Aiken Standard
Caan’s ‘Boys’ Character Not Likable
December 1, 1991
BOSTON – James Caan said his character in ‘For The Boys” isn’t a likable guy. He plays Eddie Sparks, a song and-dance womanizer in a love hate relationship with performer Dixie L e o n a r d, por t r ayed by Bette Midler.
“His l i fe is that stage, and eve r y t h i ng e l se is f o r e p l a y. There’s a certain majesty about that,” Caan said in an interview published Saturday in the Boston Herald.
Partly because of the movie’s World War II setting, Eddie echoes Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby and other war-era entertainers. But Caan said he didn’t model Eddie on any of them.
“I didn’t want to be influenced by anybody, to sound like anybody or look like anybody else,” Caan said.
He prepared by watching old newsreels and war movies, as Midler did, he said.
