FILMS and TV… Tributing Meat Loaf with Two Wee Appetisers from His Acting Career

#1970s #1990s

A memorable Meat Loaf as just one ingredient in two All-Star concoctions…

Meat Loaf makes the cut in both a film and a TV episode with some bite.

Rocky Picture Show

Tales from the Crypt

I was shocked and sad to learn about the passing of Meat Loaf. I always remember him as the man who delivered his songs with a near-unique operatic voice and he had some cool pop videos. His songs included Bat Out of Hell and Anything for Love. And looking through his filmography, it seems that in two acting roles, Meat Loaf was added to the menu…

The Rocky Picture Show (1975)…

Rocky Horror Picture Show-Hot Patootie-Bless my soul, Graylandertagger

My first memory of Meat Loaf was in an acting role in The Rocky Picture Show, a horror comedy film and this film was a tribute to those B movies. In this film musical, narrated by Charles Gray, Meat Loaf starred alongside Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry. The plot tells how after a newly engaged couple Brad and Janet (Bostwick and Sarandon) run out of petrol, they visit a castle to ask to use their phone for help.

There they meet the transvestite pansexual Frank N Furter (Tim Curry), who is holding a conference there with his really horror-fic friends. Wikipedia describes Frank N Furter HERE as,

an apparently mad scientist who actually is an alien transvestite who creates a living muscle man named Rocky in his laboratory.

As Eddie, Meat Loaf literally crashes into the movie – on a motorbike – as this ex-delivery boy. Meat Loaf then adds that voice to the musical numbers with his rendition of Hot Patootie. After his character is murdered in a jealous rage by Frank, Eddie… let’s say… adds his brains and brawn to this horror B movie tribute. And character’s presence is also seen later in this film…

Meat Loaf made his film acting debut in this film. Eddie was a role he had played in the original stage production in Los Angeles. IMDb states HERE that Meat Loaf reported that Elvis Presley had originally been keen to take this role as Eddie.

This IMDb page also adds that Meat Loaf had expressed an interest in a dual role in the film. He was reported to say that he was “disappointed” that he could not play Eddie’s uncle, Dr Everett V Scott. This uncle character is seen in later scenes, and often this dual role is played by the same actor. This site quotes him saying,

“I said you’re making a huge mistake and I still think they did, even though the actor was fine. The way it was in the play was that Eddie and Dr Scott really looked alike, so you knew it was his nephew…”

Tales from the Crypt What’s Cookin’ Se 4 Ep 6 (1992)…

Tales.From.The.Crypt.S04E06 – .Whats.Cookin – part 1/2, BestMoviesCinema

In the second of two memories of Meat Loaf, he had a small role in this TV anthology series. This episode had a plot with a twist or two before the credits. He stars alongside Christopher Reeve, Judd Nelson and Bess Armstrong. The story tells of Fred (Reeve) and Erma (Armstrong), who owns a restaurant with a menu of nothing but squid recipes.

They employ a drifter Gaston (Nelson) as their cleaner. Fred and Erma are out of ideas on how to make their restaurant successful. They often only have a few customers and are running their business at a loss. Gaston says he has a few ideas of how they can improve the menu, but Fred turns him down. Later Gaston propositions Erma and he discovers she has a gun for protection. She’s flattered at his attention but doesn’t take him up on it.

Meanwhile, this couple’s Southern-accented landlord Chumley (Meat Loaf) visits Fred for the rent money. And we discover this married pair are way behind with their rent payments. Chumley threatens them with eviction and says he will return the next day. Fred loses his temper and attacks his landlord with a meat cleaver, hurting Chumley’s hand. The aftermath of this incident is witnessed by Gaston and his homeless friends.

The next day, there are some fresh steaks in the freezer, as Gaston says he has taken the initiative to add something different to the menu. After serving this food up it’s a success and the cop is now an even more regular customer. Then he tells Fred that Chumley’s blood has been found at a crime scene but not his body. And Fred discovers to his horror just how Gaston has made a killing for his now successful restaurant…

This was a fun role for Meat Loaf, and surprisingly his food-inspired name was not added as a pun in the script. Especially when you see the remaining parts of his character in this episode. But he plays his role with relish, and you can tell he enjoyed playing this role with his crazy script. His accent is one that Daniel Craig and Leonard DiCaprio would be proud of after seeing their unforgettable Southern drawls in Knives Out (2019) and Django Unchained (2012) respectively.

After watching this episode, you might just think twice before ordering a steak, even if you are on a date with a loved one. As in the words of this singer, and sometimes actor;