James Brady Hails TV Portrayal of Shooting

At premieres for films in which actors are impersonating famous people, it’s good form to talk about how much the actors had captured not only the look, but the essence of their real life counterparts.

“They have it down to a T. It was actually pretty scary,” said James Brady.

The occasion was Tuesday night’s “special preview screening” of “Without Warning: The James Brady Story,” a television biography of Brady, who was shot while he was Ronald Reagan’s press secretary.

The picture dealing with the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan and Brady’s subsequent paralysis and recovery screened at the Director’s Guild of American Theatre in West Hollywood with a reception afterward featuring a buffet of quiche, chicken, salmon terrine and desserts.

The film airs later this month on HBO.

“The first time we saw the movie was when HBO sent over a videocassette. We watched it at a dinner party at our house with my doctor. He said they even had the actual medical situation down as well,” Brady said.

Guests at the reception included James and Sarah Brady and their son Scott, 12; “Without Warning” stars Beau Bridges and Joan Allen, director Michael Toshiyuki Uno and actors Jeff Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, Ted Shackelford, Taylor Negron, Adrienne Barbeau and Lolita Davidovich.

Besides the Brady family, “Without Warning” featured actors portraying the Reagans and John Hinckley.

Although they were invited, the former first family didn’t make the screening, but Sarah Brady said the Reagans had invited them for tea on Thursday afternoon.

For Sarah Brady, the film’s completion came just as her years of campaigning for a seven-day waiting period for purchase of handguns seems to have a chance to pass through Congress.

“Most of the National Rifle Assn. supports the Brady bill,” she said.