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Monday, September 21, 2009
Steve Friedman, Mr. Movie, dies

WPHT has confirmed the death last night of Steve Friedman, the human version of IMDB known to radio listeners and cinephiles as "Mr. Movie."

The Harrisburg native, who was 62, hosted a call-in show on 1210 that aired Saturday nights. He previously was on WWDB. He's survived by his wife, Michell Muldoon, and teenage daughter, Darragh.

He'd been fighting kidney failure since 2004. He'd been in and out of the hospital for some time, and had been on dialysis awaiting a transplant. The death, though, was unexpected, according to his friends. No cause of death was announced.

He told interviewers that his favorite film was Forbidden Planet, the 1956 sci-fi version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, about space visitors who journey to an expatriate's one-man space colony on a far-flung planet. He saw it 178 times.

"The greatest thing in the world for him was being a expert in film," said Sharon Pinkenson, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. "It made him alive."

"Anyway you try to describe Mr. Movie, you come up short," said WPHT's Jim Murray.

In a clip from a 1987 Inquirer profile, the show went like this:

"I wanted to ask you about a movie," says a wee-hours caller named Bruce. ''I know it was low-budget, but I thought it was brilliant. It was called David and Lisa."

"David and Lisa is a classic film, 1962, was shot in Philadelphia," says Friedman. "Howard da Silva is no longer with us; he was a great actor, and he's the major star of the film. But Keir Dullea made his debut in the film, and so did Janet Margolin, who have both gone on to other careers.

"Keir Dullea, of course, is mostly famous playing David Bowman in 2001: A Space Odessy and 2010. And he went off to England between the two films and more or less threw his career away as a film star. But David and Lisa is a groundbreaking film about schizophrenia. "

No doubt you're saying to yourself, "Fool, knave, fraud, everybody knows that David and Lisa was shot in '62 but not released until '63. "

But bear in mind that Friedman, working without any reference books whatsoever, is talking off the top of his head. And he does this in phone call after phone call, often about movies the average filmgoer never even heard of.

Friedman simply knows these things. Names, dates, faces, directors, screenwriters, plots, even dialogue.

Right, dialogue.

Mention a movie to Mr. Movie and chances are he'll start spouting dialogue from the film.

Posted by Michael Klein @ 2:07 PM  Permalink | 36 comments
Comments   
Posted 02:56 PM, 09/21/2009
citizenkane
Your snippet is chillingly accurate. Yet he was not (and never came across as) a know-it-all. I never met someone who knew so much more about his topic than anyone who ever called him, yet was more pleasant in teaching you what he knew. He was the nicest talk show host to whom I ever spoke. He liked radio, he liked movies, and he liked people. Rest in peace good man.
Posted 03:22 PM, 09/21/2009
eaglesfillthesky
yeah, he was unbelievably knowledgeable. i didn't always agree with his opinions, but admired his ability. he was great.
Posted 03:45 PM, 09/21/2009
give me liberty or death
RIP mr. movie - enjoyed your show.
Posted 03:52 PM, 09/21/2009
Hulk
I used to listen to Steve on the way home from work on Saturday nights. I really enjoyed him. He seemed like a kind, and genuine human being. I'm really saddened to hear of his passing. God bless him and his family. Steve, you will be remembered and missed!
Posted 03:54 PM, 09/21/2009
adimike55
I've known Steve since 1984, though did not see him a lot in the last couple of years. Both he and my brother Tommy went through kidney failure, though my brother was luck enough to get a transplant match in 2004. Steve was genuine, and his knowledge was all real, and not by book. He would floor me with what he knew, and was also major history buff. He was no pretender, he was no egotist, and he truly loved his audience. He was a friend, and he was Philadelphia film. Damn, buddy, I will so miss you. Love to Michel and his family.
Posted 04:07 PM, 09/21/2009
Live
Sad to here. I really loved listening to him THANK YOU MR. MOVIE!!!
Posted 04:09 PM, 09/21/2009
Scott B.
What a shame. Irreplaceable. I spoke to him about the show in the lot outside of NBC 10 a few years back. The show had been taken off the air and was now back on, and he wanted to make sure I knew it was back. He was the "Rain Man" of moviedom, and I've never heard any reviewer recite information about film like he did. And he is gone way too young. My condolences to his family.
Posted 04:11 PM, 09/21/2009
NickEeee
RIP. Listening to Steve Friedman was a graet Philadelphia tradition, not any different than hearing Harry and Richie broadcasting the Phils. i am saddened that my children will never have that experience. My sincerest condolences to his friends and family.
Posted 04:11 PM, 09/21/2009
BillyBob369
Mr. Movie, Steve Friedman, was a good soul. Thanks for all the interesting moviebilia.
Posted 04:18 PM, 09/21/2009
lanzascat
very sad to read this...i knew he hadn't been well...i can still hear his voice accompanying a long ride home from a gig...gracious, knowledgeable, genuine, and enthusiastic. god bless and god speed mr. movie, your family will be in my prayers.
Posted 04:48 PM, 09/21/2009
Julius May
RIP mr. movie. We have lost several local broadcasting legends this year.
Posted 04:53 PM, 09/21/2009
ChrisOinYork
Rest in Peace, Mr. Movie. I spent soooooooo many nights as a teenager and young adult listening to your show on my headphones in bed at night. One of the greatest cinephiles ever. He will be truly, deeply missed.
Posted 05:01 PM, 09/21/2009
Irish Frank
Sad to read this. Thought I just heard him on the radio a week ago or so. RIP, Mr. Movie!
Posted 05:17 PM, 09/21/2009
fischman
Steve was so much better than all of those national "movie critics" who get all the attention. He was a everyman's critic who didn't try to impress everyone with his reviews and who wasn't afraid to say that he liked a movie that was just plain fun. Rest in peace, Mr. Movie. You were one-of-a-kind.
Posted 05:17 PM, 09/21/2009
theswabby
Paul Harvey (The Rest of the Story) in February, Fred "Sherrrman" last week, and now Steve Friedman. Voices so recognizeable you could tune your radio without looking at the dial! These men cannot be replaced. Steve's voice was like velvet, so smooth and reassuring. May God bless their families.
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About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/michael_klein.
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