Michael Jackson and the Movies

Michael Jackson in The Wiz.

Michael Jackson only starred in one theatrical film, playing the role of The Scarecrow in The Wiz, starring opposite Diana Ross. His influence in movies though, is quite notable. He has been heard on soundtracks. He has sung theme songs. He perfected the art of the music video. His movie legacy though, may very well end up being the many parodies of him.

In 1976, Jackson, who never had a normal childhood himself, sung the theme song to the movie Ben. It is an ode to a rat. It singled Michaels first solo venture, as well as his odd penchant for animals. Some 20 years later he did the theme song to Free Willy about a boy and a killer whale.

His visual talent really came to light with music videos. With his Off The Wall album he made a couple of music videos that simply feature michael singing and dancing by himself. With Thriller Michael took videos to an entirely new level. His video for the title song is more of a short film than merely a video. It features a story line and plenty of dialogue. He would make several short music films including Moon Walker, featuring the hit song Smooth Criminal which is very reminiscent of Fred Astaires routine in The Bandwagon. Martin Scorsese directed his short film for his Bad video.

Jacksons videos got more elaborate. They featured many special effects such as the ground breaking morphing in Black or White. He also had several famous guest stars. Eddie Murphy is in Remember the Time. Marlon Brando appears in You Rock My World, which also contains Chris Tucker, who did an impersonation of Michael Jackson in Rush Hour.

Jackson provided the perfect bridge between classic Hollywood and the Mtv Generation. In a time when Hollywood had turned its back on musicals he carried the torch with his long form video extravaganzas. He was famously friends with Liz Taylor, Liza Minnelli and Marlon Brando. He was also a friend and mutual admirer of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. He made a point of meeting and befriending Hollywood royalty such as Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, whom he reportedly infuriated by asking for Greta Garbo's phone number.

Although Jacksons only other actual appearance in a major motion picture was a cameo in Men in Black 2, his likeness has continued to get screen time. He has been used for a cheap laugh in Scary Movie 3, Date Movie and Disaster Movie. Each sequence features a Jackson look alike and a child.

As very small children we watched the Jackson 5 on television and listened to their Christmas Album every December. Later we were in High School when Thriller changed the world. Michael Jackson broke down racial barriers in the 1980's. Before Eddie Murphy, Oprah, Michael Jordan, Will Smith and even Barack Obama, there was Michael Jackson moonwalking into immortality. He enriched so many of our youths that in death I hope the gloved one has finally found his missing childhood.