Cliff Gorman

In Angel Gorman represents the force of good and also hope of a normal life for Angel so he has to play this role pretty straight, unlike some other of his roles. The fact that he pulls off a reasonable Charlton Heston impression in a few scenes where instead of delivering dialogue he acts with a charisma that one could mistake as being wooden, shows talent that one doesn't appreciate until one sees him in other roles where he acts totally hip instead.

Based on his other roles Gorman must have been restraining himself in the role of Lt. Andrews. Although there are a few scenes, such as when he first meets up with Collins, where he shows a bit of playfullness that cracks the veneer of his square cop act of the rest of the movie.

All That Jazz (1979)

Gorman only has a couple of minutes of screen time but just like Dick Shawn in The Producers he makes the absolute most of it. The character he plays is a nightclub comedian that is totally unlike his role of Andrews in Angel, where based on a few scenes many may think he's a wooden actor. Anyone who thinks that needs to watch All That Jazz; his scenes confirm that he can act wooden but is really anything but.

Once I saw Gorman's performance in this movie it was clear to me that he was playing Andrews with restraint, a performance deliberately toned down to be slightly square but there are a few moments when some playfulness escapes into the character. It was those moments that made me think there was more to his acting ability than he showed in Angel, so I was glad when this movie proved it.

Night of the Juggler (1980)

Gorman's a good guy in Angel but here he's on the opposite side of the law playing a creepy kidnapper who has mistakenly kidnapped the wrong person. He has range; this character's not like Andrews or his comedian from All that Jazz. Gorman gets to let loose with all sorts of creepiness that should freak anyone out. This is a great counterpoint to his role as Andrews.

This movie features plenty of New York locations from the late 1970's with lots of car and foot chases on the streets. It's worth a watch for the story, characters, and locations.



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