INTERVIEW WITH SCREENWRITER BARRY SANDLER

I have the immense pleasure today of welcoming a very special guest, screenwriter Barry Sandler, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Barry is the writer of many movies including GABLE AND LOMBARD, THE DUCHESS AND THE DIRTWATER FOX, KANSAS CITY BOMBER [my review of the film can be found here] THE MIRROR CRACK’D, MAKING LOVE, and CRIMES OF PASSION, to name several examples. He also has produced the two latter afore-mentioned movies, and is Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media. In this interview Barry will be discussing his role as writer of KANSAS CITY BOMBER, screenwriting, producing, and Academia.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Barry!

Athan: Where did you learn the art of screenwriting?

Barry: I became obsessed with movies as a kid. My parents would take me to all the new movies until I was old enough to go on my own and I tried to see every movie I could in my hometown of Buffalo, NY.  Seeing that many movies, screenplay structure, character development and dialogue rhythms became subconsciously ingrained and instinctive so it was a solid foundation for the formal training I had at UCLA Film School, where I majored in Screenwriting.

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Athan: Have you studied acting?

Barry: I took an acting class as an undergraduate at UCLA but that's about it.

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Athan: KANSAS CITY BOMBER originated as a thesis you wrote for your UCLA Master of Fine Arts degree. Did what appear on screen alter much from your original vision of the story, and its characters?

Barry: Actually I wrote the script on spec as an undergraduate, then after it was made at a major studio with a famous movie star when I was enrolled in the UCLA Masters Program, I asked if it could serve as my Masters Thesis and they approved. The final film was considerably different from my original screenplay that I sold to Raquel Welch and Warner Bros.  It was much darker and more dramatic, more in the vein of "Requiem For a Heavyweight" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" It went into turnaround at Warner Bros., got picked up by United Artists, then went into turnaround there and finally ended up at MGM. By the time it was finally made at MGM, after several other writers at three different studios had a hand at re-writing it, the final film became more of a documentary-style road movie.

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Athan: KANSAS CITY BOMBER was one of the most successful releases for its studio, MGM, in 1972. How did it feel to see the movie do well at the box office?

Barry: Well it felt great of course, to see that my conception and creation was turned into a movie that a lot of people went to see. It felt particularly good because I owned a profit participation, albeit a small one, and I'm still getting profit and residual checks from it after all these years.

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Athan: What did you most enjoy about the experience of making the KANSAS CITY BOMBER movie?

Barry: I think the origin story of the movie, how it came to be, is a pretty wild one, that became kind of legendary around town and especially at UCLA. 

When I was at UCLA, a few buddies took me to something called "roller games" (roller derby) which I wasn't too familiar with. I was fascinated by it, seeing skaters circle the track and jam into each other while the crowd roared and ate up the violence. I thought it would make a terrific backdrop for a movie, especially centered around a female roller derby queen. I constructed a story -- of a young woman from Kansas City who comes out to Hollywood to make it in show business as an actress, but just isn't good enough. Her dreams of fame and glory are shattered, when she meets a former roller derby star -- a broken-down alcoholic old dame who runs a skating rink -- who takes her under her wing and builds her into a roller derby star, re-living her own faded glory, and in doing so our heroine is able to find the fame and glory she sought as an actress only the perverse irony is as a black-jersey roller derby star, getting booed, hissed, spat on and popcorn boxes thrown at her.

I thought it would be a great role and character for Raquel Welch, who at the time was one of the biggest movie stars in the world and was looking to do more dramatic roles. I had a strong gut feeling she would respond to the material, so I set about getting it to her.

I found out where she lived from one of those "maps to the stars" and in a bold, impetuous burst of youthful daring, I drove to her house and rang the doorbell.  Her assistant answered, I told her I was a UCLA Film student who wrote this screenplay for Raquel and wanted to deliver it personally. The assistant was taken aback, told me Raquel was in Europe finishing a movie but she would read it herself and if she liked it, she'd give it to Raquel when she got back. Weeks went by, I didn't hear back. I called the assistant who told me Raquel was back but very busy, but the assistant did read the script and liked it and gave it to Raquel.  More weeks went by, I still didn't hear, so I decided to make another move -- I sat down and wrote Raquel a heartfelt letter, telling her my intentions in writing the script, saying I was sorry for invading her privacy by ringing her doorbell but that she would understand and appreciate it once she read the script.

A few days after I wrote that letter I got a call that Raquel read the script, loved it and wanted to buy it and star in it. A few days after that I went to her house and had dinner with her and her family, and this time I ENTERED the front door. I was only around 20 at the time, and I strongly advise my students not to do anything like that today or they might get shot.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from KANSAS CITY BOMBER?

Barry: No, since I really wasn't involved in the actual shooting in Portland, Oregon. I do see the story of getting the script to Raquel repeated occasionally, sometimes in interviews with Raquel and not too long ago in the intro to the film on Turner Classic Movies.

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Athan: KANSAS CITY BOMBER was directed by Jerrold Freedman, who later also directed BORDERLINE, and NATIVE SON, and was his first feature film. What was your experience working with Mr Freedman on the movie?

Barry: I met him a few times but by the time he came on to direct, I was not really involved in the shooting.  He came on to the shoot late, replacing the original director -- the great Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler -- who conflicted with the powers-that-be at MGM.

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Athan: You were the producer and writer for films MAKING LOVE, CRIMES OF PASSION, and KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, films which pushed boundaries, and made their mark. How was it acting in both capacities for these movies?

Barry:  I don't have any interest in being a movie producer, but being a producer on a movie I've written gives me a much greater degree of involvement -- in casting, in making creative decisions, etc. -- depending of course on my relationship with the director.  Since I never had any desire to direct, only to write, the directors I've worked with were very willing and happy to have me involved, in most cases to serve as a partner and sounding board.  In some cases (Ken Russell, Sidney J. Furie, David DeCoteau) I made life-long friendships and while Ken R is deceased, I still have a strong friendship with Furie and DeCoteau, and saw them both last month when I was in L.A. Being a producer on movies I've written does give me far more opportunity for creative involvement.

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Athan: Over the years you have received many awards for your services to filmmaking and humanity, such as the PFLAG Oscar Wilde Award, GLAAD Media Award, People for the American way Defending Freedom citation, and Southern California Psychotherapy Association Courage in Filmmaking Award. What was the feeling of winning these awards, and having your work recognized in this manner?

Barry: One of the most gratifying experiences any writer can have is knowing your work has had a profound impact on people. By writing MAKING LOVE, I was able to do so.  It was the first major studio movie in history to present a positive portrayal of a gay man, after years of depicting LGBTQ characters as freaks, degenerates, self-loathing suicides, butts of mocking jokes, etc. Here was the first movie, a coming-out story, to show a man who denied his true nature all his life, finally -- through a relationship with another man, an out gay man -- finally coming to terms with who he was and not only accepting it, but finding pride, dignity, and fulfillment living honestly. The film was embraced by the LGBTQ community -- still is, in fact -- we just had a special sold-out 40th anniversary screening and celebration in L.A. at the new Academy Museum. I received thousands of letters from gay men and women around the world thanking me for the film, telling me how it changed their lives, gave them the courage to come out to their families, etc. I'm very proud of the film, and the effect it has had over the years.

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Athan: Since 2003 you have been on the faculty of the University of Central Florida, teaching screenwriting and film history. What is it that you most love about your work there?

Barry: I love sharing my knowledge and experience with students who are at the same point I was at way back when, though now I'm glad to say with more opportunities, more venues to sell their work and get hired to write (with streaming, cable, etc.)  I can guide them on the pitfalls to avoid and the challenges they will face, from my own experience, that will hopefully help and guide them in their careers. I can also give my input on their writing.  Plus I love showing them great classic films, films that I grew up with that made me love movies, and see them embrace these films as well.

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

Barry: I'm in the final stages of writing a new original screenplay -- a murder mystery with humor set in a 1980s Midwest high school with a dynamic young rebel-misfit protagonist. I describe it as Ferris Bueller meets Basic Instinct.

I'm also in the middle of workshopping a stage musical for which I've written the book, a really wild off-the-wall show in the vein of Little Shop of Horrors and Rocky Horror Show.

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Thank you so much for your time today Barry, and for the understanding you have provided into the art of screenwriting, acting, the KANSAS CITY BOMBER movie, moviemaking, and working in academia. It has been wonderful to have you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Barry Sandler links

+Barry Sandler IMDb Page

+KANSAS CITY BOMBER movie IMDb page

KANSAS CITY BOMBER (1972)

Title: KANSAS CITY BOMBER

Year of Release: 1972

Director: Jerrold Freedman

Genre: Action, Drama

Synopsis: A young roller derby star dreams of becoming a champion on the circuit, but her personal life may get in the way of her ambitions.

Within a film history context: An abundance of movies over the years have been made about skating, such as the films of Sonja Henie, and roller skating, but the roller derby is a subject not often tackled in cinema. The first to deal with it was Tay Garnett's THE FIREBALL (1950). Following the exploits of a young man who becomes a roller skating champion, competing in the derby, it offered Mickey Rooney a meaty part in the main role. Many years later, in 1972, the same year that KANSAS CITY BOMBER was released, THE UNHOLY ROLLERS made its way to cinema screens. It was the tale of a young woman who becomes a roller derby champion, and details her personal, and professional lives. KANSAS CITY BOMBER was similar to these movies, particularly THE UNHOLY ROLLERS in charting the life of its protagonist, but was the best of the films about the roller derby. 

It is closest to THE UNHOLY ROLLERS in that it focuses upon a female lead character, and the audience becomes acquainted with her in an intimate manner. One finds out about her family, their place in her life, and how her relationships with others are influenced by her take on life, and decisions made. Her relationships with men are also explored, and that these are not any easier than those with the same sex. Both movies also feature a dynamic actress who ably evokes interest in the plight of the respective protagonist, and thus sympathy in the viewer. Where KANSAS CITY BOMBER diverts is in its focus upon the intricate emotional life of its lead character, K.C. Carr, and how this leads to consequences for her. While this is not to discount Karen Walker in THE UNHOLY ROLLERS, this film has more of an interest in exploitation elements such as sex, nudity, and coarse language, than presenting a fully dramatic portrait of its character. KANSAS CITY BOMBER is crisper in these areas, instead concentrating upon K.C.'s trials and travails, than permissive action. 

The sexual antics of Karen's friend, and her own are depicted in THE UNHOLY ROLLERS, but in KANSAS CITY BOMBER the affair between K.C. and team owner Burt Henry is suggested, and how the fallout from this affects other characters is clearly shown. In addition, the feelings of Hank Hopkins, and how K.C. stands up for him, is another standout segment of the movie. It takes things to another level in the film, giving depth to the characters, and the story, that it deserved. The subversive elements present in THE UNHOLY ROLLERS were not in evidence in KANSAS CITY BOMBER, such as Karen's tattoo session. In KANSAS CITY BOMBER, it was not just about a young woman wanting to buck the system to make it as with Karen in THE UNHOLY ROLLERS. K.C. in KANSAS CITY BOMBER strove to be the best she could, and came up against obstacles, but somehow managed to surpass these, which is an inspiring sentiment indeed. For these reasons, KANSAS CITY BOMBER stood above its movie counterparts as a whole.

Overview: Jerrold Freedman is the director of three motion pictures, being active in television, directing and writing for episodic prime-time programs, and helming twenty telemovies over the space of twenty-five years. Mr Freedman's second movie, BORDERLINE (1980) was an action film about a policeman on the trail of a smuggler responsible for his partner's death, with Charles Bronson in the lead role. The third, and final of Jerrold Freedman's pictures, NATIVE SON (1986) was set in the 1940s, and dealt with issues of race. A young black man assumes the role of chauffeur to a white family, but matters take a nasty turn when he unintentionally kills their daughter. His attempts to disguise his part in the crime might doom innocent parties to an unfair fate. KANSAS CITY BOMBER was Jerrold Freedman's motion picture début, and his most recognized cinematic work.

With KANSAS CITY BOMBER, Jerrold Freedman has crafted an entertaining, fast-moving film. The combination of drama, comedy, and action is well-handled by the director in his examination of the world of roller derby, and the personalities who make it come alive. While the life of lead character K.C. Carr takes center stage in the movie, there is also a rich tapestry of supporting characters who the movie spotlights in a savvy manner. The weaving of characters in an out of the narrative, and their reactions to events, give the movie balance. While the film in other hands could have been given over to the action sequences, which are plentiful in number here, one is given a sense that the people in the movie are authentic, and lead real lives away from the roller arena. K.C. Carr is portrayed as an ambitious young woman whose appearance, and persona, bring out the worst in some people without her even trying, which gives the film a realism and credence. The adage for K.C. of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' makes matters all the more credible in the film. Sometimes whatever one does in life, others are never happy. Despite the fact that the movie does have its virtues, there are a number of flaws which do detract somewhat from its impact.

The interspersing of the personal lives of the characters between the action sequences is admirable, but in some instances, there is the sentiment that more of these scenes would have made a great film excellent. K.C.'s relationship with her mother, and son, are some of the best moments in the movie. The scene in which K.C. tries to connect with her young son, and fails in this mission, is one of the most touching parts in the entire film. Likewise, the emotional turmoil experienced by Jackie Burdette could definitely have been shown in greater detail. Jackie's drinking, and jealousy of K.C. are vividly presented, but, as with K.C. and her son, one yearns for more of these moments. The friendship of K.C. and Lovey could also have been extended as it was another true-to-life story. The relationship of K.C. and Burt Henry, though, was documented in detail, in comparison to the other threads, and not as abrupt in its resolution. In all, though, and despite several deficiencies, KANSAS CITY BOMBER does have the courage of its convictions. It is an action-packed motion picture which not only diverts but also, offers its audience a thoughtful backbone to all its visual razzle dazzle.

Acting: KANSAS CITY BOMBER boasts great performances from a talented cast. In the lead role of K.C. Carr, roller derby champion, Raquel Welch is in one of her best early roles. An actress with a poise, and dignity, which is too often overlooked in favour of her physical appearance, she is believable as an honest young woman seeking fame on the derby circuit. As the manager of the roller derby, Kevin McCarthy exudes an ease as the older man used to getting what he wants, which includes the attention of K.C. Carr. With his handsome looks and way about him, Mr McCarthy convinces as Burt Henry. As Jackie Burdette, K.C's rival on the roller circuit, Helena Kallianiotes excels. Making an impression as the volatile woman prone to fighting, drinking, and jealous spats, Miss Kallianiotes makes the most of her meaty part. Another pithy role is that of Hank Hopkins, played by Norman Alden. As K.C's only friend on the circuit, Mr Alden brings a touching slice of sympathy to Hank which gives the movie a melancholic edge. Four other actors deserve mention whose individuality infuses the movie.

Katherine Pass, as Lovey, K.C's first friend, is delivered with realism and frankness by the actress. A performer who unfortunately has not been active in movies since the 1980s, she brings a note of loyalty and real friendship to the movie. Mrs Carr, K.C.'s mother, is brought to life by character actress Martine Bartlett. An actress who played mother roles to perfection, Miss Bartlett strikes a chord as the righteous maternal figure. Randy, a Lothario with wandering hands, is made memorable by William Gray Espy. An actor who made his mark on daytime soap operas with his singular presence, here he shows cheeky magnetism as the irreverent Randy. The final acting of note was by Jeanne Cooper as Vivien, the coach of the roller derby team. As with William Gray Espy, Miss Cooper was notable for her work on daytime serials, and here shows her authority as the no-nonsense, gravelly-voiced Vivien.

Soundtrack: KANSAS CITY BOMBER has a subtle soundtrack, by Don Ellis, which is a nice contrast to the highly audible roller derby action scenes. It is generally employed during the movie's quieter moments, such as the sequence where K.C. and Burt converse on the waterfront. The boldest musical piece is the film's theme song which is played both during the opening, and closing credits.

Mise-en-scene: Attention has been duly paid to the onscreen experience for viewers in KANSAS CITY BOMBER. Cinematography by Fred Koenekamp is beautiful, the roller derby scenes colorful, but not to a garish degree. The scenes away from the roller derby have also been handled nicely, with a softer use of colour creating a point of difference with the red hues in the stadium. Editing by David Berlatsky is smooth and satisfying, giving the film a grace in this department. Costuming by Ronald Talsky shrewdly takes into account the personalities of the film's characters and their roles in the narrative. Notable instances of costuming are the stylish uniforms worn by K.C. and Jackie, Burt Henry's elegant suits, and Mrs Carr's more everyday attire. Interior locations are all excellent, from Mrs Carr's house, Lovey's houseboat, Burt's office, to the roller derby stadium. Exteriors are likewise of a high standard, with the outside of the Carr family home, and the train station just some examples.

Notable Acting Performances: Raquel Welch, Kevin McCarthy, Helena Kallianiotes, Norman Alden, Katherine Pass, Martine Bartlett, William Gray Espy, Jeanne Cooper.

Suitability for young viewers: Parental discretion advised. Adult themes, low-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer