So, David Cassidy does not care to be remembered for his role on The Partridge Family. I really don't understand why. Does he not realize how awesome his acting was in that role? Keith Partridge might have been a simple guy but David Cassidy gave him three-dimensional life. Yes, David Cassidy was so good-looking that it still hurts to watch him on DVD but his looks alone don't explain Keith Partridge's appeal or why the character is still remembered so fondly today.
It's David Cassidy's credible performance in the PF musical numbers that inspired countless of young people to pick up a guitar or a hairbrush and sing their hearts out (e.g. Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls). And to think he didn't care for the music he sang back then! I don't recall one musical segment where he looks uncomfortable singing the material. Serious kudos for just keeping a straight face as lead singer of the make-believe band.
He had great comic timing. One of my favorite moments is in episode 15 of Season 3, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", when Keith and Laurie arrive home to discover that a "burglar" is inside their house leaving with their couch. Crouching in the bushes beneath the living room window, the pair debate what to do and Laurie tells Keith he must stop the thief. When Keith balks, she accuses him of being afraid. All his protests are for naught when the "burglar" (really their band manager Reuben Kincaid) pokes his head out the window and says "hi". Keith's surrender is total and instantaneous, with both hands in the air and a gulping "Take my money." Well played.
The show didn't offer him much chance to play the serious card but I loved him in "Partridge up a Pair Tree" (Season 1, episode 21), when Keith buys a clunker of a car and is forever borrowing money from his family. He has no money to take out his girlfriend, Carol, and ends up having a couple of serious talks with her to discuss his predicament. Totally believable teenager here. (He does look as if he's about to crack up when watching the veggie slicer demo but that's not supposed to be a serious scene ;-))
Where is the shame in this role? Keith Partridge was a straightforward character in a show with an implausible premise but David Cassidy couldn't have played him more perfectly. He was riveting as Keith Partridge. So many fans of the show still have fond memories of Keith Partridge today, almost forty years later. Just because it's not Shakespeare doesn't make it a legacy to disown.
An actor could be remembered for worse things.
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Bravo! What an insightful comment on David as Keith. Making lightweight drama/comedy appear effortless is not as easy as it looks. What DC should realise is that in this modern world of all things reality tv (I'm afraid this affects both US and UK tv. Is it as bad in Canada anyone?) many look back to past shows and fond memories. This awareness should make him understand why the show is still important to people to this day. It isn't about NOT allowing David to move on but more about remeberence of something that was magical at the time and therefore not allowing it to become forgotten. That makes it a legacy to be proud of surely? I don't get why he's called it and the music 'lame' in the past. Give him a slap on the wrist someone!
Good drama /lightweight comedy gets scrapped before getting a chance to build a decent audience (it takes time). This is what happened to Ruby, cute little show.
P/f dvd's are next on my list to buy, if I can get the correct region. I think I've seen the clips of 'Partridge up a Pear Tree' on YT. There's some poignant exchanges there with the talented Annette O'Toole.
David needs a visit from Clarence (It's a Wonderful Life), or failing that, The Ghost of Christmas Past. It's coming up to that time of the year!
xxx
David goes in cycles with this.
The problem with David now I believe is that he has a daugther that is getting all sort of roles and then his son is studing drama in college and then he will be offered all sort of roles.
David is most often referred to in print as the 'ex-teen idol father' of Katie Cassidy.
So this is how the next generation of people will know him.
This generation will not care about a Vegas revue act or 'Blood Brothers".
As far as acting roles for David, I heard he moved back to Ft. Lauderdale.
At age 60, there are not a lot of roles available. Shirley goes out to a lot of auditions and she says she loses the role to Shirley McLain.
If David wanted to concentrate on that acting career, why is he living in Florida?
I agree, I think he was fab in PF. He did a great job! And it is sad that he can’t appreciate the quality of what he did do. But since he hated it from the beginning, I’m not sure he can ever really appreciate it. Ya know? I'm sure his father's poor opinion about what he was doing has some influence on his view of Keith and PF. I wonder what his dreams were when he was 19? Obviously very different than what his success turned out to be.
I’m surprised he ever can even appreciate the music for the same reason, although maybe he didn’t hate that quite as much as being Keith.
LOL CAO! Sometimes I wonder if you've stumbled into the wrong blog! I guess you must be a fan of David or you wouldn't be here all the time, right? I know we like to give balanced arguments here so the occasional NICE comment about David would be appreciated.
Good for him if he's gone back to Florida. The craziness of Hollywood wont do him any favours at the moment. He'll have time to reflect and sort himself out. As for the acting, how do we know if he wants to concentrate on that? It's what we may feel he wants/needs but I don't know what David's thinking. There are many good roles out there for older men, meaty character parts, if he feels inclined to try.
xxx
British fan,
He went to an autograph show and told people that is not the way he wants to be remembered.
IF he doesn't want to do anything different with his singing act and he doesn't want to go back to acting, what does he want to be remembered for?
SingmeDavid.
I was watching Jack C. on youtube.
It was a "What's my Line" game show.
Lucie Arnaz was the mystery guest.
Now, Lucie is about David's age.
Jack praised her family and their talent.
Those two seemed like old friends.
Lucie Arnaz was doing the play Caberet at the time in Flint, MI.
Lucie Arnaz at the time was also on the #1 show at the time "Here's Lucy".
Lucie is involved in theater to this day.
Lucie know at the time she had to expand her acting range is she was to continue in show business.
Desi Arnaz JR. runs a theater in the west.
I think what Jack was disappointed in was that David was 19 and he felt that David should have done more with his acting.
just my opinion.
Yeah CAO, it was a very stupid thing for him to do and we've covered this already and don't condone it. Hell, I don't know what he wants to do BUT he needs to do something while he still has time, if that makes sense. I didn't mean to appear harsh and you make valid points, so it's nice to read all points of view, just it comes across that you haven't much time for him maybe. I can understand he could drive most people to distraction with his actions though and needs to address them.
Singmedavid, your're right, that's what came across in the book wasn't it? He didn't identify with any of it when he was young and it comes back to his experiences influencing his life again. Just wish the wisdom of age could help him thrash it all out and balance things out more.
xxx
I found the clip with Jack and Lucie Arnaz.
Just thought it was interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-VDKZTOSXA
CAO I guess you've maybe watched Jack Cassidy's performances. I thought he was wonderful in Columbo, I think he was in Star Trek once and I remember him playing some really camp and hilarious interior designer somewhere in the back of my mind. I think I'd like to see David try some of these type of roles. Do you think he might be capable to do this kind of thing or not?It might be a nice homage to his father.
Dont know what happened there with my name, typing too fast!
British fan xxx
B:
In Ruby and the Rockets, David Cassidy was suppose to be imitiating a character called Oliver North on the 'HE and SHE show.( a couple of episodes are on youtube).
Oliver North was the inspiration for the TED Baxter role.
Now, Jack's characters were egotistical but they weren't stupid, in which Ted was.
You could see Jack in the MTM Ted Baxter's brother role which showed how competitive Jack was and how Jack put down the dimwitted Ted. (This episode is on HULU).
The problem with David's portrayal, I believe, is that David's character wasn't charming.
I think Jack did much better in his dramatic role, like in Columbo.
Jack's comedy often came off kind of hammy.
Now, Patrick Cassidy, has done roles that his father has done on Broadway such as "She Loves Me'.
Jack won a Tony for that.
Pat also portrayed Jack's role in "Its a bird, Its a plane, its Superman.
I get you. I think good stage actors sometimes come off as hammy on tv as I think they have to learn to 'play to those at the back of the audience'. This kind of acting doesn't always transfer to film/tv so well. It must be hard to 'rein in' a performance. I think I'd like to have seen Jack on stage if I had been older at that time and lived in USA.
Cao: I think you are wrong.
When I see an article about Katie
it always says David Cassidy daughter and not ex teen-idol father of ....
German fan
German Fan:
In the People Magazine where they had David and Katie featured.
(GO TO PEOPLE.com and type in Katie Cassidy)
The article had this as the title:
Melrose Place's New Vixen has tongues wagging -just like her Dad did four decades ago on the Partridge family.
In articles that I see they alway refer to David as either ex-idol or in the Partridge Family.
Loved the skunk episode. That was an early one wasn't it? Confess one of my favourite songs is Brand New Me.
The one where David sings Summer Days is the tops. He must have been a good actor because he REALLY looked like he was enjoying that one. So cute, cheesy and sexy all at the same time, I melt. God I love that man! Can you tell I'm a lost cuase?
Oops blooper should say lost cause.
Me too, BF!!! I loved the Summer Days one too. He was SO GOOD in that episode. I thought that was hilarious. I actually went through a similar thing with my kids, about what they wanted to be when they grew up. In the grocery store no less. They were around 6. I was trying so hard not to laugh. And you can see David was trying really hard not to laugh. Oh and the facts of life...I think that is my favorite scene yet - I've only seen about 1/3 of the episodes.
Here are some of my latest thoughts I'm trying on. Please bear with me.
BF, hmmm, I remember you saying that now, experiences influencing his life again. Sometimes those tapes we play in our heads are the stubbornest things, aren’t they, resistant to the best advice from loved ones or others’ we trust. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we get some kind of a breakthrough to see something from a completely different perspective.
I think that David’s ability to accept his past, take responsibility for his choices, and handle disappointments with grace has for some reason been stunted. The combination of alcoholism, mood disorder(s), and the extraordinary things that he has gone through have contributed to this. Why, after all this time, does he still struggle? I don’t think he is taking responsibility for his life and his own happiness but he can’t see it. His mood disorder may be preventing him from seeing it. I’ve been through this myself and very luckily after almost 40 years, I was finally able to realize that it wasn’t the world at fault, it was my distorted vision. But I was told that a much higher percentage of people who do have mood disorders NEVER get this ah ha experience. And until they do, real breakthrough growth is elusive. It’s sad because his behavior IS his fault, but … he can’t see it, and if he can’t see it, he is a victim as well.
That's very profound and it's terrible how things take a hold of people and can affect the quality of their life. LOL at your kids' story.
Where's Daydreaming David today? You know we should form a collective and become David's manager/publicist.I'm sure we do do a whole lot better and I would come cheap. An occassional hug or kiss would keep me happy for months, well, in my dreams anyhow. I've posted way too much today!
I know, BF, I was wondering the same thing myself about DD. No you haven't posted too much!! We all enjoy your input!!
I'm here, I'm here! I'm feeling the warm and fuzzies, guys, thanks. :)
Now, about his management? In the paperback edition of "Could it be Forever", he says his manager was a fan named Melanie. From his wording, she requested the job. This must have been 2007 when the hardcover came out (I doubt there was much editing that went into the later paperback edition)? Has she been replaced by Jo-Ann Geffen?
Hi DD,
I’ve done a quick search and I see Jo-Ann mentioned as his publicist/manager as far back as 2000: Jo-Ann 2000.
The only Melanie I see connected with him if co-executive producer of Ask Harriet 1998. She is also a character in his biopic The David Cassidy Story.
Does he mention Jo-Ann at all in his book?
British Fan, what you said in your first post about remembering PF as something magical is very true. And it's actually something that David has said on numerous occasions.
In this video from the early 90s, David talks about what the PF meant to people (interview starts around 0:55). He says he's distanced himself from the show, gets it, etc. but I don't think he ever really believed it, you know? For one, the show could never have the same meaning to him as it did for its young viewers. And I'd actually be surprised if he has ever watched the whole series.
Hmm. Looking at the book credits, I see that I was mistaken in my dates. The paperback was first published in 2007.
Thanks for that info, Singmedavid. The last line of his acknowledgments is: "And, alas, special thanks to Jo-Ann, who has toiled through the long nights." I don't recall her name in the book and it's not in the index. Maybe I imagined a Melanie?
Melanie Green was his manager in the early 90's. She was British born but lived in L.A. When he was in Las Vegas there was someone named Linda Blum who worked with David's wife on some annual music thing in Las Vegas for undiscovered bands. He also had a p.a. in Las Vegas named Robin. Then in 2000 his manager/publicist became JoAnn Geffen. He has a new p.a. who was at the "Ruby" tapings, named Ashley Walls who also does his website.
Correction. Melanie Green was his manager from late 80's to early 90's. She had been a fan of his and they met at some event and she told him of her pr company and she wanted to be his. You can see her if you ever see the This is Your life David Cassidy. They are in the TV studio lobby in Los Angeles when the This Is Your Life host comes up to David.
Thanks for the info, Anonymous 7:46! Appreciate it. Does p.a. stand for personal assistant or press agent?
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