Robert Loggia (1930-2015)

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antnield · #1 Post by **antnield** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:05 pm

Robert Loggia.

#2 Post by **swo17** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:16 pm

Dick Laurent is dead

#3 Post by **domino harvey** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:53 pm

Highly recommend his comic turn in Landis' underrated Innocent Blood

bearcuborg · #4 Post by **bearcuborg** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 12:44 am

domino harvey wrote:Highly recommend his comic turn in Landis' underrated Innocent Blood

I wanna put a vote in for his halftime speech in the underrated Necessary Roughness.

#5 Post by **cdnchris** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:22 am

And I was so happy this ad was online (though I probably shouldn't be surprised): Who would you believe?

flyonthewall2983 · #6 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:51 am

And of course, this scene.

Werewolf by Night · Sat Dec 05, 2015 4:28 am

cdnchris wrote:And I was so happy this ad was online

I always thought that was such a sinister ad because it came out around the same time as Lost Highway. I half expected him to ask that kid "You like pornos? Give you a boner?"

oh yeah · #8 Post by **oh yeah** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 4:55 am

Werewolf by Night wrote:
cdnchris wrote:And I was so happy this ad was online
I always thought that was such a sinister ad because it came out around the same time as Lost Highway. I half expected him to ask that kid "You like pornos? Give you a boner?"

He certainly seems to be kind of "playing" the Mr. Eddy/Dick Laurent character in that commercial more than anything -- the inflections, the attitude, it's all the same. Then again, maybe that's just sort of how he talked. In any case, that's the role I'll always remember him for. "I'm really glad to know you're doin' good, Pete..."

Polybius · #9 Post by **Polybius** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 6:56 am

cdnchris wrote:And I was so happy this ad was online (though I probably shouldn't be surprised): Who would you believe?

I was just about to go look for that. Glad I'm not the only one who likes it.

colinr0380 · #10 Post by **colinr0380** » Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:00 am

I just love the idea that all the kids have Robert Loggia on the tip of their tongues as the go-to guy for impartial advice on juice! More in character would be Loggia busting in there uninvited to tell the bratty kid to respect his parents and drink his damn juice! Although even here he can make being on the kid's side seem threatening, especially when he puts the carton down on the table at the end!

And I would certainly second Innocent Blood as a film where Loggia gradually moves from a more usual supporting role to eventually almost dominating the film by the final confrontation, and he really makes the most of a meaty part!

flyonthewall2983 · Thu Dec 10, 2015 8:27 pm

So funny how that juice ad is what he seemingly is being remembered for most on certain parts of the web. I remember watching that ad when it first appeared, and it felt so randomly ironic back in a time when all things random and ironic weren't as celebrated as they seemingly are now. Someone at Coca-Cola must have a really interesting story about how it all happened.

#12 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Nov 02, 2026 6:41 pm

Excerpt from Anthony LaPaglia’s memoirs about how Robert Loggia stopped him from beating up John Landis (contains “spoiler” for Jagged Edge)

#13 Post by **Matt** » Mon Nov 02, 2026 10:17 pm

It's never too late, Tony. Robert Loggia can't stop you now.

Murdoch · #14 Post by **Murdoch** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 2:40 am

I rewatched American Werewolf last month and that car crash/chaos in the street scene as the monster runs loose had an entirely different feeling to it after I learned of the Twilight Zone tragedy. It made me wonder how many close calls Landis caused through his dangerous stunt direction, and after reading LaPaglia's account it seems that death was an inevitable result of putting Landis in the director's chair

#15 Post by **Finch** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 5:54 am

Just reaffirms that Landis should have been in director's jail indefinitely after the TZ tragedy.

hearthesilence · #16 Post by **hearthesilence** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 9:23 am

Many years ago I met a friend of a counselor at my high school who worked in the film business and I think I asked him what movies he worked on to which he replied The Blues Brothers. He then discussed it and eventually said people either got hurt or dangerously close to being seriously hurt in at least one of the car crashes because Landis kept pushing the stunts without seeming to care about the risks. He said it was no surprise when the deaths happened on his segment of The Twilight Zone because of his reputation.

knives · #17 Post by **knives** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 11:28 am

And just to mix in a positive example, because this is a rather depressing subject, there’s a story about the filming of Big Trouble in Little China where some squibs were blasted a few seconds early causing a risk of injury and so Carpenter shut down filming to talk to the blast guy basically telling him one more error like that and he would be fired.

thirtyframesasecond · Tue Nov 03, 2026 12:31 pm

Not even sure John Landis is the worst person in his family.

beamish14 · #19 Post by **beamish14** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 2:37 pm

hearthesilence wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2026 9:23 am Many years ago I met a friend of a counselor at my high school who worked in the film business and I think I asked him what movies he worked on to which he replied The Blues Brothers. He then discussed it and eventually said people either got hurt or dangerously close to being seriously hurt in at least one of the car crashes because Landis kept pushing the stunts without seeming to care about the risks. He said it was no surprise when the deaths happened on his segment of The Twilight Zone because of his reputation.

Live rounds being used on that set is lunacy. They don’t even sound good when recorded live, so it’s utterly pointless

beamish14 · #20 Post by **beamish14** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 2:41 pm

thirtyframesasecond wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2026 12:31 pm Not even sure John Landis is the worst person in his family.

I’ll say this-his wife (of over 45 years!) Deborah Nadoolman Landis is a remarkable costume designer, and she’s really done a lot to ensure that the artists in her field gets recognized

This photo from the pre-opening gala for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art might be the first image of him and Steven Spielberg together since 1982

hearthesilence · #21 Post by **hearthesilence** » Tue Nov 03, 2026 9:09 pm

beamish14 wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2026 2:41 pm I’ll say this-his wife (of over 45 years!) Deborah Nadoolman Landis is a remarkable costume designer, and she’s really done a lot to ensure that the artists in her field gets recognized

Criterion's reissue of Some Like It Hot includes a fine interview with her that's exclusive to their release. She also made waves on social media when some poor sap who didn't recognize her tried to "correct" her own memories of working on Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I forgot one more anecdote about The Blues Brothers - the same guy fondly remembered a shoot that was out in some residential area. (I can't remember which scene that would be and I have no interest in revisiting the film.) It was early in the morning and the residents weren't supposed to be in the shot, but some guy wandered out of his home to pick up the morning newspaper. Landis threw a raging tantrum and cursed at the guy. He wasn't perturbed - as he was hunched over to pick up his paper, he looked at Landis through squinted eyes and emphatically gave him the finger, clenching his jaw like he was putting every bit of force behind that finger.

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