn't come out feeling that way in a career spanning just over two decades he found his way into some of the films that would go on to define a generation wants an orange whip orange whip orange whip three orange whips and even though he's commonly remembered for these comedy performances I actually think his greatest talent was in transferring his infectious warmth and charm into every single one of his film characters I avoid t'lani and the water's fine whether it was one of his starring parts like shower curtain ring salesman del Griffith or even a small cameo part hey I wish you folks at home could see this see where where did you get such a play he just had unique ability and make all of his performances feel larger than life it's one of those rare cases where an actor's inclusion in a film actually makes it better just by them appearing in it I want to take you on a look back at his career the highlight would made him so special and why we are still talking about him close to 30 years since he left us [Music] with a last name like candy John was born very fittingly on Halloween 1950 in Newmarket Ontario Canada when John was five his father Sidney died of a heart attack at just age 35 an event that John would carry the rest of his life John had childhood dreams of being a football player and his large frame made him an exceptional player on the field but a knee injury in high school ended his ambitions to ever play professionally after graduation struggling to find purpose he drove across the border and tried to join the US Marines but he was turned away with little options left he enrolled in a local community college to study journalism where he also decided to take drama courses as a way to occupy his time John soon fell in love with the art his charm and larger-than-life personality made him a natural performer he soon secured the representation of a talent agent and then later was able to get parts in local theater productions and Canadian films for 75 right thanks Luigi mud right Mary Oh we'll see you around yeah I come in here all the time yeah I never forget a face oh I'm sorry when it was announced that second city was opening a theater in Toronto John's friend in the theater community Dan Aykroyd talked him into going to audition with him I was hoodwinked by Dan Aykroyd and Valerie Bromfield no they invited me down to a rehearsal it was actually an audition for second city they were gonna open up the drench Ron and I went down to meet them for lunch and I was waiting around with them and then my name was called so I had to kind of slid there in yeah and go through this ridiculous audition and then I got the job and so at 22 John left home for the first time and headed to Chicago second city really did it for me you know I was working in Toronto doing commercials underground theater and good underground theater I was in a production of creeps second city just I really grew up when I went there in a lot of ways I learned what one life was like I was my first time away from home really away from the city from the womb and it was Chicago you know bars were open to 5:00 in the morning he was good times I was meeting all sorts of interesting people in 1975 when Lorne Michaels began to poach some of Second City star performers for the first season of Saturday Night Live they decide it was time to get into the sketch comedy business themselves and John was one of the first to be cast there were six people who loved to watch television but they didn't like what they saw so they decided to do something about it from 1976 to 1983 John made a part of the cast of the cult sketch comedy series SCTV which was second cities answered a Saturday Night Live SCTV wasn't film live or in front of a studio audience so the sketches were able to take a lot more creative liberties [Music] yes it's divine starring as the boy who wouldn't grow up this talented cavalcade of comedy underdogs gave us such memorable characters like Bob and Doug McKenzie and of course the schminke brothers now you may think a trip like this could set you back 10 or 11 thousand dollars but this week it's mega traveled you pay only five hundred and nine thousand Jon's most famous character Harbor was TV chef Johnny LaRue right so we're gonna learn today to make coffee go over there okay never mind why hopsie just do it yeah he put the kettle on there and turn it on and then it boils you know why it boils no because it's hot yeah yeah you got a cigarette I got one here none right even though SCTV never achieved the longevity of SNL it still launched the careers of several comedy Titans John being chief amongst them when I show them I showed them all [Music] the show gave him a exposure he needed and heated screen landing small parts in Hollywood films I hope we don't go to war excuse me stewardess is there a movie on this flight sorry folks parks closed the moose out front should have told you are you all right yeah let me drive you no no let me drive yeah Sarah don't drive no you got enough money yeah can I have some then do you have any idea how how big a star you are in your hometown no you know that when you appear on screen and stripes I've been told that people cheer they say there's Joe and candy our hero that's nice there does anyone any of that sinking in or is it just weird it's very weird you know it's hard to relate to yeah I still have to change the kitty litter every night yeah every three days a week okay once a week at Jane's canoe early in his Hollywood film career John often excelled at playing the best friend of the main character and although splash is considered to be his breakthrough role playing Tom Hanks's obnoxious brother I actually consider a film the following year to be the first proper John Candy movie directed by Carl Reiner summer rental was the first film to showcase John as a family man the patriarch of a suburban family on a summer vacation from hell excuse me why you people going through here perfect being only 34 at the time summer rental was filmed John Candy is perfectly believable as the father of a teenage daughter which says a lot about him being that he was playing a womanizing bachelor in his prior film oh it's the finding example of how he took every phone performance so seriously and made each of his characters his own can see this their own army such a man would become invincible checking in what the hell is all that I'm while upcoming films like Spaceballs or armed and dangerous both allowed him to showcase his comedic acting chops tell anyone about this a postcard of my family I'm just warning you that's all let's go he would soon land a role that would change his career forever and show audiences just what a powerful dramatic actor he could be Oh oh that feels good I'm telling you my dogs are barking today that feels better planes trains and automobiles is rightfully established as a classic film on top of the perfect comedy pairing of Steve Martin and John Candy it also benefits from the direction of John Hughes who was making this film as an attempt to escape the teen comedy genre he was becoming known for this Holy Trinity of comedy came together and made one of the best comedy films of all time there's rather hand between two tools those aren't pillows oh but more than that the film would give John one of the best roles of his career his heart breaking performances del Griffith would win over audiences and critics alike I vote thumbs up because John Candy has been given his best role to date in the movies and he's equal to it Steve Martin of course he's good that's good comedy because it's comedy that has truth in it and I enjoyed this movie a whole lot don't you agree this is what we've been complaining that candy hasn't been given a role or he's picked wrong roles whatever finally John Candy hits one right out of the park I have $2.00 and a Nicasio the film also began an amazing friendship with John Hughes who had become the filmmaker that understood how to use John Candy to his full potential even though John Hughes is remembered for his films with the Molly Ringwald Hughes in candy would actually end up working on eight films together and had planned many more John Hughes knew how to write to candy strengths giving him roles that allowed him to be funny but also genuine and real about the gourmet here you know he wanted hot dogs no they make those things out of out yet you know lips and [ __ ] okay come on you are you doing either making all this noise quanto film exemplifies this more than Uncle Buck a film which was perfectly tailored for John Candy by John Hughes once again it's a role that allows him to showcase his comedic talent but also his vulnerable side Hughes his perfect script gave John some of the best scenes of both his comedy and drama career Uncle Buck was a smash hit standing at number one at the box office for a staggering three weeks in a row it truly is a perfect John Candy movie exemplifying everything that made us love his performances all in one film role while other phone makers tried if you were able to bring out the best in John Candy like John Hughes did [Music] yes it's hairy crab Oh send him in Crum do you mean that's right the Harry crumb being an actor who put everything into his film roles it hurt Jon to read negative reviews for his films when films like who's Harry crumb failed financially and critically Jon felt personally responsible and the reaction and the reviews are pretty much the same we like John Candy we don't necessarily like the film yeah is it kind of like a guy who goes four for four but his team loses uh-huh yeah that happens yeah you feel terrible about it is you really want the movie to succeed you know I did you know you don't take them just well look Jenna I'll get paid for it and that's great whoo I don't care about the rest of it you know as long as I look good on it that's you know that's ridiculous yes not me anyway there's a lot of people like that I'm sure but it was clear that audiences loved him regardless particularly children which led to the development of his own Saturday morning cartoon series Camp candy today's gonna be fun but but we have to be on our best behavior there'll be a lot of expensive equipment and loads of important people here so let's help by keeping out of the way as the 80s came to an end John Candy seemed more motivated than ever to associate with quality film roles and great directors in only the lonely produced by John Hughes he was once again able to show us how versus how he was and adapting his performance style to portray romantic lead I'd love to see you again yeah what are you nuts I didn't mean that that's great that's great and not only is he totally believable it actually makes for an incredible dramatic performance John was getting ready to show the world that he wouldn't be limited to comedy forever this particular character in this film is is a lovable guy do you ever wish someday down the road you're gonna get a roller make sure real meanie yeah I just took one on as a matter of fact it's funny you mentioned that with that with Oliver Stone and the JFK movie will be coming out playing Dean Andrews who is the attorney for Clay Shaw it was not such a nice person Joe Mouse fighting a gorilla the government's still breathing you want to line up with a dead man lips either you dance into the grand jury with the real identity of Clare Bertram but your bat behinds going to the slammer now you did me crazy so mama goes to show it's in the genes give any idea what you're getting yourself into daddy ho the government's gonna jump all over your head Jimbo and go cockadoodledoo good day to you sir following his turn as an unlikable character in JFK John signed on next for a film that would be a much-needed boost for his career the Disney hit Cool Runnings John was showing audiences and filmmakers that he could be believable as a serious dramatic actor and people were taking note you know it doesn't matter if they come in first or 50th those guys have earned the right to represent their country they've been the right to march into that state even waived their nations flag it's the single greatest honor an athlete could ever have [Music] that's what the Olympics are about contractually however he was still obligated to appear in another comedy film before he could keep on pursuing more dramatic work the film called wagons East was one that he wasn't particularly enthused about still being bound by a contract he made the trek to the mountains of Mexico to shoot the Western comedy on location the names Harlow I'll be your wagon master pretty quick to judge a man aren't you well I'd like to prove you wrong one day man and sadly for the world it was there after a long day of shooting that John Candy's career would come to an end John passed away of a massive heart attack in his sleep much like the one that killed his father on March 4th 1994 producers on wagons East reused footage to Kabul the completed film together it was quietly released in the fall of 1994 John had also already shot his scenes for Michael Moore's upcoming Canadian bacon which was released in 1995 don't touch that you'll block out most of Canada yeah right lady why don't we look like jerks please while neither of these were fitting final film role for a man like John Candy his legacy would live on I think of ideas I'll sit out here for maybe 14 hours try to think of something I only wish that John Candy could see what became of his legacy to see that even his films at a time where consider flops would end up becoming cult classics - no we watch him in planes trains and automobiles every Thanksgiving or to see himself on t-shirts and merchandise or even to know whenever the topic comes up of entertainers who were taken from us too soon his name is always mentioned first I think he'd react to all of that with a giant smile and that infectious John Candy chuckle and while it's sad to think about what would have been it's also great to look back on what was an amazing varied career and body of work with a catalogue of memorable performances that will never grow old he never felt like a movie star but rather more like a next-door neighbor family friend or perhaps even a favorite uncle who just so happened to be famous he was just everybody's uncle [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music]

Channel: Hats Off Entertainment

Views: 623,705

Rating: 4.962388 out of 5

Keywords: john candy, john candy documentary, uncle buck, john hughes, john candy biography, sctv, sctv documentary, spaceballs, planes trains and automobiles, del griffith, joe ramoni, john candy movies, john candy doc, true story, comedy documentary, armed and dangerous, stripes, comedy history, summer rental, the great outdoors, john candy bio, wagons east, cool runnings, canadian bacon, 90's, 80's movies, john candy tribute, docu-mini

Id: khjKkCW4LjY

Length: 23min 50sec (1430 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 19 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/puckit]

You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.

[u/PennyHartz]

That Gus Polinski, The Polka King of the Midwest.

[u/LGRW_16]

Great in Cool Runnings as well. Feel the rhythm!

[u/Jagarippy]

I really think that if Candy were still alive, he would have Tom Hanks levels of love. Easily one of the most purely likable men in film and TV history, imo. Downright lovable, even.

[u/kangarooninjadonuts]

I'm a mog-half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend.

[u/Kylo_BMD]

We went to see Home Alone at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra last Christmas. When John Candy appeared on screen the first time, the entire audience cheered and gave a massive round of applause... It was really heartwarming. This was a testament to the love, especially us Canadians, still have for him.

[u/respondin2u]

If you are in a John Candy nostalgia mood, and want to watch a few of his lesser known films, here are a couple of suggestions:

“The Last Polka” starring Candy alongside Eugene Levy is a mockumentary detailing their SCTV characters the Shmenges performing their last polka concert similar to “The Last Waltz” by the Band. Currently can be found on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/5TfhlJqWv7w

“The Rescuers Down Under”. Although it’s hard to say a Disney film is little known, I thought it was worth mentioning since it’s an animated film and wasn’t mentioned in OP’s mini doc. His voice acting in this is absolutely hilarious, especially the scene where the mice are trying to operate on him. Cracks me up every time. On Disney +.

“Find the Lady”. One of Candy’s early films. He plays a bumbling detective trying to solve the case of the kidnapped daughter of a wealthy businessman. Not the best role of Candy’s, but there are a few funny slapstick scenes that are considered classic John Candy. On Amazon Prime.

“Delirious”. John Candy, a writer for a soap opera, wakes up to find himself as a character in the show. With his typewriter, he is able to rewrite the show in real time, dictating reality with funny unintended consequences. On Amazon Prime.

These aren’t considered Candy’s best films by any stretch, but if you wanted to watch something new and have some free time, I think they are worth your time.

If you want to watch more, here’s a small list of where you can catch his films:

Prime: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Canadian Bacon, Good Idea! (Very small role)

Starz: Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Summer Rental, Spaceballs, The Blues Brothers, Going Berserk

HBO: Volunteers, Once Upon a Crime

Hulu: Vacation

Disney Plus: Cool Runnings, Splash

(The greatest sin is arguably his best film, “Only the Lonely”, cannot be bought or rented anywhere online as of the time of this post)

Edit*** Who’s Harry Crumb is another really funny Candy film. The scene where he is undercover at the spa is one of my favorite parts. To my knowledge, it’s not on any streaming services but can be rented on most of them for $3-4.

Edit 2***

John Candy “True Double Blue”. Documentary on when John Candy was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts. This is a great addendum to OP’s posted documentary. Details Candy’s reasons for ownership, and how it ties to that injury he received in high school. It also details some of Candy’s great leadership skills and commitment to his team. I found an upload of it on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/i4HzYF67B6U

Edit 3*** I only included movies that are on the major streaming services. He has many more that are currently unavailable such as Stripes, JFK, Home Alone, etc.

[u/gf120581]

He's the real article. What you see is what you get.

[u/Stingerc]

planes, trains, and automobiles is a comedy masterpiece: it's hilarious and has soul.

You have two of the greatest comedy actors of all time at their best. Candy's lovable oaf playing off Steve Martin's exasperated straight man.