I Want More Hamm!

He deserved all the praise from critics he got for his work on MAD MEN. His 1950s white collar character was dark, mysterious, slapable and yet you had sympathy for him. Jon Hamm's performance anchored that new series and helped establish AMC's new identity. Remember when those letters stood for American Movie Classics and, like TCM, it showed a daily diet of classic movies aired without commercial interruption and presented by hosts? MAD MEN ushered in the new era and new identity as a channel bringing you original, scripted programming. Hamm, a big and handsome hunk o' man, was powerful and fascinating as Don Draper. Not only was his talent impressive, his look was perfect for that character. Also, he has the looks of a movie star from the Classic Hollywood era.

Then I saw Jon Hamm on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and I howled with laughter. He could go from playing that often cold-hearted corporate character to being an absolutely clueless dork in sketch comedy -- and getting big laughs. He's got solid dramatic chops and the gift of goofiness. Did you see BRIDESMAIDS? He's perfect as the constantly horny and intellectually limited boyfriend to Kristen Wiig's Milwaukee character. Hamm and Wiig did sketch work together on SNL.

If Jon Hamm was around in the 1940s and 50s, he'd have been sought by directors such as Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder and Howards Hawks. Those guys would've known how to fully utilize and spotlight his comedy skills. So far, no current movie director has done that with Hamm in a starring role. My cherished Twitter buddy, author Thomas Pluck, feels that Jon Hamm needs a good comedy role in a movie. I agree. Tommy suggested something like the part George Clooney played in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? from the Coen Bros.

If not a starring role, like Clooney's in O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, then I suggest a wacky supporting role -- like Michael Palin's as Pontius Pilate with a speech impediment in MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN.

About the Coen Bros. and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? As filmmakers, they were heavily influenced by the 1940s screwball comedies written and directed by Preston Sturges, a noted director I mentioned earlier in this post. They rarely mention this influence in interviews I've read or heard. They seemed reluctant to give Preston Sturges a credit the one time I interviewed them and brought up his name. However, you can see his famous influence in their 2000 film. In a Larry King interview on CNN in 2006, Clint Eastwood enthusiastically explained how the 1944 Preston Sturges comedy, HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO, inspired the issues he addressed in his film, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS. The Coen Bros. credited Homer's epic poem, THE ODYSSEY, as the inspiration for their original screenplay, O BROTHER, WHERE ARE THOU?

See SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, the 1941 comedy classic written and directed by Preston Sturges.

Joel McCrea stars as a young, successful Hollywood producer. He's known for a string of hit comedies and musicals comedies. But with all the strife in the world, he longs to make a dramatic, heavily serious film that reflects the grim reality of modern times. He wants to do a film version of a critically acclaimed, grim novel called -- O BROTHER, WHERE ARE THOU?

Of course, his studio team tries to talk him out of it. One chimes in with the truthful statement that Hollywood producer John Sullivan doesn't know anything about hard times because he's had a life of comfort and success. Sully agrees. So he decides to hit the road alone and incognito. He'll dress as a hobo, wander, and get to know the average person along the way.  Sully gets more than he bargained for in his travels. He finds true love.

Later, on the long road odyssey alone and still dressed as a hobo, he'll get knocked unconscious, unjustly convicted of a crime and sentenced to work on a chain gang. He's without identification and down South. Don't worry. Sturges will somehow manage to give us a fabulous happy ending.

Watch SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS and then watch O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?  I'll be busy imagining Jon Hamm saying "Biggus Dickus."