INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR MARK JENKINS

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Mark Jenkins, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Mark has acted in several motion pictures over the years such as DOCTORS’ WIVES, THE FILTHY FIVE, RIVERRUN [my review of the film can be found here] THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, and DESERT BLOOM, to name a few examples. In this interview Mark will be discussing his role in RIVERRUN, acting, theatre, and position, now retired, as Professor Emeritus, Acting, in the University of Washington’s School of Drama.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Mark!

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

Mark: It was my private, secret ambition from about the age of fourteen. While in college I discovered I could do this.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Mark: First at the University of Wyoming near where I grew up. Then in New York, with Herbert Berghof, and eventually at The Actors Studio.

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Athan: Your performance as Dan in RIVERRUN was a distinctive portrayal of a thoughtful young man trying to find his way in life away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, seeking a more meaningful existence. What it is that drew you to the part of Dan?

Mark: Auditioning and being offered the role - my first film role. I would have been happy to work in any movie. I had done only theatre work before riverrun, mostly Shakespeare. But,  I happened to identify with Dan for two reasons. I had left city life in Denver, Colorado to work on a ranch during my high school years which transformed me. Second, I was resisting being drafted for the war in Viet Nam and anticipated I would go to prison. Luckily I didn’t. I responded to Dan’s idealism and determination to do what he felt was right.

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Athan: RIVERRUN had a strong cast with yourself, John McLiam, and Louise Ober as the central trio of protagonists. What was it like working with these performers?

Mark Jenkins, Louise Ober, and John McLiam in RIVERRUN

Mark: It was easy to work with those good people. We had an easy rapport. John was very experienced and gave me a lot to push back against. Louise Ober was not even an actress but was easy going, natural and had a quietly expressive depth. 

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making RIVERRUN?

Mark: Probably the fact that we were living and working far away from Hollywood and the show-business world, on an out of the way part of the Pacific coast. John Korty had leased a real farm where we shot most of the film. There were no distractions from us making a world for the film.

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Athan: RIVERRUN had a large amount of location filming, which gave the movie an authenticity. The waterways, the farm, the streets of the town, for example, all oozed realism, adding to the verisimilitude for which the film aimed in its presentation. For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming RIVERRUN?

Mark: Trying to tell my story with simplicity and authenticity. And adjusting to working for the camera which is massively different than working for in a play before an audience.

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

Mark: John McLiam, became a good friend and introduced me to his agent who ‘”signed” me and to a whole community of good, experienced actors and directors. We even did a play together about ten years later - Eugene O’Neil’s Desire Under the Elms, in Los Angeles. Louise Ober never acted again, that I know of. She was an extremely curious soul, audacious and adventurous. Unfortunately, she died, far too young, of cancer.  

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Athan: RIVERRUN was directed by John Korty, who directed other diverse motion pictures as FUNNYMAN, THE CRAZY-QUILT, OLIVER’S STORY, and ALEX & THE GYPSY. What was it like being directed by Mr Korty in RIVERRUN?

Mark: He created a situation where; on one hand he considered us all as collaborators and welcomed our input and points of view. Only later did I realize that he kept his primary vision of the film to himself. (I would say, his attempt to merge nature with the human spirit by means of visual details.) To him, in this film “nature” was more than background.

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Athan: You were Professor Emeritus, Acting, in the University of Washington’s School of Drama for many years, and have taught many drama courses to students over the years. What did you find the most satisfying aspects of working with students in the School of Acting?

Mark: That is too big a question for this interview. Let me just say that being able to help actors peel away preconceptions, vanity, and ego-needs so that actual creativity can take place in real time, is profoundly satisfying. Also, I have able to introduce many actors to the subtle but thrilling genius of and craft of Anton Chekov’s plays which can be transforming to one’s sense of what art and theatre can be. I’ve also been able to teach, act and investigate acting as it’s practiced in Russia, Japan, Asia as well as locally.

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Athan: You are also a life member of The Actors’ Studio, which is renowned for the caliber not only of its alumni but also, its acting coaching. What it is that you most admire about the Actors Studio?

Mark: The Studio’s utter devotion to the actor’s individual process in order to unlock and reveal the inner life of a character “profoundly and intensively.”  

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

Mark: I spent much of the last thirty years trying to write plays. One, All Powers Necessary and Convenient was produced twice in Seattle and published by the University of Washington Press.  It deals in some detail with how the anti-communist “red scare” played out in Washington state in the late 1940’s. Since I retired, I’ve been trying to create a coherent and interesting look-back at my life’s journey.

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Thank you so much for your time today Mark, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, RIVERRUN, cinema, and academia. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Mark Jenkins links

+Mark Jenkins IMDb Actor Page

+RIVERRUN movie IMDb page

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

INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS GERALDINE TURNER

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actress Geraldine Turner, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Geraldine has acted in several motion pictures over the years such as BREAK OF DAY, THE BOX, SUMMERFIELD, CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU [my review of the film can be found here] and THE WOG BOY. She has also been very active in theatre over the years, starring in many notable plays and musicals, winning awards for her acting. In this interview Geraldine will be discussing her role in CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU, acting, cinema, theatre, and receiving an Order of Australia for services to the performing arts.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Geraldine!

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

Geraldine: When I was five.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Geraldine: I didn't really. I studied singing at Qld Conservatorium, then was in the first acting company of Qld Theatre Company in 1970, where I learned a great deal.

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Athan: Your performance as Vere in CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU was one of its most entertaining elements, but also had a serious, down-to-earth side that made Vere a fully rounded character. What it is that drew you to the part of Vere?

Geraldine: Just those things. It is quite difficult to pull off a larger than life character, whilst making her real and having dimension.

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Athan: CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU had a stellar ensemble cast including Robyn Nevin, Wendy Hughes, Peter Whitford, John Hargreaves, and Nicholas Gledhill. What was it like working with these performers?

Geraldine: Wonderful. It was a great company. Also that year, John, Robyn, Wendy and I did the Noel Coward play, "Present Laughter" at the Theatre Royal in Sydney for STC. I adored John. He always seemed to leap off the screen at you.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU?

Geraldine: I am proud to be a part of that great resurgence of the Australian Film Industry during that period. The film holds up today.

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU?

Geraldine: I think for me, the railway station scene … fabulous!

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU?

Geraldine: Well, unfortunately, a lot of them are no longer with us. I see Robyn, as she lives near me, and I keep in touch with Nicholas Gledhill.

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Athan: CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU was directed by Carl Schultz, who also made diverse movies such as BLUE FIN, GOODBYE PARADISE, TRAVELING NORTH, and THE SEVENTH SIGN. What was it like being directed by Mr Schultz in CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU?

Geraldine: I loved working with Carl. He has a deft touch. He knows when to give a note and when to leave the actor alone. A great experience!

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Athan: You have been involved in the theatre for many years, acting in productions and musicals such as CHICAGO, LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS, SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY, INTO THE WOODS, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and receiving Green Room Awards for a Female Actor for both OLIVER!, and ANYTHING GOES. What is it that you find most compelling about performing in the theatre?

Geraldine: The fact that that night will never happen again. You had to be there to experience it. I adore theatre and the live aspect, the immediacy of it.

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Athan: In terms of comparing and contrasting acting on film, and acting in the theatre, what differences are most striking from your experience?

Geraldine: None really. I guess a close up allows you to do less to show emotion, but really stage and film acting all must come from a place of truth.

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Athan: In 1988 you received an Order of Australia for services to the performing arts, which is a significant achievement. How did it feel to receive this award?

Geraldine: I was quite chuffed, as I was young to receive such an award.

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

Geraldine: I have various concerts coming up and I have written a Memoir, which should be out mid year. I am looking forward to that and hope people buy it.

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Thank you so much today for your time Geraldine, and for the understanding you have provided into the art of acting, CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU, cinema, theatre, and the Order of Australia. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Geraldine Turner links

+Geraldine Turner IMDb Actor Page

+CAREFUL, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU movie IMDb page

+Geraldine Turner Opera Australia page

+The Australian Live Performance Database

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR MITCHELL LICHTENSTEIN

I have the great pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Mitchell Lichtenstein, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Mitchell has acted in various motion pictures over the years, most notably in feature films such as THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, CRACKERS, THE WEDDING BANQUET, STREAMERS [my review of the film can be found here] and FLAWLESS, to name a few examples. Mitchell today will be discussing his role in STREAMERS, acting, and his role as film director.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Mitchell!

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

Mitchell: In college. I had intended to major in “creative writing”, but took an acting class my first year with a great teacher – Larry O’Dwyer – and wound up never taking a single writing class.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Mitchell: First at that college – Bennington College in Vermont, than at the Yale School of Drama. And later on I studied with various teachers including Mira Rostova, who, infamously, had been Montgomery Clift’s acting coach, Marilyn Fried (who had taught Diane Keaton) and Milton Katselas.

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Athan: Your performance as Richie in STREAMERS was an excellent, nuanced portrait of a person who was, by and large discriminated against by the other characters, but always responded with understanding, and a lack of malice. How did you become involved in this project?

Mitchell: Through the customary route: auditioning. Altman later told me that he hired me for the role because I could blush on cue.

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Athan: The final sequences when Michael Wright, as Carlyle, lost his balance and embarked on a deadly rampage were shattering to witness in STREAMERS. From your point of view, how did you find filming these difficult, emotionally charged scenes?

Mitchell: The scenes leading up to – spoiler alert! – Billy’s murder were genuinely difficult emotionally for me and, I believe, for the other actors as well. More so than in other films because we were such a small, close group, and because we shot in sequence, so we lived the story in a way an actor really can’t in a normal film shoot. Shooting in sequence was financially possible for Altman because we were working in a single location (set).

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Athan: What did you most enjoy about the experience of making STREAMERS?

Mitchell: Robert Altman. All actors loved working with him. He had a genuine love for actors, for their work, their invention, their quirks – he appreciated and encouraged it all. Because of that, and because we trust his eye, actors are never more free than when working with Altman.

Also, I made some life-long friends on that shoot.

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Athan: What for you was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of making STREAMERS?

Mitchell: I’d say, my scenes with Michael Wright. Both because of the emotional complexity of David Rabe’s writing, and the genius of Michael’s performance.

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Athan: STREAMERS was shot in a limited, realistic set that intensified the action for viewers watching the movie. How did you feel about working in such a restricted film set without outdoor locations?

Mitchell: Just as the single location intensified the action for viewers, it intensified the action for us, too, so it helped us to feel the reality of what our characters were going through. It helped us to focus, too. No pauses in filming while moving from location to location, no distractions.

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

Mitchell: For years, I kept in contact with many, but some are gone now. David Alan Grier and I were in the same class at Yale, so I was already friendly with him. And Albert Macklin (who played Martin) and I became good friends.

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Athan: STREAMERS was directed by the renowned Robert Altman, and was one of his best-ever movies. What was the experience of being directed in the film by Mr Altman?

Mitchell: I touched on this a few questions back. I’ll just reemphasize that you’d be hard-pressed to find an actor who didn’t love working with Altman because of his love and support of actors, his artistic sense, and the relaxed yet focused tone of his set.

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Athan: STREAMERS was set during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. Did acting in the movie prompt you to research this turbulent era in the United States?

Mitchell: I didn’t do any special research on the war, because Richie (and the other young characters) are pretty clueless about it themselves. I already knew a lot more about the war than Richie did, having grown up in that period. I marched on Washington against the war, and just missed the draft by a couple of years.

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Athan: You have directed three motion pictures so far, being TEETH (2007), HAPPY TEARS (2009), and ANGELICA (2015). What for you are the most satisfying aspects of directing a full-length movie?

Mitchell: Creating a world is what’s satisfying to me. So choosing and collaborating with all of the artists who help to do that is what makes movie making a satisfying and (mostly) joyful experience. Sometimes it’s border line surreal to watch actors I’ve long admired embodying characters I’ve invented (or adapted) and saying lines I’ve written: Parker Posey, Rip Torn, Demi Moore, Janet McTeer among them.

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

Mitchell: I’m writing a screenplay. And I’ve written a play, so if there is ever a post-Covid 19 when theater becomes possible again, I look forward – for the first time -- to creating a world on stage.

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Thank you so much today for your time Mitchell, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, STREAMERS, and film directing. It has been lovely to have you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Mitchell Lichtenstein links

+Mitchell Lichtenstein website

+Mitchell Lichtenstein IMDb Actor Page

+STREAMERS IMDb page

INTERVIEW WITH FILM EDITOR GEORGE FOLSEY JR.

George Folsey Jr.

Today I have the happy pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, film editor George Folsey Jr., to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. George has edited a great many movies over the years, some of these including HAMMER, BLACK CAESAR, GLASS HOUSES [my review of the film can be found here] and J.D.’s REVENGE, considered one of the best Blaxploitation genre films, the high grossing NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, international box office success COMING TO AMERICA, and CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, one of Steve Martin’s biggest hits. 

George Folsey Jr., John Landis in Rick Baker's monster makeup, and George J. Folsey 
on location shooting John Landis' first movie SCHLOCK

George is the son of famed cinematographer George J. Folsey, who photographed such classics as ANIMAL CRACKERS, THE GREAT ZIEGFELD with William Powell and Myrna Loy, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and THE HARVEY GIRLS, both Judy Garland hits, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn vehicle ADAM’S RIB, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, for which George Sr. received one of his Academy Award nominations, and setting the record for Radio City box office for decades, STATE OF THE UNION, and TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY, a popular all-star musical, again with Judy Garland. 

George Folsey Jr. with son Ryan Folsey

George Jr.’s son Ryan is also an editor, with successful horror comedy CABIN FEVER, hit Kristen Bell comedy WHEN IN ROME, the animated ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP, and SCOOB some of his editing credits.

George also had a notable collaboration with John Landis, editing solo, or co-editing several of his movies including horror film SCHLOCK, THE BLUES BROTHERS, another enormous hit, and COMING TO AMERICA. He also produced nine of Mr Landis’ films such as comedies THREE AMIGOS, TRADING PLACES, both financial successes, and black comedy INTO THE NIGHT. One of their most famous teamings was for the spectacularly successful Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ music video directed by John Landis, which George co-edited with Malcolm Campbell. In this post, George will be discussing his multiple roles in the making of GLASS HOUSES, which marked his debut in films, and providing other information about this fascinating, but little-seen motion picture. Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS George!

George Folsey Jr.

Athan: How did the concept of GLASS HOUSES eventuate, and how did you become involved in this project?

George: My dad was teaching at AFI and I think he met Alex Singer there. They had never worked together. Alex discussed a script that he and his wife, Judy had written and they came to me. Alex thought we could make the movie cheaply so we used our contacts to put together a crew of young upcoming guys and girls and got the IATSE to let us all work non Union. My dad put up some money and I raised the rest of the $100K budget from friends at our Golf Club. 
 

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Athan: In GLASS HOUSES you not only were responsible for the editing but also, was the film’s producer, and camera operator, shooting one-quarter of the movie handheld with the Éclair camera. How did it feel at the time taking on so many duties for this production?

George: I went to Pomona College and graduated with a degree in English Lit. There was no Film School at Pomona so GLASS HOUSES was my Film School project. I had worked at KABC-TV cutting the news and documentaries but never a feature. I did spend 6 months at MGM working as an assistant editor to Henry Berman, a famous editor who had worked with my dad. Together we worked on GRAND PRIX and Henry won an Academy Award for his work on it. He taught me his editing system which I've used throughout my career. We decided to shoot with an Eclair 35mm camera in a blimp for the dialogue scenes. My dad got a Worrell gear head from MGM and I would practice by having my wife, Belinda walk around our living room and I would try to follow her. I got better with practice. I did shoot about 25% of the movie hand held. The Eclair, without the blimp, was great for this. I definitely felt the pressure watching the money and it was a long shoot, 10 weeks. We ran the dailies silent at MGM as it was too hard to sync them each day. I learned a lot about my operating as there was no sound to distract from my camera work.
 

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Athan: What did you most enjoy about the experience of making GLASS HOUSES?

George: The best part of making the movie was getting to work with my dad who was very helpful. We shot another movie, BONE, in the same fashion.

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Athan: Which for you were the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying moments of filming GLASS HOUSES?

George: We shot maybe 50% of the movie in the house my wife and I were renting. We had a 2 month old daughter and Jennifer O'Neill was staying with us as we had no money for hotels. She was a pleasure and very helpful. I liked it when my dad said I'd done a good job after running the dailies.
 

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Athan: I was always struck by Ann Summers, who played Adele in the picture, Victor’s wife and Kim’s mother, and the moving nature of her performance. There is very little written about her, and she remains to this day an intriguing, mysterious presence. What was the experience of working with Miss Summers in GLASS HOUSES?

George: As a Producer, you couldn't ask for a better cast member than Ann Summers! She completely got the part and was such a pleasure. We became close friends and I so saddened by her early death in 1974.
 

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Athan: The casting of GLASS HOUSES was first-rate, especially with the afore-mentioned Ann Summers, Deirdre Lenihan, Clarke Gordon, and Mary Carver, for me, being the most striking choices. Was it a difficult process to cast for this movie, or did certain performers make their presence felt from the start?

George: Most of the casting was done in New York by Singer and Joel Steinberger. Deirdre Lenihan and Clarke Gordon clearly stood out.
 

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Athan: The editing in this film is of a superlative nature, with special mention being for the final few minutes of GLASS HOUSES featuring Deirdre Lenihan and Bernard Barrow. In this short space of time, a complicated montage of shots was assembled, whereby the viewer was thrown off balance by space and time, and exactly what was taking place, and which character’s point of view is being expressed. How did it feel editing these intricately detailed sequences?

George: I haven't seen the final sequence in many years but I made a pass at it and Alex and I refined it. He was a pro and I had little trouble in editing the movie as I was able to use the Henry Berman system to great advantage.
 

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Athan: GLASS HOUSES was shot in many real-life locations, such as the Beverly Hills home in which you and your family lived in at that time, and the Topanga Center for Human Awareness. What were some of the logistical challenges posed by shooting the film in this manner?

George: We couldn't afford to shoot anything on a sound stage so everything was shot in practical locations. I remember shooting Bernie Barrow and Jennifer [O'Neill] driving down Melrose Ave. I was strapped in and surprised to see a Policeman in my finder at the end of the shot. Got cited...
 

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from GLASS HOUSES?

George: Sidney Baldwin who shot stills on the production worked on a couple of movies I produced with Landis. Jason Starkes who worked as a grip wrote JD'S REVENGE which I edited. Eric Roth who wrote FORREST GUMP, was our Lighting Gaffer. Esperanza Vasquez was our script girl. She and her husband were producers on a movie I edited in the 70's. It was such a pleasure to work with all these young people many of whom went on to successful careers in the Industry.
 

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Athan: A cast member of the movie, T.J. Halligan, was credited as passing away the same year GLASS HOUSES was shot, being in 1970. Could you enlighten us on what effect this event had on the making of the movie?

George: We were all sad to hear of the passing of T.J. Halligan but it didn't have an effect on the movie. Actually I think GLASS HOUSES was filmed in 1969.
 

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Athan: GLASS HOUSES has unfortunately largely faded into obscurity, and has never been released on either VHS or DVD. What do you think is the reason for this?

George: Considering we sold the movie to Columbia its hard to understand why there are no 35mm prints, no VHS or DVDs and where is the cut negative? I've spoken to a close friend at Columbia to try to find some element to make something but to no avail. It isn't a great movie but it's well made. Not sexy enough to qualify as an "Art" film and too sophisticated for popular release. Also, there was no Star in the cast to help the Box Office.
 

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

George: I'm producing a Faith/Based movie called GOD'S GONE FISHING which I hope to shoot in the late summer of 2021.
 

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Thank you so much today for your time George, and for the valuable insights you have provided into film editing, GLASS HOUSES, film editing, and production. It has been wonderful to have you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Thank You Athan for letting me be a part of CINEMATIC REVELATIONS!!!
 

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George Folsey Jr. links

+George Folsey Jr. IMDb Page

+GLASS HOUSES IMDb page