What the Hell Happened to Steve Guttenberg?
This may come as a shock to some of you. But a long time ago, this guy was a movie star. Back in the days of Reaganomics and Rubick’s Cubes, Steve “The Gute” Guttenberg was A-list. And then, 1990 came and took it all away.
Steve Guttenberg’s first significant role was in the 1978 Nazi-themed thriller, The Boys from Brazil in which he starred opposite Gregory Peck and Lawrence Olivier. Quite an auspicious beginning, don’t you think? Well, it’s all downhill from there…
Because in 1980, Guttenberg starred opposite the Village People and Bruce Jenner in the infamous Can’t Stop the Music. Can’t Stop the Music was a musical retelling of the rise of the Village People, the disco-era music group known for including a cowboy, a biker guy and an indian and introducing America to the YMCA.
You would think a Village People musical could ride the wave of disco mania to box office success, right? It probably would have if it had been released a few years earlier. But by 1980, not only was disco no longer popular, there was a huge “disco is dead” backlash against all things disco.
As a result, the 20-million-dollar musical earned a paltry 2-million dollars at the box office. The reviews were as bad as you would expect.
Most telling of all, Can’t Stop the Music was the recipient of the first-ever Golden Raspberry for Worst Picture. John J.B. Wilson was inspired to create the awards for bad movies after sitting through a double feature of Can’t Stop the Music and Xanadu. Yep, that’ll do it.
The next year, Guttenberg appeared in the TV hockey movie, Miracle on Ice. He returned to the big screen in style in 1982 as part of Barry Levinson’s ensemble comedy-drama, Diner.
Diner was a dream job for a young actor in the 80′s. Although it was only a modest success at the box office, critics lavished it with praise. It helped Levinson’s script was nominated for an Oscar. And the cast was a who’s who of up-and-coming actors including Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin and Paul Reiser.
Although Diner was a small movie, it has had a lasting impact. In 1983, it was adapted by Levinson into a short-lived TV show. Reiser was the only returning cast member. The cast of the TV show included Michael Madsen and James Spader. Unfortunately, the show never got past the pilot stage.
Currently, Levinson is adapting Diner for Broadway with pop singer Sheryl Crow.
Diner gave Guttenberg’s career a bump. But as part of an ensemble, Guttenberg had to share the spotlight with a talented cast. In 1983, Guttenberg followed up Diner with a starring role in the invisible man comedy, The Man Who Wasn’t There.
The posted for The Man Who Wasn’t There included the tagline, “Being invisible will get you into spy rings, diplomatic circles and the girls’ locker room.” I think this tells you everything you need to know about the movie.
There are two upsides to starring in The Man Who Wasn’t There. One, Guttenberg had the lead role. Two, he was invisible for much of the film.
Later that year, Guttenberg returned to TV for the ABC movie The Day After. I usually don’t spend a lot of time talking about TV movies. But The Day After scared the living crap out of me and every one I knew in 1983.
It seems quaint now. But in the 80′s Cold War America was scared silly of nuclear war and the Russians. When ABC aired The Day After it was seen as a realistic depiction of the aftermath of nuclear war which could happen without notice at any minute.
I remember having classroom discussions about it in school. We were encouraged to watch the broadcast. And the next day when every single kid in school was scared shitless, we talked about it further.
In 1984, Guttenberg starred in Police Academy. Policy Academy was one of the many slob comedies released in the 80′s in the aftermath of National Lampoon’s Animal House.
Roger Ebert had this to say about Police Adacemy, “It’s really something. It’s so bad, maybe you should pool your money and draw straws and send one of the guys off to rent it so that in the future, whenever you think you’re sitting through a bad comedy, he could shake his head, and chuckle tolerantly, and explain that you don’t know what bad is”.
I think Ebert is beating up on Police Academy unfairly. Yeah, it’s dumb. It’s supposed to be dumb. And no, it’s not especially funny. But as the sequels would go on to show, you can do a whole lot worse than the first Police Academy movie.
Against all odds, Police Academy was a hit that would go on to spawn a franchise that still has life in it today. To date, there have been 7 Police Academy movies, a live action TV show and a kid’s cartoon!
Of course Warner Brothers wanted a sequel to Police Academy as soon as possible. The films were quick and easy to make. So the very next year, Guttenberg and most of the cast returned for Police Academy 2.
Critics didn’t like the sequel any better than the original. But audiences still flocked to theaters for cheap laughs.
That summer, Guttenberg also appeared in Ron Howard’s sci-fi movie, Cocoon. Cocoon tells the story of a group of senior citizens who reclaim their youthful energy after swimming in a pool filled with alien cocoons.
The cast was stocked with respected actors like Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley and Jessica Tandy. But the closest thing it had to a box office draw was Guttenberg as a ship captain who unwittingly aids the aliens in an attempt to save some of their own.
Cocoon was an extremely unlikely hit. How much credit for that belongs to Guttenberg is debatable. I doubt many people bought a ticket to Cocoon to see Guttenberg. But his amiable presence helped make a science fiction film starring senior citizens palatable to the masses.
Guttenberg finished out 1985 on a low note with the Bad Medicine. Bad Medicine attempted to do for medical students what Police Academy did for police recruits. However, without the wacky supporting cast of the Police Academy movies, Bad Medicine failed.
In 1986, Guttenberg completed the Police Academy trilogy with Police Academy 3: Back in Training which finally answered all of the burning questions from the first two Police Academy movies. Critics still hated it and audiences still didn’t care.
Later that year, Guttenberg also appeared opposite Brat Pack refugee Ally Sheedy in the sci fi comedy, Short Circuit. Short Circuit was about a robot who gains sentience in an electical storm. It was one of the many ET rip-offs from the era. But unlike Mac and Me, Short Circuit got decent reviews and was a moderate hit at the box office.
Short Circuit is significant in Guttenberg’s career. Up until this point, he had been in his share of hits and relatively few misses. But it is hard to credit Guttenberg with his success. Although he was the star of the Police Academy films, it was really the cast of crazies that made those films hits.
His other hit movies were ensemble films like Diner and Cocoon. It’s easy to forget that Guttenberg was even in them. But “The Gute” is undeniably the biggest star in Short Circuit. It’s success shows that Guttenberg could carry a film on his own.
In 1987, Guttenberg was all over the place. He started the year with the sexy thriller, Bedroom Window. Bedroom Window was basically a rip-off of Hitchcock’s classic, Rear Window. It was written and directed by Curtis Hanson who would go on to greater things like LA Confidential.
Bedroom Window got mostly positive reviews. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much at the box office. But it developed a cult following on video over the years.
Since Guttenberg’s Police Academy checks kept clearing, he starred in Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol co-starring Sharon Stone.
It’s easy to look back and criticize Guttenberg for appearing in 4 Police Academy movies. They were obviously crap. But audiences loved them and they provided Guttenberg with steady work for four straight years. Decades later, these are the films he is still best known for.
Police Academy 4 was Guttenberg’s last film in the franchise. With hits like Cocoon and Short Circuit, he no longer needed the safety net they provided.
In the fall of 1987, Guttenberg was one of many actors in the sketch comedy, Amazon Women on the Moon. He also appeared opposite Sally Field and Michael Caine in Surrender. Neither film made much of an impact with critics or audiences.
Guttenberg ended 1987 on a high note with Three Men and a Baby. Three Men and a Baby was a remake of the French farce, Trois hommes et un couffin. Guttenberg starred opposite Tom Selleck and Ted Danson as three bachelors whose lives are turned upside down by a baby.
This is the kind of movie Guttenberg was born to do. For a guy who made his name in comedies, Guttenberg was never especially funny himself. But he was extremely likable. He could flash his big, goofy grin as the baby wet her diapers or threw up on Tom Selleck. Or he could make sad eyes when it looked like the baby might be taken away from them.
The reviews were mostly positive for Three Men and a Baby. But more importantly, it was a monster hit. It did so well, that it established Leonard Nimoy as a legitimate film director outside of the Star Trek franchise.
Seeing as how Guttenberg made 4 Police Academy movies, you can hardly blame him for appearing in the 1988 Cocoon sequel, Cocoon 2: The Return. Just about the entire cast of the original film returned for the sequel. Unfortunately, director Ron Howard did not.
Cocoon 2 received negative reviews and disappointed at the box office.
Guttenberg ended 1988 with the supernatural comedy, High Spirits opposite Peter O’Toole and Darryl Hannah. High Spirits was written and directed by Neil Jordan. It also co-starred a pre-fame Liam Neeson. But the ghostly romantic comedy was a miss with critics and audiences.
Short Circuit 2 also came out in 1988. And somehow, Guttenberg wasn’t in it.
Guttenberg entered the 90′s with a mullet in the romantic comedy, Don’t Tell Her It’s Me opposite Shelley Long and Jami Gertz. I am going to let the picture speak for itself on this one.
Since Three Men and a Baby was such a run-away hit, it’s no surprise they attempted a sequel with 1990′s Three Men and a Little Lady. And since Guttenberg can’t say “no” to a sequel until the fifth film in the franchise, it’s no surprise that Guttenberg returned for it.
As it turns out, a sequel to Three Men and a Baby completely misses the point. That movie was all about seeing men in over their heads trying to take care of a baby. It hinged on diaper humor. Since the baby has now grown into a “little lady” the sequel lacked the main selling point of the original. In other words, no one peed on Tom Selleck this time.
Amazingly, there is talk of a third film in the franchise!
After 1990, “The Gute” just disappeared. After working steadily throughout the 1980′s, Guttenberg wouldn’t make another movie for 5 years!
There aren’t a lot of reasons given for Guttenberg’s disappearance. Although Guttenberg himself admits that he let fame go to his head. In his autobiography, The Guttenberg Bible, Guttenberg admits to bedding hundreds of women and generally not being a very nice person.
I think most people are less surprised by Guttenberg’s disappearance than the idea that Guttenberg was ever a star to begin with. The thing Guttenberg had going for him was that he was non-threatening. He was just a goofy, somewhat handsome guy. Men didn’t want to be him and although women apparently wanted to be with him, they’d have rather been with Tom Selleck.
In 1995, Guttenberg came roaring back out of nowhere. He starred in the dolphin/dog family film, Zeus and Roxanne, the soccer comedy, The Big Green and Jodie Foster’s comedy-drama, Home for the Holidays. None of these films sparked a comeback for “The Gute”.
Guttenberg also starred opposite Kirstie Alley and the Olsen twins in It Takes Two. I am singling this one out only because I was surprised to learn that it was not a direct-to-video release as I had always assumed. It Takes Two was actually shown in theaters.
Guttenberg’s descent into straight-to-video hell would have to wait until 1997′s Casper sequel, Casper: A Spirited Beginning. Casper 2 answers the question, “Who do you call when Bill Pullman won’t come back for a sequel?” The answer: Steve Guttenberg. Since they stopped making sequels to movies he appeared in, he apparently started making sequels to other people’s movies.
Not surprisingly, Casper 2 also has a Full House connection in the form of co-star Lori Loughlin.
That same year, Guttenberg also starred opposite a young Kirsten Dusnt in the TV movie Tower of Terror based on the Disney theme park attraction. The ride it is based on is themed to the Twilight Zone TV show. The TV movie is basically just a commercial for the ride. The ride is incredibly awesome. The TV movie, not so much.
In 2002, Guttenberg directed and starred in PS Your Cat Is Dead which was based on a novel and play of the same name.
And in 2005, he appeared in a TV-remake of The Poseidon Adventure.
In 2008, Guttenberg finally bottomed out appearing in the Private Benjamin rip-off, Major Movie Star. One can only hope the title was intended to be ironic. It is also known as Private Valentine: Blonde and Dangerous.
With most of the subjects I have written about, it’s easy to forget just how big of a star they used to be. But with Guttenberg, it has gotten to the point where people forget he was ever a star at all.
Oh well. At least we’ll always have the Village People.
More “What the Hell Happened?”
Kim Basinger Thora Birch Matthew Broderick Nicolas Cage Chevy Chase Kevin Costner Geena Davis Bridget Fonda Brendan Fraser Mel Gibson Cuba Gooding Jr. Heather Graham Melanie Griffith Steve Guttenberg Daryl Hannah Helen Hunt Michael Keaton Nicole Kidman Val Kilmer Jude Law Jennifer Jason Leigh Penelope Ann Miller Demi Moore Rick Moranis Eddie Murphy Mike Myers Michelle Pfeiffer Molly Ringwald Meg Ryan Winona Ryder Arnold Schwarzenegger Steven Seagal Elisabeth Shue Alicia Silverstone Christian Slater Mira Sorvino Wesley Snipes Sharon Stone Mena Suvari Uma Thurman John Travolta Kathleen Turner Robin Williams Debra Winger Sean Young Renee Zellweger
Posted on August 18, 2012, in Movies, What the Hell Happened? and tagged cocoon, entertainment, movies, police academy, steve guttenberg, TV. Bookmark the permalink. 76 Comments.
Wow. Just wow. I have literally never heard of a single film you mentioned after 1990.
You used the two most important terms to describe Steve…likable and non-threatening. I can’t think of another attribute.
On a side note: Remember what created Johnny Five in ‘Short Circuit’? And how far movies have come in the last 20 years? The don’t have dumb premises like that anymore, right? Take a wild guess what caused EDI to become sentient in the 170 million dollar bomb, ‘Stealth’. Go ahead, take a guess.
My wife’s favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World is the Tower of Terror. They sell copies of the movie in the gift shop as you exit the ride. That is the only reason I am remotely familiar with Guttenberg’s work post 80s.
I am embarassed to admit I somehow saw Three Men and a Little Lady at the theater twice. I don’t know how I allowed that to happen. Also, in spite of sitting through it twice, I don’t remember a damn thing about it.
I can’t watch Short Circuit without thinking about the fact that Fisher Stevens was living with Michelle Pfeiffer.
10 points to you for getting a jab in at Stealth (a movie I forgot existed). If only they had found a way to include Fisher Stevens doing an Indian accent.
I just did an article about Stealth, mainly because I paid 20 bucks for the DVD. I’m such a sucker.
I liked Fisher in his day, a lot more than Steve. He had a show set in Miami, and that blonde chick from ST: NG left the series to be in Fisher’s show…but I can’t remember anything other than that. Also, I didn’t know about him and Pfeiffer. Used to have such a crush on her.
Stealth crap movie below.
http://sdanielshortwintercom.blogspot.com/2012/08/film-cemetery-case-study-16-where-we.html#more
Ouch. Yeah, $20 for a DVD like Stealth leaves you with an axe to grind.
Fisher used to appear on the Letterman show all the time back in the day. And Dave spent half the time making a big deal out of the fact that a relatively average looking guys was living with Michelle Pfeiffer. They were actually a couple for 3 years, a very long time by Hollywood standards.
I can’t decide who lucked out bigger in the 80s, Fisher Stevens or The Gute.
Yeah, Gute was a mostly forgetable actor who made his money but never really qualified as a movie star per se. I did enjoy P.A. #1 though I have to admit. Just good, silly fun as I remember. Don’t have much to say other than that about Gute.
Main reason I posted was to share this article I read today. Since we spend some time here talking about ‘A’ listers, I thought this was an interesting perspective on the stars of today. Don’t know if we can definitively say this article is correct yet, but I do have to agree with the basic premise. It’s been several years since I saw a “must see” movie that really paid off. Avatar and Prometheus are two that I enjoyed, but was I overwhelmed? Not really. Point being Hollywood just ain’t making them like they used to and most of todays “stars” don’t really do much for me. Or anyone else apparently. Anyway interesting for discussion. I removed the http:// just in case the filter-nazi is playing today:
http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/17/13341034-what-is-a-movie-star-new-hollywood-system-is-breaking-down-definition?lite
Thanks for the link. (WordPress will let you get along with 1 per comment before marking it as spam. 2 is iffy. 3 and you will definitely get spammed.)
The stars are definitely getting smaller. I think that is because movies are getting more high concept in the CGI world we live in. Chris Evan and Chris Hemsworth may have starred in hit movies, but everyone knows Captain America and Thor were the stars of those films.
Samuel L Jackson is the highest grossing actor in history. But everyone knows that’s because he appears in sure-fire franchises like Star Wars and the Avengers films.
Back in the day, people would go to a movie solely becase it starred their favorite actor or actress. These days, audiences are motivated more by the movie’s concept than anything. That’s why studios are so obsessed with pre-sold concepts like remakes and sequels and less concerned with casting big-name stars in original concepts.
And the biggest problem with what you are describing is whomever is in charge of casting these days are only interested in the next pretty face and hot body. Forget acting skills and mastery of a craft. Result being you get Meagan Fox because she has fine tata’s and Shia Lebouf (sp?) because he is the next big thing and slap them in a lame series based on an average cartoon from the 80′s. Ugggg.
Truth is I can name a handful of actors/actresses I do enjoy and think have chops but for everyone of them there are 10 wholly forgetable flavors of the month being plugged into interchangeable roles in interchangeable movies. Obviously I’m a movie buff because I participate on this site but honestly I rarely go to the theaters anymore, and I stopped getting DVD’s from Netflix a year ago. Reason: there is just very little I’m interested in seeing anymore which is sad really. I read somewhere once that this all came about because studios began spending so much money on films that they became scared of taking any kind of risk on anything other than a canned, formulated, sure-fire hit that will draw in the teeny-bopper crowd. So movies like All the Presidents Men, China Syndrome, Godfather and so on don’t get made anymore. Like I said…sad.
I had sworn off TV for many years due to all the cheap, reality crap that became popular. Now that a few cable channels and a couple networks have taken a chance and come up with some decent scripted programs I find myself migrating back to the tube for my entertainment needs and away from films. I think my argument can be backed up by looking at how many named actors are involved in TV projects. Back in my younger days if a movie star went the TV route it meant their career was over. Now days they are moving from movies to TV. Bizarre how the paradigm has shifted.
You’re touching on some things I have been intending to write about for a while now. If I respond to all your points, it’ll turn into a post. So instead, I’ll just promise to write up a post with my thoughts on this as soon as possible.
Well? How about an article about Fisher? Your post about Steve was very well done. The problem is he’s just not…interesting. The Gute is – was – about as vanilla as you could get.
Thanks. I’ll probably get around to Stevens eventually. Not in this series, because he never even approached the A-list. But eventually, I’ll get around to character actors like him.
I have noticed of late that aside from Val Kilmer, the articles about actresses seem to be more popular. I’m not entirely sure why that is. I definitely don’t expect the Guttenberg article to be among the top hit-getters.
I’ve got a couple ideas for who to feature next. I try to alternate between male and female stars. So the next one will most likely be an actress. Suggestions, as always, are welcome.
I am also spending some time cleaning up the previous articles. Some of them have missing images, out-dated info or really awful typos. Since these are easily the most popular articles on the site, I figured I should get them presentable.
I am a big fan of “Diner,” so I’ve made every effort to ignore the rest of Guttenberg’s output ever since it became clear what it was going to be like. When did that happen for me? Hmmm… 1986? That’s probably not entirely fair, but it is the truth about what my relationship with his work has been.
I’m with you. I have an guideline that I follow that I usually only write about actors and actresses that I was at one point a fan of. I broke that rule for The Gute. I never disliked him. But I was certainly never a fan. However, I thought his sudden disappearing act plus the fact that he starred in the first movie ever to win a Golden Raspberry made up for my lack of interest in his work.
I do the same thing, and it’s embarrassing when an older article starts to get attention, isn’t it? Volvo is thinking of advertising on my site, and what was the very first article they looked at? My very first CTWNM post about a Saab! Gads!
I personally like both the female and male posts that you do. Kilmer has always fascinated me, because he’s such a talented douche. On the other hand, I had serious crushes on Ryder and Shue. I honestly didn’t know you only stuck to A-list stars. Was Mia Sara A-list?
I’ve got the WTHH articles and everything else. The WTHH article bring in around a thousand hits a day. The Disney articles get a lot of “likes” but not nearly as much traffic. Anything else may generate a brief spike in traffic. But the WTHH articles are evergreen so I feel the need to keep them up to date.
How funny about the potential sponsorship. I guess that’s a good probelm to have. Being that this is a free WP site, advertising isn’t an option for me.
Kilmer is on a level all his own. He is the undisputed King of WTHH. The most common search term every day is some variation of “Val Kilmer fat”. Back when she was on Celebrity Rehab, “Sean Young crazy” was our #1 search term.
Generally speaking, I keep WTHH to actors and actresses who were arguably A-listers at some point. I have a few guidelines which have gotten looser over time.
I have another series I call “So Fetch” (lousy name, I know) about actors and actresses who never made it to the A-list. Ideally, I’d write more Fetch articles. (Mia Sara would be an excellent candidate.) But since my time has been limited I have been focusing on the A-listers for now.
The real question to me is: what did he do to piss the Stonecutters off? I mean, something had to get them to stop making him a star.
Like this?
The Sacred Parchment will never be the same!
What about Johnny Depp? That guy was on TV and a couple of movies, and then just disappeared.
Seriously, you could take any of the ensemble movies of the 80s, like Rumble Fish, Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Lost Boys, etc., and find tons of stars to do. C. Thomas Howell, Anthony Michael Hall…. Patrick Swayze… um…. Corey Haim…. Dana Plato…
For a long time, Depp was my #1 example of an actor who kept getting work despite never having starred in a hit. Obviously, things changed.
I try to keep these articles to A-listers. At least for the time being. So, Swayze will probably happen eventually.
I agree about Kilmer…what a waste. As for site hits, I get a lot of ‘Amanda Bynes fat face’ and ‘Kiera Knightly’s tits’. This is in response to a post I did stating I didn’t to see these actresses boobs because I watched them grow up on screen. Weird, eh?
My most popular posts are Batman’s machines. By far. But Film Cemetery is doing very well, too. I make it a point to never poach ideas…or compete with friends like you or Jalopnik. As for advertising, I thought, why not? I work hard, and try to improve every time I do a post.
And your Fetch series? I’d like to see that very much.
I do enjoy the Film Cemetery articles. Great stuff. I’ll have to check out Batman’s machines.
Since this is purely a hobby for me, I don’t really worry too much about traffic. But I do try to send hits to friends whenever possible. I figure my readers are likely to like the same blogs I do. So I figure it’s a win/win for everyone when I send readers to blogs I enjoy.
I have considered switching the site to one that could run ads. But frankly, I just haven’t had the time to figure out how it all works. Someday when the site is getting 10,000 hits a day, I’ll have to seriously look into that.
As for the Fetch series, here’s a link:
http://lebeauleblog.wordpress.com/category/movies/thats-so-fetch/
It’s been a while since I last updated one, so they are somewhat dates.
I like what I see…but I don’t know what Fetch means. And you mentioned Eric Bana in the post about Daniel Craig. Please do something on him! I just watch a doc on his racing career…talk about a guy that God gave every single gift…and he’s modest and very nice.
By the way, just finished a post in which ‘The Gute’ is a form of currency
I’ve never been real happy with the “Fetch” name. It’s a reference to “Mean Girls”. If you haven’t seen it, the name seems random. I had some other titles like “Almost Famous” and “Never Was”, but I never found one I loved. And “So Fetch” tickled my funny bone. So I went with that.
Honestly, Guttenberg seems a bit out of place in this series. He was never really a big star. The POLICE ACADEMY franchise raked in a lot of dough, and he was there for it, but that’s pretty much it.
Guttenberg just missed the end of the disco trend with CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC, and almost missed the heyday of the slob comedy, too, but the first POLICE ACADEMY hit right before it ended, and became its last big hurrah.
Ebert can sneer at that one all he likes–it was a damn funny movie, and of a breed of comedy that, all these years later, has nearly disappeared from this world. I don’t mean slob comedies (though they’re long gone, too). I mean movies that took their comedy from life. The characters seemed like real people, had very human moments, and the comedy itself came from believable (often gloriously stupid) situations. The filmmakers could throw in moments of serious drama, and, because of the more naturalistic approach to everything else, these didn’t seem out of place at all (they’d stick out like a sore thumb in most comedy today). In particular, when the thug at the end gets guns and starts shooting at everyone, it’s definitely NOT funny. The movie plays it straight–people could be hurt or killed. And because the characters have endeared themselves to the viewer, it just makes this even more effective.
The subsequent movies in the franchise threw this over the side (along with the slob comedy angle), and are more representative of what comedy became after. Including the fact that they sucked.
Over time, I have loosened my requirements for inclusion in the series. Having said that, I do think Guttenberg was A-list. But he was one of those guys who had an asterix by his name. Because he was involved in the Police Academy movies, Cocoon, Short Circuit and Three Men and a Baby, the studios treated him like an A-list talent just in case.
In retrospect, it’s easy to look back and say that The Gute was in the right place at the right time. He wasn’t really packing the house. But people did pay to see his movies. When that happens on a regular basis, you get credit whether it is deserved or not. I think part of the reason Guttenberg faded so fast was that as soon as his luck ran out the studios realized he just had a monster lucky streak.
I honestly haven’t seen the original Police Academy since the early 80s. I remember that the series became more silly and aimed at kids over time. Beyond that, I really don’t remember all that much about the series. I was never a fan.
Yeah, bad way to start the week. Tony Scott really was my very favorite director. I feel awful for ripping on his films, but it was all in fun. I still feel really, really bad today, though.
I was always a Tony Scott fan. I think my first Tony Scott film was The Hunger which I enjoyed quite a bit. But, he was always a guilty pleasure. It’s a damn shame that he took his life. I feel for everyone who knew him. As a fan, I consider it a loss to film. But, I don’t feel bad for being critical of his work. He was all style and sometimes very little substance.
I agree about the style over substance. But I have always said that films should entertain us. That’s why we go to the theater…for a couple of hours of escapism. I just did a post on Con Air. There is really nothing redeeming about this movie, except that it’s mindless fun. Sometimes, mindless fun is not such a bad thing. Tony Scott was the king of empty-headed escapism…kinda like Michael Bay, but with a plot.
I almost made the Bay comparisson myself but did not want to insult the departed. But I agree, he was like Bay + talent. You could usually count on Tony Scott for mindless entertainment plus a little something more.
You put that better than I could. To take my mind off of things, I’m working on a post about the Tatra 603 in Lemony Snicket.
I don’t mind talking to you about Tony, but I’m not going to post anything else about him. It doesn’t seem right.
We’re about the same age, right? Do you remember being shocked by the little girl’s potty mouth in ‘Last Boy Scout’? And afterward, Tony’s films took on a much more reverent tone, it seemed, like he was sorry he’d done that.
It also seemed that he was asking deeper and deeper life questions. I was struck by this in ‘Deja Vu’, but never said anything.
Now I’m left wondering which actor/actress in today’s crop of A-listers will be getting a whatever happened to article in 10 years.
My money is on Channing Tatum. But I don’t think it will take 10 years.
Kristen Stewart?
Good call.
I would have argued a few months ago that she was not A-list. But Snow White probably established her as a bonafide player. But I don’t think her career will survive this scandal.
It’s rather like the Meg Ryan situation, don’t you think?
Definitely!
What? Why? Seems like a funny guy. I liked 21 jump street
To be honest, I have never seen a Channing Tatum movie. My pick was almost completely at random. But based on the commercials for his movies, he strikes me as an untalented meathead. It is an admittedly uninformed opinion.
Ms. Stewart will be with us for decades to come, I hope. Her performances heartfelt, sincere, and….sorry…laughing too hard
lmao
You should check out Jump Street then, because I was sincerely surprised. The guy can poke fun at himself, and not many meatheads can do that
21 Jump Street dialogue sample:
Tatum: (to biker meth dealer) “Come on! I”ll beat your dick off!”
Biker: “Umm…what?”
Hill: “I’m sure he didn’t mean it that way.”
Tatum: “Come on! I’ll beat your dick off with both hands!”
My wife is a big Tatum fan (despite not being sure of his name). She really wanted to see 21 Jump Street (despite not really knowing what it’s about or who else is in it) so I imagine I will see it eventually.
I have heard some good things about it. Your sample dialogue jibes with what I have heard about it being a fun, raunchy comedy.
Sorry about that. Tell the kids to cover their eyes
Hey I don’t know if you take suggestions, but I just thought that Billy Zane might make an interesting WTHHT article.
I absolutely take suggestions. And Billy Zane is on my radar. He was never really A-list, but I am considering expanding this column beyond A-listers to include those who came close to the A-list but never made it. I think Zane’s a classic case of a near miss.
Also, I’ve been interested in looking at some former Twin Peaks cast members. Specifically, I watched John Carpenter’s Vampires for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was better than I had been led to believe (but not great). A lot of the credit for that goes to Sheryl Lee. Man, she should have gone on to better things. Beautiful and talented. But much like Zane, she barely broke into the B-list.
25 A-List Hollywood Actors Who Fell the F Off:
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/25-a-list-hollywood-actors-who-fell-the-f-off/billy-zane
Billy Zane
Best Known For: The Phantom (1996), Titanic (1997)
Most Recent Project: The Ganzfield Experiment (2013)
Despite a fall from grace, Zane has never stopped working. The highest profile projects he’s been involved with since 2000 have largely come from his own efforts. The Believer, which netted the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, happened because Zane worked hard to make it happen.
The baddie from Titantic is active in the operation of two production companies, RadioactiveGiant and 21st Century Filmworks, where he works to get films made even when he isn’t starring in them.
Zane was a Twin Peaks castmember. I love writing about TP, so I may get to him eventually.
It may be too soon, but I just did a write up on Lemony Snicket. Emily Browning should totally be on WTHHT. Her parents did her no favors at all by bringing over here to act. Poor kid, Jim Carrey drooling all over her. Emma Stone ain’t his first stalkee, you know.
I did not know that. But that bares looking into.
I wonder if Sucker Punch did her in for good. What a train wreck that was!
Actually, Sucker Punch is unwatchable, and partly why I suggested her. The other reason is the interviews she did during Lemony…she was an Aussie kid full of hope for the future…and now, 9 years later, Emily’s got Sucker Punch and an erotic film under her belt.
Sorry, I have a personal rule, Emily, if I watched you grow up on screen, I don’t want to see your boobies after you turn 18. I’m talking to you too, Knightly and Lohan.
Ouch. I didn’t realize she had already turned to erotic films. That’s a shame.
Based on Sucker Punch, I really wouldn’t cast her in anything that required her to do more than look pretty. But that’s not fair because Sucker Punch demeaned everyone who was in it. It is only watchable for the train wreck factor. And even that is just painful!
I actually like Sucker Punch. It’s a guilty pleasure. I can tell Snyder was trying to make a point even though he failed miserably. Still, Hot babes in skimpy outfits dishing out some pain. Can’t resist.
Like I said in my Sucker Punch review, I enjoyed the latest Resident Evil movie as a guilty pleasure for exactly those reasons. But Snyder loaded his movie with a misguided message that failed on every level. And that prevented me from being able to enjoy SP on the guilty pleasure level. I can’t enjoy hot chicks fighting robots when there is an undercurrent of abuse, rape and lobotomy. Heck, it’s not even an undercurrent. It’s there on the surface.
I know what Snyder was going for. But he overplayed his hand so badly that nothing about that movie worked for me.
It’s an erotic ‘art’ film, not porn. But she’s still nakie a lot. In all honesty, Emily can act, but she isn’t aging well. You know how sometimes ‘cute kid’ doesn’t translate to ‘attractive adult’? That’s Emily. And she was very good in Lemony and Ghost Ship.
I think my real point is the sheer potential that’s been shot to hell. Isn’t that why you do WTHHT?
That is pretty much the point. I am actually thinking of expanding beyond A-isters and basically folding the “Fetch” articles into WTHH.
I honestly never followed Browning. I saw Lemony, but didn’t give it my full attention. I was really only watching for the adult actors. Didn’t notice the child performances at all. The only other movie of hers I have seen was Sucker Punch which was dreadful.
But…Lemony is all about the kids….especially Sunny the Biter. Heh. And Ghost Ship is one of those rare horror flicks that is pretty good.
Tell you what. You expand your series, and give us a WTHHT every day of the week, and we’ll pay you in vanilla wafers and gratitude.
Billy Zane was an excellent idea, too. So much potential wasted, like Kilmer.
And we need to be clear about something. Sucker Punch, like Wild, Wild West or Battlefield Earth, is too bloody awful to even be called a film. I won’t even review it, because that would mean subjecting my eyeballs to the awfulness again.
Smodco (Kevin Smith/Scott Mosier’s podcast ) did a really funny podcast on Guttenberg. It’s called “It’s all Gute” I believe. You should check it out.
I will. Thanks for the heads-up.
25 A-List Hollywood Actors Who Fell the F Off:
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/25-a-list-hollywood-actors-who-fell-the-f-off/steve-guttenburg
Steve Guttenburg
Best Known For: Diner (1982), Police Academy (1984), Three Men and a Baby (1987)
Most Recent Project: I Heart Shakey (2012)
How did Steve Guttenberg become a movie star? True, it was the ’80s, but the question nags. In the classic episode of The Simpsons entitled “Homer the Great,” it’s posited thata secret organization is responsible for keeping Guttenberg active.
Now, the jokes have changed. An unforgettable episode of Party Down found Guttenberg playing himself: a rich thing to be gawked at, like an antique.
I’ve heard the argument that around 1985-86, Steve Guttenberg was about on par w/ Tom Hanks (incidentally, Steve was from my understanding, offered Tom’s role in “Big”). However, Hanks shortly thereafter proved in something like “Nothing in Common” that he had more dramatic range of the two, which in return, indicated that he was going to have a much better career in the long run.
I think LeBeau pretty much hit the nail on the head about Steve Guttenberg. What made him successful at least initially, was that he was seen as a good looking but otherwise slightly goofy, mostly non-threatening guy. Now as for why he disappeared from movies for five years when the ’80s ended, I have no clue.
Another argument that I’ve heard (perhaps jokingly) is that Paul Rudd could be considered a modern day equivalent to Steve Guttenberg.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.movies.past-films/browse_thread/thread/2748c132ecbaf961/b914cf9f5361aa5c?lnk=raot#b914cf9f5361aa5c
Paul Rudd is sort of like the Gute in that he’s a handsome, non-threatening guy. But he’s much more talented.
What happened to Thora Birch?–and other actors that seemed to disappear for no reason…:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?s=cb048bd107af38e7402912db80d1c098&p=15150093&postcount=20
Moving back, Steve Guttenberg. Major a-list star of Police Academy, Cocoon, Short Circuit, 3 Men and a Baby. Bigger than Tom Hanks. And then nothing of note, in fact he became a kind of anti-star, a bad joke. In fact Tom Hanks is a kind of inverse of this topic, he prevailed where Guttenberg and Reinhold and Feldman and Galligan and Broderick failed. He beat them all.
Is Sam Worthington the New Steve Guttenberg?:
http://frettsonfilm.com/2012/02/01/is-sam-worthington-the-new-steve-guttenberg/
Don’t get me wrong—I love Steve Guttenberg. After all, I recently did a career-retrospective interview with him for the SAG Foundation. But even Steve would admit that he was lucky to get cast in high-concept hits like Police Academy, Three Men and a Baby, and Cocoon. Most people didn’t pay to see those movies because he was in them. And the same holds true for Sam Worthington’s smashes.
Despite battling man-eating crocodiles in 2007′s Rogue, the Aussie actor was a complete unknown Stateside before landing leading roles in a trio of 2009-2010 blockbusters: Avatar, Terminator: Salvation and Clash of the Titans. Since then, he’s proven himself to be anything but a box-office titan.
Where Are They? Wednesdays: Steve Guttenberg Edition:
http://boxofficeboredom.com/2012/02/01/where-are-they-wednesdays-steve-guttenberg-edition/
If you look back on the 1980’s you’ll find plenty of movies that star major A list stars still working today, but there is one man that was one of the biggest stars of the 80’s that truly deserves a “Where Are They?”. That man is none other than the great Steve Guttenberg. But before we travel down the path of “Where Are They?” it is important to first look at the man, the myth and the legend known as Steve Guttenberg.
Profile:
Steven Robert Guttenberg was born in 1958 in a Jewish family of five. His father was an electrical engineer but it became obvious that Steve wasn’t going to follow in his father’s footsteps. He headed off to Julliard after high school and never looked back.
Guttenberg found his niche early on Broadway comedies and improv comedy before venturing into television in the late 70’s. He found himself in a some successful TV movies like Miracle on Ice (1981), To Race the Wind (1980), Something for Joey (1977) and The Day After (1983). Guttenberg even wound up in a Coca-Cola commercial where he was helping a lady with a stalled car and shared with her the a passionate love for Coke. –Yes, we mean Coca-Cola here, there is no evidence that they actually shared a love for cocaine even though it is entirely possible. (Note: We have no evidence that supports the previous statement).
Guttenberg finally got noticed for his work on the film Diner, but is probably best known for his work in 3 franchises in the 1980’s, those of course being Short Circuit, Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby (Directed by by Leonard Nimoy). Side Note: I’ve always liked to think about “Spock” directing Three Men and A Baby and the thought process he put behind deciding to take on the project. I always assumed it went something like this: ”Three men….and ….A Baby? Highly Illogical–yet intriguing.” The point is Guttenberg became known probably best for his work on Police Academy in the 80’s as Mahoney and it catapulted the comedian into 80’s superstardom. Oddly enough, Police Academy was a film his agent suggested he pass on because he thought it was going to be a huge flop.
However once 1990 rolled around, The “Gutt” [pronounced G-oooo-t] was seen less and less in Hollywood. He found himself along side Kirstie Alley and the Olsen twins in It Takes Two and a few minor TV roles but never really kept the traction going that he gained in the 80’s. In fact, it was hard to take a look at Guttenberg in the 90’s and think he was a box office draw the decade before. His most noteable work was a re-occuring bit part on Veronica Mars a few years back and continues to pop up on TV and indie works but generally has become a Hollywood “D List” star in the 2000 and beyond. He even found himself on an episode of Dancing With The Stars which was probably the thing that catapaulted The Gutt back into the spotlight. Mind you it was a very dim spot light (or perhaps maybe just a very bright incandescent light bulb) but a light none the less.
Where Are They? Now
Guttenberg’s name has popped up in a few different projects as Hollywood is looking to reboot and re-kindle anything that might have a breath of life left in it. Guttenberg claims that Hollywood is interested in Three Men and A Bride with the returning cast of Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg and Tom Selleck. However, I will admit this is hard to believe as none of these once A list actors really have box office bank written all over them anymore. Guttenberg has been suggesting that they reboot the Police Academy franchise for quite sometime and it looks like Hollywood has finally taken notice. They announced a reboot in the works, but there is no word of Guttenberg taking part in the project. However, it would be very hard to believe that he wouldn’t at least have a cameo. In October of last year, Guttenberg starred on Broadway in “Relatively Speaking,” one of the trio of one-acts written by Elaine May, Ethan Coen and Woody Allen. Guttenberg appeared in “Honeymoon Motel,” the segment written by Allen; he plays the father of a groom who falls in love with the bride. He is quoted as saying that sometimes people mistake his kindness for weakness which is why he hasn’t been a successful in Hollywood as he would have liked and still hopes that he can get back into the big leagues of Hollywood. Unfortunately for The Gutt, it has been 20 years since he has really seen any box office glitz and glitter.
Off screen The Gutt has been active in charitable organizations and created Guttenhouse, an apartment for graduated foster children and works with Sight For Students, a program that works to donate eye wear to kids in need. His passion for helping others and entertaining others hasn’t left him even though the Hollywood cameras pointed in his direction are dwindling. Behind the Hollywood scenes he has worked as an executive producer and a director on a few after school special like projects that have garnered some critical acclaim in their respective circles, once again showing his passion for child welfare.
In early November 2008, allegedly Guttenberg was filmed jogging semi-naked through Central Park, New York Guttenberg responded by appearing on The Paul O’Grady Show, where announced that he made the video for Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die website, but then decided to release it virally “as if it were real”. In a even stranger turn of events, he then finished off the show by earning a spot in the Guinness World Records by preparing the most hot-dogs in one minute.
In May 2012, Guttenberg will release his memior, a book that called, The Guttenberg Bible. In this honest, charming memoir, Guttenberg tells the story of how he became the star of some of the ’80s most successful blockbusters, how he spent his early days sneaking onto the Paramount lot (he pretended to be Michael Eisner’s son), meeting more celebrities and casting agents than most aspiring actors ever would and gaining a stalker or two along the way.
It still amazes me to this day that Three Men and a Baby was actually the biggest blockbuster of 1987. The movie is enjoyable and amiable enough for what it is and it doesn’t surprise me that it became a hit, but it’s an unlikely candidate for highest-grossing movie of the year, despite it becoming exactly that. It’s questionable in retrospect if Guttenberg was ever actually a definable box office draw, but he certainly had a hell of a run for about 5 years or so with a string of box office hits and blockbusters. Police Academy may have been a dumb, low-brow comedy, but I was 13 at the time, and 13 year old me back then thought it was absolutely hilarious. What can I say, I was still a kid with bad tastes in low-brow comedies. I haven’t seen it since the 80′s, I think I’ll leave it there with my 13 year old tastes.
I think you hit the nail on the head though, despite appearing in a number of hit comedies, Steve Guttenberg was never actually…. funny. That thought never occurred to me until you mentioned it, but it’s true. He had a good-natured, amiable quality about him, and leading-man good looks, but he was never really funny. While I question if he was ever actually a box office draw on his own, I would say because he appeared in so many box office hits in the mid-to-late 80′s, I would say he was briefly on the Hollywood A-list. But as you so hilariously stated, then 1990 came and took it all away.
Hey, I’m a bit curious, I’ve been enjoying your WTHHT series for awhile and I’ve read and enjoyed them all, and I’m just curious who was the first actor to receive the honor of being covered in this series?
Mena Suvari was the first. I flipped on the Day of the Dead remake on cable one night with very low expectations. Even though I knew it would be bad, I was shocked by how awful it was. And by how horrible Suvari was in it. The question of “what the hell happened” naturally came to mind repeatedly as I watched Suvari sleepwalk through a pathetic zombie remake.
At the time, I had no intention of making it a series. It was just a stray thought. But I had always wondered what happened to Michael Keaton. So I eventually followed up with an article on him.
In the early days, I had some pretty strict rules about who would be included. They had to be A-list at some point and they had to be completely out of the spotlight.
Eventually, the series took on a life of its own. It is relatively rare for any non-WTHH article to crack the top ten. Faced with the undeniable popularity of the series, I decided to slowly loosen the criteria for inclusion. These days, just about any one who has peaked is a candidate.
We’re in agreement on Guttenberg. I don’t think he was ever a draw himself. No one bought a ticket to Coccoon or Three Men and a Baby because they were fans of the Gute. He was just there – neither a draw nor a disincentive.
He had incredibly good luck that lasted for the better part of a decade. By most standards, he’s still a really lucky guy to be working even if it is not in big movies any more.
I never would’ve guessed Mena Suvari to be the first write-up, but the way you describe it, it makes sense. I never did see the Day of the Dead remake, but in the years leading up to it I did have a bit of interest in it. In 2004, Zack Snyder did a remake of the horror classic Dawn of the Dead, which was far better than it had any right to be. I was actually a big fan of the movie. I’d go so far as to say it could almost equal the original in terms of quality, a rarity among remakes. Anyway, I figured since Dawn of the Dead was so successful at the box office (it really did kick-start the boom in zombie movies and tv shows over the last decade, didn’t it?), a remake of Day of the Dead was inevitable. Since I enjoyed DOTD so much, I kinda anticipated it a bit for a couple years. Several years passed, and eventually the Day of the Dead remake got an unceremonial straight-to-video release; that fact alone told me it was garbage and I avoided it. Ving Rhames, I believe, appears in this, the only cast member to return, but I think he plays a totally different character from Dawn of the Dead.
Regarding Mena Suvari though, honestly I really did enjoy the American Pie movies, which is really the main reason why we even know the name Mena Suvari. She also had a supporting but sizable role in American Beauty, but if that were the only film of note to her career nobody would know her name and she definately wouldn’t have gotten the honor of a WTHHT write up. I don’t mean to undermine her career with that statement, I recognize that most actors would kill to have a sizable role in a film that actually wins the Academy Award for Bert Picture, and no matter what happens in Mena Suvari’s life, she will always have that. Anyway, I’m glad you started this series, it’s always fun and informative. And we all owe Mena Suvari a debt of gratitude for her career failing, since it resulted in such a great series of articles! ha ha
lol – I thank Meena Suvari every time I look at my blog stats. And then I pray that Val Kilmer never discovers low carb diets.
Ha ha – funny you should mention Val Kilmer, that was actually my introduction to the WTHHT series – a perfect introduction, in retrospect. Val Kilmer is the perfect example of an actor that was just too much of an – excuse me for the language – asshole, and once his ability to draw audiences dropped, Hollywood seemed more than ready to let him fall off the face of the Earth. He just burned too many bridges, thinking his star would shine bright forever and there would never be a price to pay, and there seem to be a few of those types that you’ve covered (Debra Winger comes to mind also along those lines).
Iceman was a lot of people’s intro to the series. He really does exemplify WTHH. I can’t think of a guy who had so much going for him only to throw it all away.
I figured I’d just bring this all back around to Steve Guttenberg…..
Maybe I’m just playing devil’s advocate here, but were there any Steve Guttenberg films that you did like back in the day? Never in any point in my life have I considered the Gutte one of my favorite actors, but for a handful of years he did appear in some movies that I liked. The Police Academy movies were base, crude, juvenile and low-brow, but I was in my very early teens when those movies were released, and at that age I was more than ready to laugh at crude and low-brow comedy.
And for what it’s worth at the time I did enjoy Coccoon; I think the movie turned out a lot better than the material directly because of Ron Howard’s directing, but I also give credit to the older actors in the cast like Don Ameche, Brian Dennehy, Wilford Brimley, Jessica Tandy, etc. It’s been many years since I watched the movie, yet thinking back on the movie I think more about the Fountain of Youth story angle for the senior citizens (and the touching performances of the older actors in the film) than I do Steve Guttenberg’s performance, which I can’t really remember much of ironically. Could that be the mark of his career? Good movie…. can’t remember anything distinctive about his part in it?
I had written a huge response to this comment only to have my computer eat it. Probably my computer’s way of saying I was rambling.
Sure, I have liked some of Guttenberg’s movies. I don’t watch them any more, but many were entertaining back in the day. Like everyone else, I enjoyed the first Police Academy for what it was. And Guttenberg was perfect for the series. Kind of a poor man’s Chevy Chase.
Coccoon was a good movie. Like you, I attribute that to Howard and the cast of Hollywood legends. But the Gutte served a purpose. The movie needed some young people in it for the audience to relate to. Guttenberg was relatable without infringing on the true stars of the movie.
I laughed at 3 Men and a Baby. If you want someone to play straight man to a dirty diaper, the Gutte is your man. He won’t be funny. The diaper supplies the laughs. But he will interact with that diaper like nobody’s business.
Forgettable performances in decent movies? That sounds about right. Which isn’t to detract from what Guttenberg brings to a movie. Sometimes you need a likeable, sort of good looking guy the audience can relate to without really getting too invested in. Gutte’s that guy. Or he was before he got old.
Don’t move, dirtbag: Year by year with the Police Academy movies:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/dont-move-dirtbag-year-by-year-with-the-police-aca,73690/
“The Gutte will interact with that diaper like nobody’s business”. Man, what I wouldn’t pay to see that as the blurb on the Three Men and a Baby DVD! ha ha!
Disney has been trying to recruit me for marketing.
You keep coming up with gold like that, I’m sure you’ll get the job! ha ha