INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS TRACY MANN

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actress Tracy Mann, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Tracy has acted in many motion pictures over the years such as HARD KNOCKS, GOING DOWN, FAST TALKING, THE BOX [my review of the film can be found here] RECKLESS KELLY, FELONY, SLEEPING BEAUTY, ANGEL OF MINE and TOP END WEDDING. Tracy has also been very active in theatre over the years, starring in many notable plays and musicals. In this interview Tracy will be discussing her part in THE BOX movie, acting, cinema, theatre, and television.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Tracy!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actress?

Tracy: When I was 4 I believe I said to my parents ‘I want to be an actress’! My mother thought I’d grow out of it. I never did!

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Tracy: I come from the school of hard knocks. Drama classes as a child, then as a teenager with the Saturday Company, a branch of the SATC in Adelaide. I went straight from my final exam in high school to rehearsals at the Adelaide Festival Theatre for Winnie the Pooh. I joined Actors Equity then.  It was 1973.  I finally began studying in London with Phillipe Gaulier in the 90s. I have worked with many wonderful teachers over the years. Lindy Davies being one.

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Athan: Your performance as Tina Harris in THE BOX could be described as being the film’s conscience, providing it with a sympathetic moral centre among the movie’s derring-do. What is it that you most enjoyed about playing Tina in THE BOX movie?

Tracy: You must remember, I was 17 years old when I did THE BOX movie. So everything was exciting and new and fun. We were on location at Eildon Weir staying in a local motel and Graham Kennedy was in the room next to me. He arrived in his Rolls Royce. But Tina, was a great role for me because we grew together. Her journey was mine. A fortunate beginning to my career.

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Athan: THE BOX had an excellent ensemble cast including Ken James, Paul Karo, Barrie Barkla, Lois Ramsey, and Fred Betts. What was it like working with these performers in the film?

Tracy: In my day, (I feel I can say that at my age!) actors working in soap were older and very experienced and many were theatre actors.  So I learnt professionalism from these wonderful actors and actresses. That was my ‘acting school’. Also working for 18 months on the series gave me muscle to act swiftly and decisively.  And learn lines quickly.  And forget them just as fast!

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making THE BOX movie?

Tracy: Everything was exciting in those days!!

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming THE BOX movie?

Tracy: I reiterate, I was a mere 17. Demanding and emotionally satisfying weren’t yet terms in my lexicon! But I will say when Ken James dropped his towel, it was A SHOCK!!! 

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from THE BOX?

Tracy: I remained friends with Lois Ramsey until she passed away. She was a very dear and valued presence in my life.

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Athan: THE BOX was directed by Paul Eddey, who mainly directed and produced episodic television, and for whom THE BOX was his sole movie credit. How was the experience of being directed by Mr Eddey in THE BOX?

Tracy: As it was my first movie too, I had nothing to compare the experience to. But I remember he was a very nice man.

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Athan: You have been in many stage plays over the years, with ‘The Graduate’, ‘Minefields & Miniskirts’, ‘Two Weeks With The Queen’, ‘Noises Off’, ‘Blithe Spirit’, just some of the productions in which you have starred. What is it about the theatre that you most enjoy?

Tracy: Collegiality. Community. Immediacy. Working with great texts, and time to rehearse and explore. Audience response. Not the nerves, or the late nights though!

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Athan: In addition to film and the theatre, you have also acted in a multitude of television series over the years, with classic programs such as The Box, Matlock Police, The Young Doctors, The Sullivans, Prisoner, Sweet & Sour, Skirts, Janus, G.P., and more recently on Wonderland, and Rake and Five Bedrooms. In terms of comparing and contrasting acting on film, and acting on television, what differences are most evident from your experience?

Tracy: Film and television acting requires subtly, small gestures, minimal expressions. You can be quiet. And redo take after take. Theatre requires muscle, vocal and physical presence. Working with the audience, their breath, their laughter. It involves stage craft, finding your light, sharing intimate moments with 500 people demands different skills to film and television. But all mediums need ‘truth’.  Putting your attention on the ‘other’. And being present. Listening. LISTENING is key.

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Athan: In 1980 you won the AFI (Australian Film Institute) Award for Best Actress in feature film HARD KNOCKS. How did it feel to be acknowledged in this manner for your performance in the movie?

Tracy: It was a very special moment to hear my name called out. I remember bursting out of my seat in the (now sadly demolished) Regent Theatre in Sydney and running up the aisle in my Linda Jackson green silk chiffon sheath! Glorious. I hadn’t prepared a speech but blurted out ‘thank you, thank you THANK YOU’, with beautiful Michele Fawdon and a spritely oldish Kirk Douglas presenting my award.  You even got a monetary award in those days. Mr Douglas presented me with a $2,000 cheque and whispered, ‘you’re on your way kid’.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Tracy: Yes I do, but in this climate, I think it’s prudent to keep things a bit quiet.  So much can change.  Nothing set in stone.  But I’ll work for as long as I’m asked. I’m grateful to be able to participate in interesting projects and meet new creative people and still learn. It’s an adventure.

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Thank you so much today for your time Tracy, and for the astute insight you have provided into the art of acting, THE BOX, cinema, theatre, and television. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR MALCOLM DANARE

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Malcolm Danare, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Malcolm has acted in many motion pictures over the years such as FLASHDANCE, CHRISTINE, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE [my review of the film can be found here] NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION, INDEPENDENCE DAY, GODZILLA, and AMERICAN JUSTICE, to name a few examples. He has also been involved in filmmaking in the capacity of producer, with a film in post-production at the moment. In this interview Malcolm will be discussing his role in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, acting, his producing work, and voice acting.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Malcolm!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Malcolm: I had always been somewhat of a ‘ham-bone’ in high school. I liked to make people laugh. The first time I acted in front of an audience was in a talent show at school. The fellow I acted with was named Richard. We did a scene from Monty Python. It was the ‘dead parrot skit’. We came in first place! That was the first time I realized what a thrill it was to memorize lines and actually act them out. I knew at that point, I ‘might’ have what it takes to pursue this thing they call “ACTING!

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Malcolm: There was a brief moment that I studied at, The Lee Strasberg Institute. Then realized that most of the students that were there, were a whole lot more driven and dedicated than me, so I quit. When I graduated high school, I wanted to get a job, so I started working at a small clothing store called Miller’s Outpost. About four months of working there, I received a phone call from my father. He said that he had met a gentleman who had broken down in his rent-a-car. My father at the time owned a taxi cab company. So, as he was driving one of his cabs back to the garage, he noticed a man on the side of the road (SUNSET BOULEVARD) flagging him down. My father drove over and helped the man. The man said, “Can you please take me to Paramount Studios, I’m already 30 minutes late”. As the two started chatting in the cab, my father asked the man, “what did he do for a living?” The man said, I’m a director and I’m here in Los Angeles for a few days, casting a movie. My father instantaneously said, “My son’s an actor”! My father was referring the talent show I had done in high school and the two months of studying I did at the Strasberg Institute. The gentleman asked to see a picture of me, my father showed him and the gentleman said, “I would like to meet your son”. The gentleman who broke down in in car was, FRANC RODDAM, director of The Lords of Discipline.

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Athan: Your performance as Poteete in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE was one of its finest assets, a stunning portrayal of a young military student under tremendous strain in extraordinary circumstances. What it is that drew you to the part of Poteete?

Malcolm: What drew me to the role of Poteete, is the belief that Franc Roddam had in me playing that amazing role. I had never acted in front of a camera before, I thought that it would be terrifying, little did I know, it would be the single most exciting thing I would ever do. Even to this day, I love hearing the word “ACTION”!

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Athan: THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE had a strong cast including David Keith, Ric Rossovich, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Michael Biehn, and Robert Prosky. What was it like working with these performers?

Malcolm: I remember during the audition period of LOD, all the different actors coming in to audition for particular roles. As far as I know, I might have been the first actor cast. Because I had no agent or manager, I constantly had to keep in touch with the casting director. Who is the great Ellen Chenowith. As the weeks went by, I had to audition with several different actors auditioning for the role of Will McLean. Michael Biehn was first choice of Franc’s from the second I was brought on. So, after the fame and popularity of ‘Officer and a Gentleman’, David Keith was set on to play the lead role. I loved working with David Keith and Michael Biehn. Both wonderful actors.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: I loved working in the United Kingdom. It was a three-month shoot. One of the things I loved the most about working in London England was that 80 percent of my family lived there. So, after a hard day of shooting, I would go to a relative’s house, instead of the hotel. I also met my first girlfriend at the time, Shelley.

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Athan: You had many intense scenes in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE which were riveting to witness. For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: The two scenes I remember like they were shot yesterday are… When, PIG, Rick Rossovich beats the living hell out of me and WILL, David Keith tells me that, “I have to be a man, if I want to stay in the institute”. FYI? That was the first time I had ever acted in front of a camera, doing that particular scene. The second scene I remember well is, being on the ledge of a three-story building. There was a lot of dialogue that needed to be said and a whole lot of concentrating not to fall off. Ps… there was scaffolding below, we were always safe.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: I have always stayed in touch with the wonderful, FRANC RODDAM. He will always be my mentor and hero. He gave me my break and I’ll never forget that! Whenever I am in the UK we get together, he took me out for my 55th birthday a few years back. I speak with Michael Biehn every so often and even Judge Reinhold.

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Athan: THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE was directed by Franc Roddam in his second directorial effort, also helming QUADROPHENIA, ARIA, THE BRIDE, WAR PARTY, and K2. What was it like being directed by Mr Roddam in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: Franc is a sensational director. He knows how to work with an actor, to get out of them exactly what he needs for the scene and the film itself. There are many directors I have worked with the love camera angles, weird lighting. Franc Roddam knows what he wants and Franc knows how to get it!!

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Athan: You have acted in the capacity of producer on several movies over the years such as THE TAKER, AMELIA 2.0, and currently on CHASTISE. Which film so far has given you the most satisfaction in terms of being producer?

Malcolm: I really do love all of them. There is a certain satisfaction of producing a film and then seeing it on the screen. There is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

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Athan: One of the reasons Poteete is so vivid to watch in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is in part due to the use of his voice, which alternately expresses a gamut of emotions such as fear, sadness, and apprehension. You have been a voice actor on many television productions such as Ever After High. What is it that you most love about being a voice actor?

Malcolm: I absolutely love voice over work. It’s interesting, I’m always playing young people. I guess that’s because I have a high voice. Even at the age of 59, when I’m on the phone with someone I don’t know, like a phone company rep, or a representative from my bank, they will still say, “one moment Mrs”.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Malcolm: I have two television projects that I have written and will be producing. I also have two features that we are shopping.

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Thank you so much today for your time Malcolm, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, cinema, production, and being a voice actor. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Malcolm Danare links

*Malcolm Danare IMDb Actor Page

*THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE movie IMDb page

*Malcolm Danare Instagram page

*Malcolm Danare twitter page

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR SCREENWRITER DAVID SALE ABOUT HIS NOVEL'S ADAPTATION INTO A TELEMOVIE

I am very happy today to welcome back screenwriter David Sale to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. David has been on the blog previously elaborating about his screenwriting for the NUMBER 96 movie, and many other topics; the interview can be found here. In this post David will be discussing his experiences with Hollywood, documented in his book Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me, specifically writing his first novel, Come to Mother, which was picked up by Universal Studios for the movie rights after its publication. 

Welcome back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS David!

Athan: Before the immense success of NUMBER 96 on television, you wrote your first novel, Come to Mother, the book being quickly optioned by Universal Studios after its publication. What circumstances led you to write your first book?

David: We were just into the ’70’s. My stage revue “Lie Back and Enjoy It” was in a successful run at the Richbroke Theatre in Sydney. I had been a journalist, an actor, a satirical writer, and now a producer/director for both Television and the stage. I needed to try something different. “What should I do now?” I asked my literary agent, Peter Grose of Curtis Brown. “Write a book,” he replied. “Write a book that has nothing to do with Australia and make it a sure-fire movie property.”

I had recently read “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin and was knocked out by its thrilling originality. I knew that I wanted to equal its originality, not write some hackneyed plot about a serial killer on the loose, beautiful women being stalked and menaced, or a cliche ‘who-dunnit’. Even in those days these themes had been exploited endlessly.

Instead, I looked towards recent scientific developments - not science fiction, but the world of science fact and actual developments that prompted the question “I wonder what would happen if…..”

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Athan: Your novel had the topic of cryogenics, something which was not talked about much in the early 1970s, as its basis. How much research into the subject did you undertake in order to write about this very sensitive subject?

David: I have to confess research isn’t one of my strong points, but in the case of cryogenics it took just a couple of articles to background me in the theory. The idea of freezing someone who’d died from a fatal disease, keeping the body from deteriorating with zero temperatures and then ‘thawing it’ when a cure for the fatal disease is found and restoring the patient to healthy life, totally intrigued me. I thought: “I wonder what would happen if…the body was kept frozen for years, then restored to life looking exactly the same as when it died to find the world it knew had moved on. In other words, like “Rip Van Winkle.” In my plot, a beautiful young wife and mother with two toddler daughters is afflicted with a fatal disease. Her already-wealthy young husband has her cryogenically frozen. Sixty years later, yes, sixty! , she is returned to life, still young and beautiful, to be confronted by two elderly daughters and a senile millionaire husband. In screen casting of the era, I imagined, say, a young and beautiful Mia Farrow as the mother of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (in their “Baby Jane” images.). A bizarre situation to say the least!

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Athan: The book cover of Come to Mother featured a model barely concealing her chest, which is indeed a provocative image. How much creative input did you have into the type of cover that would be produced for your novel?

David: I had absolutely no say in what went on the cover of this or any of the other novels I wrote. In my experience, that was entirely the domain of the publisher. Athan, you obviously saw the paperback cover of “Come to Mother” which featured a naked girl (her breasts discreetly covered) encased in a block of ice, which at least was a nod to the theme of cryogenics. The hard-back cover, which of course came out first, featured - for no reason - an actual picture of a naked adult girl (again with private parts cleverly hidden) sitting cross-legged like a naughty child and ripping a doll to pieces! Don’t ask me why.

Strangely, neither of these covers raised a murmur, although they may have influenced the excellent sales.

The only controversy associated with “Come to Mother” came from one of its sub-plots which had a black guy, George, having an affair with a white woman. The publishers insisted that I turn George white, to “ensure the book’s successful distribution in South Africa.” Not being a racist, I said “To hell with that” and refused to make the change.

The dispute made the newspapers, with one memorable headline: “George turned White, David saw Red!”

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Athan: Your novel was made into an American TV movie, LIVE AGAIN, DIE AGAIN (1974) with many changes that altered the course of the story considerably. How did it feel to see your novel in such a different form from your original vision?

David: Universal’s Story Executive, Michael Ludmer, who’d been responsible for the studio buying the screen rights to “Come to Mother” invited me to visit them in Hollywood. On my next trip to London (for the publication of my second novel “The Love Bite” - I was on a roll!!), I did exactly that and did a stopover in Los Angeles. To my astonishment, I was given the full celebrity treatment - limousines to the hotel, a private escorted tour of working sets at the Universal Studios, etc. etc. I suspected this special treatment was NOT just because they’d bought my book, but by then “Number 96” had been launched and become immensely popular in Australia, its fame had spread far and wide, and there’s nothing that impresses Americans more than success. And at Universal, they’d all heard about it.

There was a negative side. Michael Ludmer confided that the great Alfred Hitchcock. then in his declining years, had shown a brief interest in my book, but that came to nothing. The property had been passed from producer to producer but all had ‘script problems.’ So, I was prepared for the worst when it eventually emerged as a “Movie of the Week” titled “Live Again, Die Again” (which to me sounded more like a James Bond movie!). It bore little resemblance to my book. Not only had they changed the title, they’d changed the plot, the characters, the location, the lot. The bizarre plot was gone. They’d shot it mainly on location at the ‘luxurious’ Harold Lloyd Estate with a cast that included Donna Mills, Vera Miles, Geraldine Paige and Walter Pigeon.

The ‘Variety’ crit summed it up: “A good, original idea turns sour in the hands of director Joseph Stefano…..” and ended: “a shocking waste of talent and a good original idea.” This, at least, gave me some justification for the disappointment I felt.

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Athan: What did you take away from this experience in hindsight?

David: It prepared me for future encounters with the fickle world of screen adaptations. When my second novel “The Love Bite” was optioned by British producer/director Douglas Hickox (“Theatre of Blood”) he also hired me to do the first draft screenplay. At least I could keep this movie faithful to my book, I thought. The option contract included a flight to London to collaborate with Douglas Hickox on this first draft screenplay, which was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, he then went broke, sold off his option, and now the screen rights to “The Love Bite” reside with an untouchable shelf company in Switzerland! The basis for yet another interview?

At least these projects brought me sizeable amounts of money to make up for the dissatisfaction at the results. As veteran Hollywood screenwriter Casey Robinson once told me: “It’s the amount on the cheque that matters. Take that and then walk away!"

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It has been a pleasure having you again on the blog David, and I thank you for giving readers a great insight into your first novel, and the process by which it was made into a television movie. It has been a revealing, and very interesting discussion. You are always welcome to return whenever you wish.

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David Sale links

*David Sale IMDB page

*Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me on Amazon US

*Number 96, Mavis Bramston and Me on Amazon AUSTRALIA

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR KEN JAMES

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Ken James, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Ken has acted in several motion pictures over the years such as THE INTRUDERS, THE BOX [my review of the film can be found here] THE LAST I HEARD, and THEY’RE A WEIRD MOB. He has also been prolific in theatre over the years, starring in many notable plays and musicals. In this interview Ken will be discussing his role in THE BOX movie, acting, cinema, theatre, television, and, the beauty of food and cooking.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Ken!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Ken: At the age of 12 - I was very fortunate to be born in an era when television was just in its infancy. A lot of demand but not much supply. My neighbour took her daughter to a casting agent and I went along.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Ken: I won a scholarship to NIDA in 1968. I was offered the role of Mark Hammond in Skippy, so opted to accept that instead. I learnt on the job by working with some wonderful people.

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Athan: Your performance as Tony Wild in THE BOX was one of its best features, giving the film both humor, and pathos. What did you most enjoy about playing Tony in the movie?

Ken: It was a difficult role to play because it was an actor playing an actor playing an actor.

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Athan: THE BOX had an excellent ensemble cast including George Mallaby, Belinda Giblin, Paul Karo, Judy Nunn, Barrie Barkla, Fred Betts, and Cornelia Frances. What was it like working with these performers in the film?

Ken: We were like a family. We spent so many hours working in such an emotional and creative environment. The production team, Crawford productions put together were the best of the best. Hector Crawford once gave me the secret to success – he said ‘always surround yourself with good people’

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making THE BOX movie?

Ken: Four and a half years of constant work made me a better actor.

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming THE BOX movie?

Ken: We had a special effects guy who was supposed to sink Hector Crawford’s houseboat - except he did it a day early!

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from THE BOX?

Ken: Sadly, Lois Ramsey, Fred Betts, George Mallaby have passed away, but still in touch with other cast members and have very fond memories.

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Athan: THE BOX was directed by Paul Eddey, who mainly directed and produced episodic television, and for whom THE BOX was his sole movie credit. What was the experience of being directed by Mr Eddey in THE BOX?

Ken: Paul was extremely helpful but as he explained to me you’ve been playing this role for three years - you know the character.

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Athan: You have acted in many plays over the years, with Anything Goes, The Naked Vicar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jack & The Beanstalk, and Run For Your Wife just a small sample of your credits. What is it that you find most compelling about performing in the theatre?

Ken: The live experience – immediate rapport with the audience which you don’t get with television.

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Athan: Aside from film, you have also acted in many classic television series such as Skippy, The Box, Matlock Police, Division 4, Cop Shop, Sons and Daughters, Skyways, and Prisoner. In terms of comparing and contrasting acting on film, and acting on television, what differences are most striking from your experience?

Ken: The time spent. Television is so immediate. Working on a film set there is a saying – hurry up and wait!

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Athan: You have a deep interest and appreciation for food and cooking, having a cooking segment on Good Morning Australia for many years. Being a foodie, this is very understandable. What is it about cooking and cuisine that makes your heart race?

Ken: The creative process from sourcing the food to preparing, enjoying is a creative experience for me.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Ken: Just my grandson’s 10th birthday. 

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Thank you so much today for your time Ken, and for the keen insight you have provided into the art of acting, THE BOX, cinema, theatre, television and, of course, glorious food. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Ken James links

+Ken James IMDb Actor Page

+THE BOX movie IMDb page

+Ken James official website

THE BOX (1975)

Title: THE BOX

Year of Release: 1975

Director: Paul Eddey

Genre: Comedy

Synopsis: The UCV Television Network is in financial strife, and has commissioned a feature film version of its television action series to repair its fortunes, along with an efficiency expert to assist in this cause.

Within a film history context: Films about television appeared on a sporadic basis before the 1970s. One of the first with a television background was the multi-directed ELSTREE CALLING (1930), one of the directors being Alfred Hitchcock. The story of a number of musical and comic acts being broadcast on television, with several in color, was one of the earliest uses of television in cinema history. HIT PARADE OF 1941 (1941), directed by John Auer, had a radio station in financial straits, and how the purchase of equipment for a television network occurs, but on the proviso that the financier's daughter appears on a broadcast. In contrast Henry Koster's MY BLUE HEAVEN (1950) was of a poignant nature. Following the lives of a married television song and dance team, and how they seek to adopt children, it was a vehicle for stars Betty Grable and Dan Dailey as the couple. CALLAWAY WENT THATAWAY (1951), directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, was a comedy about two advertising executives who arrange vintage western movies to be televised, which are enormously successful. This leads to a search for the star believed lost, and, out of desperation, an actor is paid to impersonate the real star, but things become sticky when he reappears. 

Muriel Box's SIMON AND LAURA (1955) concentrated upon a married couple who played out their life in a fictional television soap opera, but whose married life was anything but harmonious. A FACE IN THE CROWD (1957), directed by Elia Kazan, was the story of a drifter who becomes an enormous and influential television star, but whose fall from grace is the basis for this engrossing movie. Another take on television was presented by Frank Tashlin's WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957). The advertising industry is the focus here, with a man working at an agency rocketed to fame on account of his decision to hire a model for a lipstick company, whose ads play on television. The adulation becomes too much, and he makes a surprising decision about his life which steers him in the right direction. Television advertising was once again the topic in MAKE MINE A MILLION (1959), directed by Lance Comfort. In this movie, a makeup man for a national broadcaster assists his friend, a manufacturer of washing powder, to have his product featured in television ads. The manufacturer's product is subsequently in high demand, and the makeup artist arranged for more placements, but gangsters try to sabotage their sweet agreement. 

A darker look at television was apparent in Haskell Wexler's MEDIUM COOL (1969). A television news reporter covers the most challenging stories with his job, but when he discovers his network is selling footage to the FBI, goes ballistic, and becomes involved in many heated events. A decidedly tongue-in-cheek view of television was offered by THE LOVE MACHINE (1971), directed by Jack Haley, Jr. The rise and fall of an ambitious network newsreader, his complicated love life, and other extracurricular activities were charted in this sometimes amusing, but uneven picture. On the other hand, Robert Butler's THE BAREFOOT EXECTUIVE (1971) was an irreverent family-oriented movie about a very unlikely duo, being a clerk and a chimpanzee, who team up to predict which will be hit shows on a television network. THE BOX was a film about television that was light in tone, taking a leaf out of the less serious movies about the topic, but had its own individual traits.

It was closest to THE LOVE MACHINE in terms of its emphasis upon a television network, and the personalities who inhabited this world. A difference between both films was that in THE LOVE MACHINE a single character, Robin Stone, was the one whose passions dominated the movie, and who spearheaded the majority of the picture's action. THE BOX did not center upon one character in particular, instead showing a number of people, for example, station owner Sir Henry Usher, executive Max Knight, and television star Tony Wild, and how their actions propelled the film's plot. This gave THE BOX a more free-flowing feel than THE LOVE MACHINE, befitting its comical orientation. Unlike THE LOVE MACHINE, which spotlighted the many liaisons of Robin Stone to a great extent, THE BOX did not closely follow the personal lives of its characters as such. Tony Wild's life was fleetingly depicted, but Paul Donovan's love for Kay Webster was the exception rather than the rule in the movie. THE BOX was more about the difficulties at the network, and the fashion in which these are overcome with Tony Wild's film becoming an unexpected success. This is something HIT PARADE OF 1941 had in common with THE BOX, in the former's case the mounting of a television station, and subsequent emergence of a singing star bring it financial prosperity. An enjoyable movie about a television network, THE BOX is a fun film to watch.

Overview: The Box was an adult soap opera which was broadcast on the Australian 0-10 Network from 1974-1977. The program was centred on the lives and loves of the personnel of the fictional UCV Channel 12, and the many power plays and other schemes carried out by its characters. As with its lead-in show, Number 96, The Box became synonymous for its sex, nudity, and adult situations which pushed the boundaries of acceptability on television in the 1970s. As with Number 96 it featured a gay character in main role, and was the first program on Australian television to showcase a lesbian character in a same-sex kiss. For all its derring-do and misadventures the serial eventually lost ground, though, and was cancelled in early 1977. Seeing the success of the soap opera, a film version of The Box was commissioned by production company Crawford's, and released in 1975. The film version of THE BOX was directed by Paul Eddey, an Australian television director and producer of such programs as Homicide, Bluey, Matlock Police, Division 4, and Hunter. As THE BOX is Paul Eddey's only directorial credit, this overview shall focus on his role helming the movie.

In looking at THE BOX overall, Mr Eddey has fashioned an entertaining, fast-moving extension of the television series. While the show was mostly dramatic in nature, with some comic inserts from time to time, THE BOX movie is predominately comedic in tone. As the film is about the difficulties of Channel 12 in its management, and the making of an action movie which is hoped will repair its fortunes, the comedy works in an amusing manner. The film is watchable from scene to scene, with no real gaps, or feeling strained. The action sequences are all well-orchestrated, and some recall slapstick scenes from both silent, and sound films of the Classic era of movies. In saying this, admittedly, THE BOX does have its viewing pleasures, but on looking deeper, there are weaknesses which could have considerably improved the film.

In following an action-comedy format, this move does deprive THE BOX of more intimate character moments which could have made the film richer than what appeared on screen. One thing to stress is that the film is very clear in its character interactions, their personal relationships, who does what, and why, which is pleasing to note. One of the most riveting moments in THE BOX is the relationship between Paul Donovan and secretary Kay Webster. The backwards and forwards nature of their bond, with Kay not giving in to her passion for Paul until late in the film, gave the movie a sense of tragedy that somewhat balanced the hijinks that regularly occurred in THE BOX. A married woman fighting her attraction to her boss was not given enough airing, although what was presented had a ring of truth to it. Other romantic stories, such as Tony and Ingrid's union, were not as profound, and mainly played for laughs. Ingrid's repeated nude glimpses, particularly before her tryst with Bruce Madigan, gave the movie an aura of exploitation that is too much. Story arcs which could have been more intricate are reduced to a simplistic level, this also detracting from THE BOX.

In the television series Vicki Stafford was a complex woman with a finger in many pies, the movie gives but a small insight into her way of thinking. The film takes no advantage of this character's power, and unfortunately relegates her to a supporting role. In addition, Sheila Winter is supposed to be an efficiency expert assigned to fix the problems at the network, but becomes a caricature by the end, which is a shame. Having two strong female protagonists underused in THE BOX stacks the cards against women in the movie, typecasting women as either being sex objects such as Ingrid, or a woman 'finding herself', with embarrassing results, in the case of Sheila. The afore-mentioned Kay is the only one with more depth, but even she has a topless scene, something early 1970s movies did to the nth degree. Having more affairs of the heart in THE BOX would have been something that further enhanced the movie. On a technical level, THE BOX also did not allow for further audience identification with its characters due to the lack of closeups of performers. Shooting the film from a distance, which worked for action scenes, but not for more intimate parts with characters, for example, sparring, is another downside. All in all, though, some things can be said about THE BOX., despite its shortcomings. It was a film that, in its spirited way, passed the time in an amusing, if sometimes overly, light-hearted manner.

Acting: There are a number of striking performances in THE BOX which deserve mention. As Sir Henry Usher, owner of the network, Fred Betts does a great job as the crusty, formidable curmudgeon who also reveals a softer side in his scenes with Sheila Winter. Barrie Barkla, as Max Knight, is excellent as the sheepish, pushy network executive who is involved in many of the film's wacky antics. In the role of Tony Wild, television action star, Ken James does a wonderful job. An actor of immense energy and humor, he lights up the screen with his sincere manner and charm. As Tina Harris, the loyal young woman who pines for Tony Wild, Tracy Mann makes the most of her limited screen time in the movie. An actress adept at playing either naughty or nice, and everything in between, here she is in one of her best early parts. 

The most flamboyant acting in THE BOX is by Paul Karo as Lee Whiteman, television director. A performer whose one-liners and deadpan delivery are a joy to behold, he is another distinctive actor who delivers in spades. As tea-lady Mrs Hopkins, Lois Ramsey is another actress whose work onscreen is brief, but whose pointed criticisms and sarcasm are immensely fun to watch. The final acting of note in THE BOX was by Robin Ramsay as Bruce Madigan, Sheila Winter's assistant. Sashaying into his scenes with gusto and good humor, a true devil may care, he rounds out the laudable acting contributions on THE BOX.

Soundtrack: Garry Hardman has composed an agreeable musical score for THE BOX which takes into account the zaniness of the movie, and gives it his own distinctive flourish. 

Mise-en-scene: THE BOX has above-average production values which reflect well on screen. Indoor sets such as the offices and boardroom of the UCV television network, and both Sheila, and Ingrid's suites at the hotel all appear realistic. The movie has a number of well-directed outdoor action sequences where the stunts have been thoughtfully mounted, and are great to watch. Color cinematography by Wayne Williams is suitable for its purposes, especially pretty during the Graham Kennedy musical scenes.

Notable Acting Performances: Fred Betts, Barrie Barkla, Ken James, Tracy Mann, Paul Karo, Lois Ramsey, Robin Ramsay. 

Suitability for young viewers: No. Female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: C

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer

INTERVIEW WITH FILM DIRECTOR SALLY HECKEL

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, director Sally Heckel, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Sally has directed two short movies, being THE BENT TREE and A JURY OF HER PEERS [my review of the film can be found here] and full-length documentary UNSPEAKABLE, acting in the capacity of producer and writer on the latter two projects. In this interview Sally will be discussing her role as director of A JURY OF HER PEERS, her producing and writing work, and making both fiction, and non-fiction motion pictures.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Sally!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a film director?

Sally:  Thank you, Athan, I’m glad to be here!

I became deeply interested in films when I started college in Boston in 1963. There was an art movie house near my college which offered a new double feature of European films twice a week. I saw every one that I could. It didn’t occur to me at the time that I could be a film director, but I remember once, when I was standing on the steps of a building and the slant of the sun in that particular place, along with the tree trunk and leaves and stone step, conjured an intense feeling in me that brought back a particular high school emotion. I thought it was like a “Proustian” memory, the specific light and surroundings was taking me back to a youthful moment, and I spent some time imagining how and what I’d shoot to recreate that feeling on film. Several years later I was in a student film, and seeing how they were making it, how they set up and lit shots, how they covered a scene, I thought, “Oh, I can do that.” The last days of shooting, the cameraman offered to let me shoot some cutaway shots. I loved doing it!  After that, I decided to go to film school.  

I was especially interested in showing the unspoken in films, the spaces between, or “making the invisible visible", as Sarah Elder, Filmmaker and Professor of Media Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo put it. A Jury of Her Peers contained wonderful, lean dialogue in which what’s not said is what is really being communicated.

In my feature film, Unspeakable, about my father’s suicide, my intention was to film places and images in a way that conjured up my youthful memories to recreate that time and the feelings I had about my father.  

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Athan: A JURY OF HER PEERS is a striking, solemn work that leaves one thinking about what has occurred in the movie long after seeing it. Were you influenced by the oeuvre of movie directors from Classic and New Hollywood, British, or international cinema in your filmmaking?

Sally: I was not consciously aware of any specific influence. But, having seen, and been in awe of, many of the great European films, they must have permeated my consciousness, but I can’t say how.

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Athan: Have you studied acting, or had aspirations to be an actor before becoming a director?

Sally: I was interested in acting and was in high school plays, and in the student film I mentioned, but I never studied acting. I was quite shy and self-conscious, so I think my acting ability was rather limited.  

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Athan: Your direction of A JURY OF HER PEERS was impeccable, making it a memorable motion picture. What is it that drew you to directing the movie?

Sally: When I read the story, I had chills up and down my spine.  Here was a suspenseful mystery of a wife accused of murdering her husband which simultaneously painted a complete picture of a women’s world trivialized and ignored within the male-dominated home and system of law. The two women protagonists come from different social positions but share the knowledge of being part of a systemically denigrated class. They share a bond as women, and that understanding enables them to take the law into their own hands (one of whom is married to an officer of the law), and save another woman’s life.

Diane de Lorian as Mrs Hale in A JURY OF HER PEERS

All of this is brilliantly achieved by the author, Susan Glaspell, in the most natural and ordinary way, growing out of the women being in the accused’s house to gather clothes for her in jail, and discovering and understanding hints and traces in the most mundane things, preserved fruit, quilt pieces, shabby clothes. It’s a profoundly political story told with everyday objects and oblique conversation, revealed in what is unspoken.

I thought the story was perfect, and I thought it would translate very well into film. So much is revealed in details that can so effectively be shown in film through close-ups and editing. And so much goes on between the two women that can be similarly pointed out and intensified on film.

Also, before I discovered the story, a friend had shown me an abandoned farm in upstate New York that, when I read the story, immediately came to mind as the perfect location for the film. Having a real period farmhouse and out-buildings in the middle of nowhere made it a possibility to make a believable period drama on a small budget. It also gave me a reality to draw from while writing the film script.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making A JURY OF HER PEERS?

Sally: Oh, gosh, every day was exciting, but I would say that working with Diane de Lorian and Dorothy Lancaster, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, the protagonists, was the most exciting. We rehearsed for a month in the city. I was living in a loft space at the time and I drew an exact floor plan of the kitchen on my floor with indications where the windows and doors were and with the furniture that would be there. We rehearsed the whole film like a play and the actors’ process of finding their performance, finding their characters’ truth, was truly thrilling.

Dorothy Lancaster as Mrs Peters in A JURY OF HER PEERS

The whole production was a moving experience for me, seeing the story come together with wonderful actors on a set we created out of an empty house and a scattering of out-buildings. 

Also, I have to say, the editing was exciting as well. It’s always  enthralling to see the film take shape as you edit. My first cut was not particularly well-received. I showed it a couple of times (on the editing machine) and was disappointed by the response. I set it aside for a while (I could do that because I was producing it myself) and when I came back to it after several months and watched again, I suddenly saw all that was wrong with it. I re-cut it from scratch, looking back at all the footage and reselecting performances, using more reaction shots to enhance the silences that were saying so much.

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming A JURY OF HER PEERS?

Sally: I would say the climactic scene between Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, which culminates with Mrs. Hale thrusting the jar of cherries into Mrs. Peter’s hands. It’s where Mrs. Hale defends the accused and Mrs. Peters defends the law, it voices the foundation of the story and sets the scene for how Mrs. Peters, wife of the sheriff, believably does the unbelievable.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from A JURY OF HER PEERS?

Sally: I kept in touch with Diane and Dorothy, who played the two women. They earned 1% of the film’s earnings, so I also had the pleasure of sending them a check every year. The checks got tinier and tinier, but it was a sweet way to stay in touch.

Sheila Hinchliffe as Minnie Burke in A JURY OF HER PEERS

Janet Meyers, the camera woman, was a very close friend from film school (I had shot her student film). Her artistry and humor were pillars of the production. We too rarely see each other, but when we do, it's like no time has passed.

I met the art director, Jeanne Mc Donnell, on the film. An artist herself, she understood exactly what was needed and was a pleasure to work with. We became, and still are, close friends.

I’ve recently been back in touch with the production assistant, Bette Fried. We had a fun time of finding and securing the all-important props. Important because they had to reveal to the viewer the life of Minnie, the accused woman. 

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Athan: You released non-fiction documentary UNSPEAKABLE, the story of your father’s life, in 2008. What for you were the main differences in taking fictional stories to the screen such as A JURY OF HER PEERS, and non-fiction with UNSPEAKABLE?

Sally: First I have to say that UNSPEAKABLE is not really a documentary. I call it non-fiction narrative. I was telling my and my family’s story of my father and the ramifications of his suicide on all of us, (me, my mother, brother, and sister), moving in time from before his death to well after. There are no talking heads in UNSPEAKABLE. I wasn’t interested in watching people now talking about my father. I sought to invoke the past, the feeling of my childhood, the feeling of being in my home with a depressed father, and also the emotions of just being alive when a child. I used five different types of visuals to tell the story: home movies shot by my father from the 40s and 50s, family photos and snapshots, imagery that I specifically shot to convey the past and youthful emotions that I mentioned earlier, silent re-enactments with actors of particular moments in my youth, and shots of my artwork and the artwork of my sister. Those visual elements and my narration and voice-over interviews with family members and friends of my father tell the story.   

All of that to say that there were similarities between JURY and UNSPEAKABLE. In both I was excavating below the surface, searching for what wasn’t spoken, bringing the past into view to reckon with and understand. The difference was that with JURY it was an intact, existing story using actors. In UNSPEAKABLE it was my own story which required a huge amount of self-searching and understanding to be able to tell.

Another difference was that in the fiction film I worked with actors and a set, speaking written dialogue, and in the non-fiction narrative I worked mostly with still and moving imagery and voices telling stories (less than 1/4 of it with silent actors and a set).  The goal in both was the same, to bring to life the interior lives of people.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Sally: To make a film from scratch I have to want to do it more than anything else in the world, and at this moment I haven’t yet been bitten by that desire. I think that may change.

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Thank you so much today for your time Sally, and for the insight you have provided into A JURY OF HER PEERS, directing, writing, and production. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

Thank you!  It has been a pleasure articulating answers to your interesting questions.

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Sally Heckel links

+Sally Heckel official website

+Sally Heckel IMDb Director Page

+A JURY OF HER PEERS movie IMDb page

+UNSPEAKABLE official movie page 

*Here's the direct link to the site for A JURY OF HER PEERS: Click here

*And the link for Sally Heckel's films: Click here