Last night was cool. After attending the Car Show and snapping photos of the new Mustang GT and Dodge Charger and Ford GT 40 Coupe, I caught Sir Roger Norrington and the Cincinnati Symphony with the following concert program: Vaughan Williams: FANTASIA ON A THEME BY THOMAS TALLIS (1910); Haydn: SYMPHONY NUMBER 104 IN D MAJOR London;Beethoven: SYMPHONY NUMBER 7 IN A MAJOR, OPUS 92 (My very favorite). In heavy stopped traffic, people have to view a nut in a mini-SUV in front or behind them "conducting" without a baton as I blast the 7th on my CD player! Maybe I am naive. As I told a dear friend of mine, the "definitive" Beethoven 7th for me is Bernstein's "Final Concert" CD on the Deutsche Grammophone CD label when Leonard was at the end of his life. "Records and Review" gave it a fantastic rating. Sir Roger, on the other hand was different. He was so animated and humorous when some concert-happy people clapped after the First Movement! He turned around and raised an eyebrow with a smile and the whole concert hall laughed. No damage done. Hell, someone may have been at their first symphony concert and showed some "appreciation". After the Second Movement when the violators repeated their enthusiasm, Sir Roger did say: "Sorry, all!" I was in Row 6. He appeared by comparison, sparse, compared to Kerri-Lynn Wilson with his style of conducting, and quite often I felt like I was watching two television sets side-by-side: one with a 5 second delay and the other is in "Real Time". Well, it seemed Sir Roger was in "Real Time" but the symphony was on "delay". The tempo and overall interpretation under Sir Roger was a bit disappointing. But overall, he was a Joy! He was even into a sort of "Lenny dance" in the Beethoven, but he as I said, rushed through the 2nd and 3rd movements that sounded trunkated to Lenny's performance brought about a truly rollicking Finale that attacked "flat out" the way Steve McQueen was told to drive his Porsche at the very end of the movie "LeMans". Everyone has their own interpretation. I'm loyal to Lenny even though he was so ill at Tanglewood that night when the mobile recording units captured the performance. Sir Roger was otherwise delightful and for all intents and purposes this is only my opinion. In the future, I look forward to hearing this same favorite piece of music from other Guest Conductors. But again, Sir Roger was a pure delight and had a whimsical sense of humor that had me beaming. His personality was infectious!
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Afterwards, a cool friend of mine who sings in a Piano Bar part-time released a CD and I wanted to be there to support her. If she gives me permission, I'll share her name and website if she has one. She sings the same big band standards I sang for 3 years at two piano bars in Texas. So we swapped CD's. I traded an extra copy of JIM WEST's "Finished Business" and she gave me hers. We laughed about Cyndi Lauper's ' concert here when Cyndi sang an encore from the balcony between a couple seated there, because my friend sang to recorded accompaniment sitting on a bar rail for "mood". We laughed over a drink and I moved on to the British Pub and who did I run into? Bill and his lovely wife Cathy!
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Many of you may recall over the late part of last summer, I met an amazing man who was the first black Principal and later Superintendent during the violent 1960's of two high schools--two of the toughest high schools in Cincinnati! And what's most impressive, he turned both schools around long before Joe Clark! He'd walk the halls with a raised fist to "The Black Panthers" and walk a few more yards and give a "Peace Symbol" to the "Hippies". In short, Bill was a Leader; he was Everybody's Principal. Unfortunately, there aren't enough men like Bill in our world. He'd walk the streets after school let out at 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. everyday just to make sure the area merchants were not being harassed by the kids and that they in turn, were not harassing the kids. Bill went on to become a top-notch business consultant for a large company and I sought his advice on my upcoming travels to different cities. I feel so blessed to know friends like Bill and our mutual friends at the Pub! Yes we miss Jane from England badly. But we still have Paul, who makes us both feel like Hollywood movie stars whenever we come in! That's better than fame!! Great friends!!!
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By the way: Welcome a Genuine Legend to my site whom I've Blogged about and plan to repeat next week: JIM WEST.
Nearly anyone who has read this BLOGsite knows that I love animals enormously. So, today I have a subject to write about that we all confront, if not somewhat uncomfortably. "What is the best way to interact with a person using a Guide Dog?" I'm serious. Ask yourself this question. "Have I ever felt uncomfortable around a blind person with their Guide Dog?" If the answer is "No", then God Bless You! But if the answer is "Yes", then welcome to the human race! I have learned through personal experience, as a lover of people, that information is key to understanding the special bond a blind handler and a Guide Dog share. It's true.
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Labradors are my personal favorite dogs. They are highly intelligent and bond well with the blind. Both the blind person and the Guide Dog go through extensive training to work together as a team. This allows the person to determine the best destination and route while outdoors, maneuvering around obstacles, through crowds, and across streets. Not just any Lab can handle the job either. It takes hundreds of puppy raisers, staffers, volunteers, and donors to keep the team "guidedogging". Even the average "person on the street" has a place in this partnership. You and I can help by remembering these guidelines, and here are just a few I've learned:
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First, Guide Dogs should not be petted or disturbed while working in harness. This applies even when the dogs are not working. Ask for permission first.
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Second, I learned that if you want to assist a person with a Guide Dog, first ask, "May I help you?"IF your offer is accepted, then offer your LEFT elbow. Never grab the Guide Dog, their leash, harness or the person's arm. Doing so may place them in danger.
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Third, never feed a Guide Dog. They have a special prepared diet at home and additional feedings can throw off their work schedule. Aside from these basics, I've also learned a few other helpful things this year already!
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Obviously, every city has at least one moron who is impatient behind the wheel of a car. Even with the blind and their Guide Dogs. So needless to say, it is very bad to honk the car horn or call out directions. Handlers listen to traffic flow and other environmental sounds to decide when it's safe to cross a street (Contrary to what many believe, Guide Dogs can't read traffic lights!). But one fact many do not know is that Guide Dog teams have the right of way!
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Sometimes a Guide Dog will make a mistake, and a correction is necessary to keep up the training. This could be a verbal reprimand or a leash correction. Handlers have been taught the proper and humane training techniques to maintain their dogs' working standards. You may not perceive it as constructive, but the handler's are well trained and while we may not hear it aloud on the street, the Guide Dogs also get loads of praise when they do the right things.
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TheFederal Americans with Disabilities Act and State Laws explicitly grant the right of access for the blind and Guide Dogs everywhere the public is allowed. They are allowed into restaurants, offices, churches, hospitals and hotels. They travel on buses, in taxis and airplanes, shop at grocery stores, enjoy amusement parks, movies and concerts. Airlines usually will accept a "Guide Dog in Training". A select few will not, so they must check with the carrier first.
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Some final points that are cool: Introduce yourself when entering a room, and let the person know when you are leaving. Say the person's name, if you know it, so he realizes you are speaking to him. This is not to sound ridiculous, but I have witnessed this irestaurantsts where a companion jusgets's up and leaves! So...
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If you are leaving a blind person alone in an unfamiliar area, give him or her a point of reference, verbally or tactily, such as a counter, wall or piece of furniture.When speaking to a blind person, make an effort to be verbally descriptive. Instead of saying "over there" or "this way", try to give a more detailed picture of things, such as "thirty paces in front of you" or "turn right where the carpet ends".
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Back in High School on my Debate Team, I had a friend who was born blind. He was hilarious and often said things like "see you later", or "looks cool, right?". These sayings are just part of our verbal culture -- blind people use these common phrases too!
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So that's it for today. Saturday's are layed back in BLOGLAND and I felt this would be a great time to talk about what I myself recently learned! There is a ton of formal Orientation and Mobility (O & M) training. And new teams can take 6 months to a year to develop and learn to work "in sync". It's a little like learning to dance with someone. Compatibility is everything. Thank God for these Canines and the understanding of those of us who encounter them, blind men and women alike. With Guide Dogs they can continue their life goals of independence and mobility.
As the Winter Olympics draw to a conclusion, the timing of COOL RUNNINGS as our choice for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" couldn't be better! Yes, I admit, of course I planned it. What I DIDN'T plan on was the fact that on Saturday of this week, the American 4-man Bobsled team will give it their all and compete for the Gold! So, basically I did "luck out". But there was more to my motivation in selecting this movie. For one thing, it is based on a true story, and for another it is a movie the entire family can watch. There is some mild adult language laced here and there but truthfully, this is covered up a bit by the accents of four Jamaican athletes "going to the extreme" to compete as bobsled racers at the 1988 Winter Olympics. Everyone who isn't a millionaire can relate to this movie.
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For starters, the group has some personality issues to overcome with one another. Then there's the reality of "resources"; they haven't got any. Adding to this scenario is the fact that the four guys have virtually no clue about winter sports. Without meaning to make a pun, it is all uphill from here. But the primary reason I chose this movie of overcoming obstacles is that each of us has our own, and this is one hell of a motivation movie to remind us never to allow anything stand in our way. The four Jamaicans enlist the help of a down-and-out ex-champion American slider named Irv (played by the late John Candy). Irv is slowly drawn back to a sport he had come to loathe, after enduring the pain of his own failed career. But Irv is now faced with coaching a team of complete novices, and soon he realizes he cannot turn his back on them. He becomes committed and determined to turn them around and to somehow redeem his own career. There is a lot of good stuff here: Pride, Determination, and Dignity, as the bobsledders make their impossible dreams come true in Calgary, Canada.
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Directed by Jon Turtlebaum for Walt Disney Studios, sit back and enjoy this with someone you love!
P.S.: Some Upcheer: My Webmaster Jason Buckley and wife Anne became parents Sunday to an absolutely adorable baby girl and her name is Stella. See her beautiful photos at www.jasonbuckley.com/Stella . Or just Click onto Jason's Blog to the right margin here on my site! Congratulations Jason & Anne! Of course, this makes Bud and Cathy the youngest Grandparents I've ever known!
If you love Independent films, Eccentric Genius's, Foreign Film or just want to see something along the lines of a "Contrarian" you've come to the right place and boy do I have a surprise for you! This film stars Colm Feore and is Directed by Francois Girard and released by the Samuel Goldwyn Company.
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Throughout my years as a Classical Radio personality I never took more heat about any other artist than I did over my mischievous airing every other week of performances by Canadian musician and composer Glenn Gould, who blew the music world away in 1955 with an RCA recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Goldberg Variations" (that was included in the Time Capsule aboard the space ship Voyager). Glenn was born in Toronto in 1932. By age 3, it was rather obvious that he was a child prodigy; by age 12 he was performing professionally and went on to become one the world's most renowned classical performers, making more than 60 recordings, as well as working in the fields of publishing, conducting, radio and television broadcasting, and scoring feature films. Tragically, Gould died of a stoke in 1982 at the age of 50.
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This film is--as the tile gives away--broken up into 32 vignettes---"mirroring" for lack of a better word---the 32-part structure of Bach's "Goldberg Variations" (recently released on CD from the re-recording Gould made during the last year of his life in 1982) ranging in length from 1 minute to 6 minutes with an impressionistic look at a most misunderstood if not mysterious musician. One of the stories I told on radio concerned the disgust that the late Leonard Bernstein expressed when Gould arrived at Carnegie Hall in the middle of summer and reportedly stepped out of a Yellow Cab wearing Ray Ban sunglasses, a full length fur coat and gloves! Bernstein remarked that Gould "proceeded to thoroughly discredit himself".
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Oh well. Back to the film: Writer/Director Francois Girard presents a variety of snapshots, including recreations of actual events (flawlessly acted by Colm Feore). "As Gould was such a complex character, the biggest problem was to find a way to look at his work and deal with his visions. The film is built of fragments, each one trying to capture an aspect of Gould. There is no way of putting Gould in one box. The film gives the viewer 32 impressions of him. I didn't want to reduce him to one dimension", said Girard.
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If you've ever wondered what your friends who know you might say on film about your life after you are gone, you get a taste of it here with Gould's actual contemporaries and friends recalling memories of him that are fresh and inspiring! Each segment has a title. My personal favorite I'll share with you is "THE TIP"--which recalls how Gould consults his stockbroker over the telephone, defies his advice and makes a killing on the stock in question! For everyone who has ever suffered defeat at the hands of "The Power Elite" you will stand up and scream for Joy! Some of the episodes ARE funny. There are 5 interviews. Then there are segments with no dialogue and a close-up of his life reveals the subject we've all faced down: Loneliness. This is not to be missed or feared, however. Gould is quoted early-on with his ever-present music playing in the background: "I'm fortunate to have been brought up in an environment where music was always present."This is a movie to be savored not just by those who are familiar with the work of Glenn Gould, but by those of you that I hope will become more familiar with this rare musical genius.
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I can recall angry listeners--all men-- calling me and asking "Is this the Mendelssohn?", and I'd just play innocent and say "Of course". Caller: "Who the hell is the pianist?". I'd reply upbeat, "Glenn Gould!" (silence...) Caller: "Why is he playing this piece like that, the tempo is different; this wasn't the original arrangement". Me: "That's the genius of Glenn Gould! We're lucky his estate has just released this. Thanks for calling, I gotta run!" (I hang up). Oh, the morons! I'd dial the studio number and leave the phone off the hook until my back announcement was over. I called it "Access Control". But I had fun. Hey? How else do you handle arrogant guys-am I right? Of course!
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About Glenn's humor? Oh yeah, he had a great SENSE OF HUMOR! Here's a want ad he considers placing in the film: Gould: "Wanted: friendly, companionably reclusive, socially unacceptable, alcoholically abstemious, tirelessly talkative, zealously unzealous, spiritually intense, minimally turquoise, maximally ecstatic moon, seeks moth or moths with similar qualities for purposes of telephonic seduction, Tristanesque trip-taking, and permanent flame-fluttering, no photos required, financial status immaterial, all ages and non-competitive vocations considered, applicants should furnish sets of sample conversation with notarized certification of marital disinclination, references re: low decibel vocal consistency, itinerary and sample receipts from previous successfully completed out-of-town moth flights, all submissions treated confidentially..."
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Last Note/Confession: I worked with an aging hippy in Classical Radio who revealed that he heard Mahler's 6th Symphony at Boston's Tanglewood Festival from the lawn seating area and wept. I thought that was unusual and never fully understood it. When I left the movie theater after seeing this film, I climbed into my car and put the key in the ignition when the gravity of what I just saw suddenly affected me in the same way. And I don't mind sharing this with you: I wept! I told my colleague the next Monday night when he arrived for his overnight shift that I finally understood his story at Tanglewood. So, I hope you enjoy this masterpiece of JOY as much as I do!
What began as an idea during a drive back to Ohio from North Carolina became reality when five weeks ago I launched a "Virtual Film Festival" here to Honor the Life and Career of my favorite Actor Steve McQueen spanning 10 carefully selected films that hopefully familiarized many of you for the first time with the Legend the world knows as "The King of Cool". For others, my slot on "Friday Movie Suggestion Nights" was well spent with double-features that brought together the full range of this great American Actor, who along with Martin Landau, became only 2 of more than 2,000 applicants to the Lee Strassberg Actors Studio In New York City. I want to just thank each and every one of you who shared all of your positive comments and recollections on my BLOG. This was a special project for me that would never have been possible were I not "in transition" professionally, as many 18 to 20 hour days went into the planning of this series. Your Love and your Supportiveness made it possible for my small dream to come true. Lastly, I would like to thank a special new BLOG bud in Tricia of Wood Not Wood for stepping forward on her own initiative after recognizing from digging into my Archives that I don't currently have the software capability to upload images. She spent many hours from her home transferring and sizing images for me to evaluate and save. Tricia, I can't thank you enough for your Help, your Love and Patience! As my way of saying "Thank You" to all of you who read my BLOG, I've arranged posters of the films that became the "Virtual Film Festival" (scroll down) in Tribute to Steve McQueen and to the generosity of all of you--the Best Bloggers on the planet! Thank You and God Bless!
Producer/Director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill) describes our final selection for tonight: "That was a very sad, odd movie where this is the end. The mature Western figure at the end of his journey". Steve made one more movie after this one, a drama/comedy called "Hunter". Many of you will be rather shocked at Steve's physical appearance in this movie. He was in a great deal of pain and dying of Mesothelioma, a virulent form of Cancer associated with Asbestos. Yes, Steve was also a smoker and a drinker. But his life was one of "hard knocks". In the Marines, he once had to work in the bowels of a ship removing Asbestos without breathing equipment. He also worked in a tire factory. It is absolutely amazing to me that he made this film and one more while he was slowly dying. I should back up a bit.
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In 1974, Steve's paycheck for "The Towering Inferno" was 10 percent of the gross, which friend and Actor Robert Vaughn today says is an extremely difficult deal to make in Hollywood. Steve netted $14 Million (US) which today would exceed $32 million for one film. In a controversial move, Steve stopped acting for 4 years after finally finding his soul mate in a beautiful and talented model named Barbara Minty. Steve noticed her in a Hawaiian Tropic Ad display and said he wanted her to play "Pocahontas" in a project he had. According to Barbara their first date was a very casual dinner and then a long ride on Steve's motorcycle. It was "instant attraction". Barbara was not familiar with Steve as a Hollywood Legend. She knew next to nothing of his star status and often had to leave the room as he went over lines from scripts finding it hard to believe he was paid millions to act. Steve had one contractual obligation in 1978 with First Artists to make a film and he over-reached in the Doctor role of Ibsens classic "An Enemy of the People". But there were many changes taking place with McQueen. Steve began charging money to read scripts and otherwise indicated that he really just wanted to stop and enjoy the money from "The Towering Inferno".
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During the wedding ceremony, according to Barbara Steve appeared ill and she assumed it was just the Flu. Some time later, he stopped by Neille Adams home, and she was heartbroken to look out her front window to see Steve using a cane to walk up the driveway. Doctors felt he needed to leave the desert environment, so he and Barbara purchased a neat little house in Sao Paulo. While waiting for the house to be remodeled, they lived in Steve's airplane hanger where he had neatly assembled his toys from childhood, antique motorcycles, race cars and trucks. It was a happy time, but McQueen sensed instinctively that something was wrong with his health. One day Barbara found him alone far away from the house. He had taken a long ride on his motorcycle. She encouraged him to see a doctor. Biopsies revealed Mesothelioma and Steve was told he had a short time left to live.
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He made the film you are about to see, and "Hunter" a sordid story about a modern day Bounty Hunter who drove a 1952 Chevy convertible. Co-star and long-time friend Eli Wallach recalls,"He was just so happy to see me, I couldn't believe it! We hadn't seen each other in fifteen years and here I was a stage actor and Steve, the big star of Hollywood and by now at the top of his craft. But we knew he wasn't feeling well throughout the film. But we had no idea. One day, I'll never forget this--we were filming in a tall building and Steve looked out the window and watched a young guy in jeans and a T-shirt climb into a truck and drive off. And he said to me, 'You know what? That's what I want to do. Just fire everyone who works for me and just get in a truck and drive away".
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Steve was so happy at the small ranch house with his horses and his wife. Steve who as born Catholic, became a born-again Christian along with encouragement from his wife Barbara and Steve's flight instructor Sammy Mason. So, Steve began to read The Bible regularly. Chad McQueen, Steve's son recalled a routine where he started to take him to church at 6 AM for the service on Sundays, and while at church Steve pointed out all the girls that he thought Chad should talk to. Then by 8 AM they would drive to a Circle K, buy a 12 pack of beer and split it! Unrelated to Steve's conversion, Rev. Billy Graham visited Steve in Mexico during his Cancer treatments.
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The Plot: McQueen starred in and executive-produced a gritty, exciting recreation of real life Legend Tom Horn, a well-known former government army scout hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but later finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job too well. Tom Horn finds that the simple skills he knows are of no help in dealing with the ambitions of ranchers and corrupt officials as progress marches over him during the turning-of-the-century Old West. Cast: Linda Evans, Richard Farnsworth, Billy Green Bush and Slim Pickens (also memorable in the final scene of "The Getaway"). Directed by William Wiard. .
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I'll conclude here at least by mentioning that after Steve received his diagnosis, he asked his wife Barbara "Well, do you want to spend it out here or should we try and get well?" Her immediate answer was "Try and get well". During the latter part of 1980 Steve recorded an audio tribute to all of his life-long fans from his hospital bed in an Alternative Cancer Clinic located in Juarez, Mexico thanking them for their years of loyalty and assuring them that he would get better. Ali MacGraw happened to be driving her car when she heard Steve's raspy, weak voice on the news over the car radio, pulled the car off the road and wept. After enduring a harsh regimen of coffee enemas, mega-doses of vitamins and Laetrile Steve elected a radical surgery to remove the tumors. Neille Adams after visiting Steve with their children in Mexico consulted her own doctor who said "He'll never survive that surgery". Terry McQueen, Steve's late daughter, asked him at the time why he was putting himself through all of that hell. Steve answered. "Don't you know?...... I'm doing it for both of you!" (his kids). Following surgery to remove a 5 found tumor from his abdomen, on November 8, 1980 Steve McQueen died of a massive heart attack. He was just 50.
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The intense and powerful opening of this little seen movie is as unforgettable as the man himself. Our Final Film of the "Virtual Film Festival" Honoring Steve McQueen. And a damn good one at that: TOM HORN.
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February 12th and 13th will close The Festival with a Special Message I prepared with quotations from Steve, son Chad and wife Barbara.
In 1974 and Steve McQueen's life changed quite a bit. Now married to Ali MacGraw he was billed with Paul Newman in Irwin Allen's production of:
THE TOWERING INFERNO.
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While this may be a bit difficult to understand, I struggled--actually agonized to be perfectly honest about it--over selecting "The Thomas Crowne Affair" with Faye Dunaway or "LeMans", a film that meant more to Steve than just about anything. It was around this time frame after "Bullitt" that friends noticed another side that had taken over Steve's persona. Some recall him difficult to work with, edgy, unpredictable and of course ridden with turmoil. In "Crowne" director Norman Jewison worked frantically hard with Steve who typically never worn a suit and tie before playing the role of a millionaire about to embark on a heist with Faye Dunaway. I wanted our Festival to have range and depth but not bordering on strained casting. With "LeMans" Steve enlisted the technical assistance of real-life LeMans Champion racer Peter Revson. Tensions flared with director John Sturges who came to view the film as a Character--driven story where Steve was intent on making an authentic movie about car racing. Schedules, budgets and Steve's insistence on authenticity and many multiple takes finally took its toll with Sturges feeling that McQueen had lost his focus with the stardom and endless women on the set. In a fit of pique Sturges blew up and yelled: "I'm too old and too rich to put up with this bullshit!" and threw the script in the air before walking off the film set for good. "The Getaway" and "Papillon" followed in 1972 and 1973, respectively. In 1974 Neille Adams, Steve's first wife and mother of their children daughter Terry (deceased) and son Chad received a visit from Steve at her house. According to Neille, Steve wanted her input on a new film."They've offered me theArchitect part", he said. "But I don't want it. I want The (Fire) Captain". Neille recalls laughing incredulously wondering why Steve would want a smaller part. There had to be a reason. She read the script and saw what it was. The dangerous action sequences. Again, the pattern was pure McQueen. Stealing the show away from Paul Newman half-way into the film. When United States theater audiences saw Steve appear on the screen they burst into thunderous applause; they couldn't get enough of him!
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Okay, here's The Plot: Architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) returns from a long vacation to find work nearly completed on his glass skyscraper that stands 138 stories tall. He goes to the party that night concerned because he's found that his wiring specifications have not been followed and that the building continues to develop short circuits. When the fire begins Michael O'Halleran (Steve McQueen) is the chief on duty as a series of daring rescues punctuate the terror of a building too tall to have a fire successfully fought from the ground burns.
This is the FINAL WEEK of the "Virtual Film Festival" Honoring the life and artistic contributions of my favorite actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980). The scheduling in my personal career enabled me to undertake this project and I am very grateful to have had the time to pull together all of the components to complete this task from an artist whose work spans 30 films. It was quite a stretch to select just 10 films back in December when I decided to go forward with the idea. I have done so with the greatest of respect to a very complex man who continues to touch millions of lives, even 25 years after his passing. He is a "Legend". Just to recap...
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On Thursday, February 9th I will post our final two film pairings. The Festival will Officially Close with a very special and poignant BLOG post on Sunday, February 12th and Monday, February13th. There will be no further posts after this run has ended. This has been very rewarding for me.
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Ever the promoter, of course I'm back to bug (Ahem!) ...remind you that THE GETAWAY and PAPILLON (left) are the choices in our second to last week of the "Virtual Film Festival". Next week will be very special and I'm SO excited about it! Thursday February 9th, I'll post our FINAL two Steve McQueen selections. And then a very special post of Steve's thoughts recorded on audio tape during his final days which are heartwarming. I'll post these on February 12th & 13th.
Let me give you 2 hints about the FINAL FILMS! (1.) Actress Linda Evans recently mentioned one of them on "Larry King Live". Oh, C'mon! Everybody watches Larry King, right? (2.) According to Neille Adams-Toffler (Steve's first wife) the audiences in theaters nation-wide here in the USA cheered wildly when Steve came on-screen. So yes. We are going out big next week. How big?
Really BIG!
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Today, I want to "throw open the kimono" and ask you to share anything that is on your mind. The floor is yours...
It's 1972, and Steve McQueen is tapped by Director Sam Pechinpah to play master thief "Doc" McCoy in THE GETAWAY. The film opens on location in Huntsville Penitentiary in Texas where McQueen spent two weeks with real inmates to gain the authenticity to bring across his character of a complex bank robber who thinks twice and decides once with razor sharp instincts. Filming concluded in El Paso. At the time of this movie, Ali MacGraw was married to Paramount Studios boss Robert Evans. It was Evans who suggested that MacGraw be given a chance to play McCoy's wife"Carol". Interestingly, in her real-life autobiography, MacGraw recalls that she knew she was in real trouble within days of filming, as a powerful love affair ensued with McQueen off screen and made for troubling gossip in the media. Helicopters flew over the film crews daily trying to capture photos of the duo.
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The plot: McCoy tells his wife to get word to influential Sheriff Benyan who has considerable influence with the prison Parole Board that he's "for sale". A deal is struck where McCoy is told to plan an elaborate bank heist with Benyan's goons. When the heist goes awry, the heat gets turned up as McCoy discovers "the price" Carol paid Benyan to extract his freedom. This tension in the plot must be resolved if their marriage is to remain intact. With relatively little acting experience, McGraw had to learn rather quickly how to drive a getaway car and handle a gun. This role was quite a stretch from 1970's "Love Story".
McCoy is a bank robber who nevertheless follows his own moral code. Interesting note: Actor James Garner who was visiting a friend on the set, was enlisted by long-time McQueen stunt coordinator Carey Loftin to use his driving skills. He is driving the Orange colored VW as McQueen and MacGraw are escaping town. A violent film, McQueen acceded to Peckinpah's insistence that once out of prison the McCoy character would need to go slower in the romance scenes with Carol. The obvious on-screen chemistry between McQueen and MacGraw resulted in a real life divorce for MacGraw from Evans and as MacGraw writes in her autobiography, the end of her rising star career in Hollywood as well. After she married McQueen, he insisted that she not act anymore. Her career never recovered. Their real life mercurial marriage lasted five years. A gripping action film,THE GETAWAY still holds up better than the 1994 remake with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. Quincy Jones was Nominated at The Golden Globe Awards (c) in 1973 for "Best Original Score", and the movie WON The Golden Reel Award for "Best Sound Editing Feature Film--Unknown" by The Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA.
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In 1973, PAPILLON produced one of the most interesting pairings of actors at key career junctures Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Filming took place in Spain and Jamaica. The title literally translated means "butterfly"--as noted by the tattoo McQueen's character wears on his chest. The film is based on Henri Charriere's true life story of life in the notoriously brutal French penal colony in 'Guiane' (French Guiana, South America) on "Devil's Island". Henri is wrongly convicted of murder. Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, and Little Big Man) plays Dega, Charriere's scruffy but brilliant friend. Together, the greatest adventure of escape is carefully planned. The Casting includes: Steve McQueen:Henri 'Papillon' Charriere, Dustin Hoffman: Louis Dega, Victor Jory: Indian chief, Don Gordon: Julot, Anthony Zerbe: Toussaint Leper Colony chief, Directed byFranklin J. Schaffner. Vic Tayback (billed as Victor Tayback, played the informant in the film "Bullitt") and character actor Don Gordon return in new roles. Gordon is most noteworthy as the Sergeant. Steve McQueen was Nominated for "Best Motion Picture Actor-Drama" at TheAcademy Awards (c) in 1974 and Jerry Goldsmith received the Nomination for "Best Music--Original Dramatic Score". The sheer dynamics, according to Don Gordon, of younger rising star Dustin Hoffman often led McQueen to quip, "The young guys are coming up". Equally unpredictable, Hoffman reportedly kept McQueen on his toes asking, "What's Dustin doing today?" during shooting. The first day of shooting where Hoffman's "Dega" character wears the Coca-Cola bottle-thick lens glasses, McQueen was incredulous. "He's wearing what!" However, just as McQueen had done in years past with minor roles next to major stars such as Yul Brenner in "The Magnificent Seven" or with Frank Sinatra in "Never So Few" when he managed to steal the movie out from beneath those stars, he worked that much harder not to upstaged by an equally-driven Hoffman in this movie project and the two became good friends.
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Two completely different "getaway" stories set in different centuries! Next week will bring our "Virtual Film Festival" to its conclusion. Popcorn, anyone? Yes? Okay...
Basically, I'm a Public Relations Consultant with a background in Broadcast News. I've worked as a Reporter and Anchor with PBS, ABC, CBS & NBC affiliates and in Cable Television. I'm active in Radio & Television Commercials, Guest Speaking engagements and I enjoy writing, music and sports.
