RadioActive wrote:

It's not a sure thing yet, but there are whispers of a movie in development about the life and times of Art Bell, whose Coast-to-Coast radio show attracted millions of listeners over the years he was on the air in both the U.S. and Canada.

So who would play the iconic host "somewhere out there?" The latest gossip suggests Paul Giamatti, known for such films as "Cinderella Man," "The Truman Show," "Donnie Brasco" and "My Best Friend's Wedding." 

Will it ever get made? That's impossible to say, but with so many listeners having stayed up part of or all night for years, you have to think it might have a bit of a built in audience.  

Definitely should have midnight screenings...

"Art Bell" Biopic May Be In The Works

Phil Hendrie mocking the hell out of Art Bell




 

Hadn't seen that ad before.  Yeah, not the best casting with Giamatti, but it was being played for silly laughs.
There have been some serious actors cast in serious movies that were terrible, though.
One example that comes to mind was Lawrence Olivier being cast late in his career at US General Douglas MacArthur.
What's worse was the movie was funded by the Moonies organization and was low budget to boot.
Then there was Rod Steiger -- fabulous actor, but horribly miscast as Napoleon in the Movie, "Waterloo."
Perhaps the one that tops them all, however was John Wayne as Ghengis Khan in The Conqueror.
To make matters worse it was shot in the US where a series of above ground nuclear bomb tests had been staged just a few years before.
Wayne and some other people who worked on that movie had various forms of cancer.  Although Wayne did smoke like a chimney for many years.

Last edited by newsguy1 (February 11, 2025 3:08 pm)

Sadly telling to think that Giamatti nailed the part after only having to be told, "don't worry about not knowing the guy, just act like a typical asshole private radio boss."


 

Paul Jeffries wrote:

Paul Giamatti also played a slightly-fictionalized version of Howard Stern's boss at WNBC in the movie Private Parts, which was considered to be his breakthrough role. Giamatti played Kenny Rushton, aka "Pig Vomit", who was based on Kevin Metheny, aka "Pig Virus", the then-program director during Stern's short yet notable stint at WNBC. Stern said that Giamatti nailed the part so well that it felt like he was back in the moment when he worked at the station, despite Giamatti not having done any research on the man his character was based on. 


PJ

 

Ahem ... that's WNNNNNNNNNBC.
 

From my old pal, the Real Bob James. WNBC circa 1988.