He was an Oscar nominee, for his role in "The Godfather." Fortunately, even New Line had to admit that its version didn't work, and the ending was restored. Ferrell had it worse. Born in the Bronx in 1940, he emerged as a virile leading man in the 1970s. Actor James Caan at home playing a guitar on April 16,1970 in Hollywood, California. James Caan Linda Caan Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Now Jon has directed and produced dozens of blockbuster movies, including many from theMarvel Cinematic Universe! I surrounded him with a lot of improvisers, like Andy Richter and Kyle Gass and Amy Sedaris. Even James Caan Couldn't Keep A Straight Face On The Set Of Elf To replace them, brunette triplet girls were brought in, who were far perkier and more playful, and thereby ready for their close-ups. Instead of smiling and crawling as needed, they cried relentlessly. ' he explained. The shot where Buddy is caught by NY1 cameras in Central Park is most likely a reference to the 1960s movie from Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin that allegedly featured Bigfoot, according to the website Zinzin. James Caan's Biggest Movie Roles [PHOTOS] James Caan and Will Ferrell in "Elf," 2003. We remember Favreau on screen as the doctor that administers Buddys DNA test and tells him to stop eating cotton balls, but he also talked about his voiceover work in the movie. This included him leapfrogging across a pedestrian walk, happily accepting flyers, and getting his shoes shined, all of which made it into the movie's cheerful montage. Before his big break on Saturday Night Live, Ferrell once worked as a mall Santa Claus in Pasadena, Calif., with his SNL co-star Chris Kattan serving as one of his elves. James Caan, the tough leading man who portrayed the explosively violent and oldest of Vito Corleones sons in The Godfather, died on July 6 at 82. And Santa is Ed Asner?! The big fight scene between Buddy and the fake Santa, played by comedian Artie Lange, was filmed in one take because it took the art department weeks to decorate Gimbels. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. As Favreau explained to Rolling Stone, they made two sets, with Favreau on the one positioned closer to the camera, and lined them up so that it looked like Ferrell was sitting right next to the people on the other set. It went a whole lot further in undoing Sonny Corleone than, say, Misery.. The first script for Elf was actually written in 1993, with Jim Carreyin mind to play the titular Santa's helper. Pitting the capital-S Serious actor against Ferrells manic creation was part of director Jon Favreaus plan, though it made for a nervous crew. Caan met a new generation of fans when he played the straight-and-narrow biological father to Will Ferrell's Buddy in 2003's Elf. Elf stars pay a sweet tribute to James Caan - Digital Spy He was an executive producer forF is for Familyon Netflix. "were improvised by Ferrell in the moment. Favreau's hugely popular (yet unknown) cameo. Both Berenbaum and director Jon Favreau were inspired by the studio's colorful, quirky Christmas movies. Everywhere he goes, The Godfather theme., No, Elf probably wont be added to the Criterion Collection anytime soon. This explains why he's most proud of his cameo as Mr. Narwhal. ELF (InfiniFilm DVD, 2003) CHRISTMAS COMEDY WILL FERRELL JAMES CAAN Billingsley also made a cameo in 'Elf'. Ferrell told Blackfilm it was one of his favorite scenes to film. The elf Ming Ming oversees toy production and unintentionally helps Buddy realize hes a human. The interiors of Walters Central Park West apartment, however, were constructed at an old mental facility in Vancouver, Riverview Hospital, whose film credits include horror classics Final Destination 2, Freddy vs. Jason, and Jennifers Body, among others. Ferrell turned down a reported $29 million paycheck to reprise the role of Buddy for a sequel, telling The Guardian in 2006 that it "wasn't difficult at all" to pass on the opportunity. He told Blackfilm in 2003, "The appeal of it was to be able to shoot a film that would be funny but also heartfelt and be a different type of thing for me to do something that a family audience would see. Originally, Favreau wanted to use Macy's, but the brand refused to show a Macy's Santa being unmasked (unbearded) as a fake. New Line executives worried that the Old School audience wouldn't want to see an earnest family Christmas movie. He might not play the main character in either, but hes one of the most important in both. James Caan Dies: 'The Godfather' Oscar Nominee, 'Brian's Song' & 'Elf As a writer/director/actor, Favreau has often appeared in his own films. Both are now closed. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? These elements where then carefully overlaid in camera, using lighting to blend the seams. Sadly, Ed died on August 29, 2021. From left, Amy Sedaris, James Caan and Will Ferrell in the 2003 holiday comedy "Elf." (New Line Cinema/Everett Collection) Article. He was even given the prestigious Gordon E. Sawyer Academy Award in 1992 for his impact in the motion picture industry. Their ultimate goal was not box office glory (although that would be nice.) If you look closely at the scene where Buddy gets a blood test, his onscreen biological father, Caan, can be seen smiling while looking to the side and then turning away after Buddy gets pricked. - Favreau on the shower/duet scene between Deschanel and Farrell. And yes, we heard that. See What The 'Elf' Cast Looks Like Now: Photos of Stars James Caan says there wont be a sequel to the hit Christmas fantasy-comedy "Elf" because headliner Will Ferrell and director Jon Favreau . If it takes eating a lot of maple syrup, then I will, if that's what the job calls for.". It turned the lead from SNL alumnus into a movie star. "We had one take to destroy it," Lange told ABC News, "So Favreau said, 'Just go nuts! Before they could even get started, they first had to draw all the buildings and work out how many bricks they would need per building as well as which colors to make them look right. "He saw me when I was a little rough around the edges," James told PEOPLE at the time. The facility is called Riverview Hospital, and it has played host to a long list of film and television productions, including The X-Files, Final Destination 2, Jennifer's Body, and See No Evil 2. Like many productions, this one took advantage of the financial benefits of filming in Canada, and much of Elf was shot in sound stages in Vancouver. There's a Christmas Story cameo in Elf. However, it took another 10 years to get the project in motion, at which time Saturday Night Live star Will Ferrell was signed to star. It became an architectural project in miniature, production designer Rusty Smith explained to Entertainment Weekly. 'Elf' Cast: Where Are They Now? According to Berg, on his first day on set, he gave a speech in which he asked to be called Jimmy the Dream. Anyone who grew up watching Rankin/Bass specials will notice similarities with Elf, especially in the North Pole sequences. "We shot right up until we destroy the place," Lange told ABC News. James Caan, veteran 'Godfather' and 'Elf' actor, dies at 82 "And we made the deadline, made the screening, positive reviews, the stop-motion sequences tested through the roof, really popular, so they stayed in the movie!" Its easily one of his best performances in a career in which each seemed to best the last. So by the second weekend, Kattan had dropped the whole affectation he was doing and was like (Ferrell makes a face of bitter boredom), 'Santa's over there, kid.'". 'Elf' Cast: Where Are They Now? Will Ferrell, More - Us Weekly With Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner. James Caan and Linda Caan during "Elf" New York Premiere at Loews Astor Plaza in New York City, New York, United States. "That's probably my most famous role of anything I've ever done because that's the one that's on T-shirts and sweaters," he told ABC. "It's sort of romantic, but it's sort of weird, too.". That's probably my most famous role of anything I've ever done because that's the one that's on t-shirts and sweaters., 2. And Elf's workshops were modeled after the Rankin/Bass designs, as were the stop-motion animals of the area. Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart in "Elf,"2003. Gimbels Santa and Buddy had one take to film the North Pole fight scene. He also made a cameo in another of his brothers movies, The Other Guys, in 2010, this time as one of two precinct detectives. Luckily, James Caan, who played Walter Hobbs in the movie, finally revealed why in September 2020. Menu. Same thing with the 59th Street Bridge," Favreau told Rolling Stone. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. And we decided to set it in a building catty-corner to the Empire State Building, he said. Smiling's my favorite! Just leave it to Ferrell. The scene when Buddy is on the bridge and sees Santas sleigh crash mirrors when George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) hits his low point in Its A Wonderful Life, yet another classic holiday movie. Buddy's all-sugar diet also became Ferrell's daily food intake while filming as he actually scarfed down all of that maple syrup-coated spaghetti and candy during scenes. Originally, the filmmakers wanted comic Garry Shandling, but when he declined, they went to the next obvious choice famous tough guy James Caan. But to be clear, Caan wasn't talking about Favreau. Amy played the secretary Deb, who was the perfect opposite of Walters grouchy personality. Elf (2003) photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. So every take was different. I would try to offset anything he could throw at me, Ferrell told Blackfilm. Its also the sound of the laughing hyenas featured in the Magic Kingdom area at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. James Caan, the tough-guy actor who scored an Oscar nom as mafioso Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and an Emmy nom for playing NFL running back Brian Piccolo in Brian's Song, among a host of On top of that, in 2020, James Caan shed more light on why, unlike Santa's sleigh, Elf 2 never made it off the ground. Buddys childlike innocence can get anybody into the holiday spirit, including his Scrooge-like biological dad, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). In a 2020 Rolling Stone interview, director Jon Favreau recalled Caan's "great sense of humor" on set. The horrifying laughter in the Jack-in-the-boxes that Buddy tests is actually from a classic Disney film. I knew it was driving him crazy on one level. Known for his turn in dramas like The Godfather and Misery, James Caan was concerned early on that Ferrell's performance was, um, a little too much.