John Candy: A Look Back

Part 1: Candy's Rise and Prime

It is hard to believe but as of March 4 ( almost a week ago now) that it was ten years that one of my favorite comedic actors John Candy passed away. In honor of the “The Gentle Giant” I am going to provide my readers with a bio of the late actor. It should be noted that I can do this pretty well with most of my favorite actors and its working from the top of my head. So either I really love movies or I really have no life at all. So this might be a little long but likely informative for my readers.

John Candy was a Canadian born actor who stumbled upon the profession almost by accident. He had an interest in films and showed up as an extra in a few Canadian films during the mid 1970s. He even starred on a low budget childrens show. However it was when he tagged along with future notable names and friends Eugene Levy and Dan Aykroyd to try out for a comedy troop called Second City in Toronto. His friends forced him to try out and he landed a part in the troop. The group basically performed live and he lead the talented cast in skits that were mostly if not all improve.

People must have known he has a future value because he starred in some really shoestring budget Canadian films (that are hard to find that I haven’t seen) Tunnel Vision, the Clown Murders and the more popular of the bunch Find the Lady from what I read the films didn’t have much resembling a plot but showed glimpses of what was to come.

After some time doing TV north of the border SCTV decided to bite off Saturday Night Live and launch their own show. So the filmed a TV sketch show from Chicago other notable members of this show were Rick Morranis, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas (not the Wendy’s guy) and future film maker Howard Ramis.

Candy really made a name for himself on SCTV which was more about the characters than the jokes. He more or less became the star of the show. In the late 70’s Candy showed up in a few more TV movies, but made the leap into American films when he was cast by a young Steven Spielberg when in 1941 a film that was a departure for the young director which had a cast list of every red hot comic actor at the time and half the cast of the blockbuster Jaws. Despite the fact the film was a dismal failure casting directors didn’t forget about John Candy. It also didn’t hurt that many of his friends were breaking into the movies at this time.

Candy started showing up as a supporting role in popular comedies he had role in the now classic comedy The Blues Brothers (1980) along with his buddy Aykroyd. He had a larger role in Stripes (1981) opposite Bill Murray where he put himself on the map in a scene where he had to mud wrestle two girls (who eventually became topless). The lowbrow joke more or less put him down the path as the funny fat guy. Candy however wasn’t all that comfortable with the scene thinking it was degrading. Later that year he did his first of many cartoon voiceover for the pothead cartoon flick (along with almost everyone from SCTV) Heavy Metal.

Eventually Candy left SCTV and the show didn’t last long without him. Although he star in two SCTV movies one for tv The Last Polka (1984) based on characters from SCTV and one in theaters Going Berserk (1983). Ramis who starred with Candy in Stripes cast him in a small but memorable role in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), but it was the scene stealing performance playing Tom Hanks party animal brother in Ron Howard’s Splash. Hanks and Candy had amazing on screen chemistry it made bother actors big stars at the time. The teamed up again in the almost entirely forgotten Volunteers (1985) the film flopped and that was end of the comedy team. The movie’s first 30 mins were really funny but than I guess they ran out of jokes. Candy did show up as second banana to Richard Pryor in Brewster’s Millons (1985), but that year he finally got his big break to play the lead in major movie called Summer Rental (1985).

It was Summer Rental was the first true “John Candy” movie in which he was required to carry the film. Although it was uneven Candy’s comedic gift made the routine jokes for the first hour of the film hilarious, but than the film gets bogged down with an unfunny boat race plot line. However the formula for his movies was set, he usually played a lovable well intended guy who just couldn’t get thing to go his way or the respect he wanted.

After Summer Rental he Candy surfaced opposite Levy and Meg Ryan in Armed and Dangerous (1986) and made a funny cameo in musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors (1986). Than came the movie that changed his career forever. Candy hit comedy and box office gold when he starred with Steve Martin in Planes Trains and Automobiles a road comedy about two men getting back for Thanksgiving Dinner. The movie was the first to show his depth. He had few dramatic scenes, but for the most part it was on of Candy’s most memorable characters. The film had real heart that wasn’t always there in some of his earlier roles. This film made me a fan of John Candy and the movie still ranks as one of my favorite comedies of all time.

Planes Trains and Automobiles kicked off the prime of his career that same year he also starred in the highly successful Spaceballs and followed up by The Great Outdoors (1988 people loved it critics loathed it).Again the clearly uneven and woefully directed but you don’t mind cause Candy keeps you laughing through most of the picture making the most of a ho-hum script.

In 1989 he starred in one of the most underrated comedies ever playing a clueless private investigator in Who’s Harry Crumb?. Why this movie is hardly mentioned (other than by crew members who adopted this film) when his movies are mentioned is beyond me. Sure it’s a much broader comedy than his films usually are but it works in a tongue in cheek kind of way. Candy is clearly on top of his game.

That same year he stared as the title character in Uncle Buck. Buck has to come to town to take care of h is nieces and nephew when his sister-in-laws father falls ill. The film’s main strength is Candy butting heads with his niece who rebels against him. A fine example of how Candy can carry a film with a cast of mostly kids and inexperienced teenage actors. Again this movie was classic Candy. It wasn’t going to win and Oscars but if you find Candy remotely funny than I am sure you will enjoy his humorous methods to knock out daily chores and attempt to be role model for kids.

In a curious turn in the peak of his value in Hollywood he quietly went off and did the low budget comedy Speed Zone! I think Candy did it mainly cause most of his SCTV friends were struggling at the time starred in this lame comedy but it may have hurt him. The comedy barely makes sense but Candy’s scenes make the movie worth watching of course I am the only person in the world that watched this film for any reason other than all the fast cars. Regardless Candy’s scenes are hilarious.


It was clearly a favor to friends something Candy became some what known for. He showed up in uncredited appearances to help out directors he worked with before in a string of movies Home Alone (1990), Career Opportunities (1991), Masters of Menace (1990)and even a rather large role in Rookie of the Year (1993). He actually went out of his way to shoot his cameo in Home Alone for John Hughes who directed and wrote many of films including Planes..(directed) Great Outdoors (wrote). The film also began his relationship with director Chris Columbus who went on to direct the Harry Potter movies. I imagine Candy would have likely played a part in those films.

Come back tomorrow (or later this week) for part two of this look back at John Candy. I will talk about Candy’s branching out into other branches of entertainment, his career going into the potty and how it effected him and his death.