Martin Balsam

Posted on Updated on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors
  1. Douglas Rain, 2001 A Space  Odyssey, 1968.   “Look Dave, I can see you’re really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over…”  Stanley Kubrick felt the Psychodetective’s tone was too emotional. That’s how computer HAL 9000 became  the narrator of a favourite space-docu of Kubrick’s Universe, 1959. (was one of200l’s original titles, along with  Tunnel To The Stars, Journey Beyond The Stars,Planetfall). The Canadian actor was first booked for the (axed) 2001narration. Rain did his HAL work in ten hours in Canada – and has still never met Dave: Keir Dullea. In France, HAL was voiced by a real star, Jean-Louis Trintignant; he also dubbed The Shining‘s Jack Nicholson. In the weak sequel, 2010, 1984, the computer HAL 9000 was voiced by… Candice Bergen. But then  HAL was first supposed to be
    ATHENA.
  2. Sydney Chaplin, The Adding Machine, 1969.    Balsam (as Lieutenant Charles), Art Carney (Mr Zero) and the redoubtable Shelley Winters (as the shrewish Mrs Zero) were negotiating for the Seven Arts version in 1964.
  3. Larry Hagman, Stardust, 1974.     As a UK rocker’s Texan business manager, Porter Lee Austin.
  4. Jackie Cooper, Superman, 1978.

 

 Usual occupation: 1996Birth year: 1919Death year: 1996Other name: Casting Calls:  4