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Jack Elam's Pete Harris: The MR PINK of the Past (spoilers)

posted 7 years ago by cultfilmfreaksdotcom
3 replies | jump to latest

Despite the fact he dies first instead of not dying and being caught last, Pete Harris is the Mr Pink, the FIRST Mr Pink in his looks, action, way of rambling, and overall paranoia and caution. Just wish he'd've lived longer in the movie. I do think that Elam was... or rather, that Buscemi IS the modern Jack Elam, and never really thought of that before although I'm sure many never have. I believe that one critic had called Buscemi, when he entered the scene with this movie's future "borrower" (along with THE KILLING and of course CITY ON FIRE), the "Junk Mail" of actors, which no one would have ever said about Jack... Anyhow... Lee Van Cleef is Nice Guy Eddie had we seen him on the town... The Man is Joe Cabot... John Payne a cross between Keitel (strength and sweet wisdom) and Tim Roth (good guy undercover) while Brand doesn't have a cop around to slice his ear off...

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[–] rudeboymurray (3241) 5 years ago

Like Buscemi, Elam was... kinda funny looking.

He is quite memorable in this film and I agree that he is killed off too quickly. Certainly the most interesting of the hoods.

[–] ccr1633 (1434) 4 years ago

What I found most interesting about Pete Harris was that he was a sniveling weasel, and looked like one, yet he was perfectly willing and capable of defending himself under more favorable circumstances (i.e. not in the midst of a beatdown, which seemed most of the time). I haven't heard Tarantino talk at all about this movie's influence, but it does seem pretty significant. I agree that Harris was a template for Mr. Pink.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Interesting.