20 - Friday, February 12, 1999 -—

North Shore News

Citizen Welles: ge

North Shore astrologer Robert
Athen continues biz sercen
memories of working with
director Orson Welles in 1970
on the unreleased film Tn
Other Side of he Wind. The
Sirs part was published in last
Friday's North Shore News.

Robert Aiken
Contributing Writer

ANOTHER recollec-
tion: Early morning.
Centre divider of Santa
Monica Boulevard
before the great, mod-
ern office buildings of
Century City.

Welles — teigning invisibili-
ty, cowering before every pass-
ing car, but, in fact, cutting an
impressively mighty, Jovian fig-
ure amidst the heavy fog —
directed Gary, Michael, Glen
and Garv’s wife, Connie, as to
what to do and, specifically,
how to do it,

Holding up trathe, ready to
run at the slightest danger of
being caught shooting withour
a permit, he cracked, “If they

CINEMA ~

catch us we'll just say that

we're testing emulsions,

Gary!" His thunderous laugh-

ter was not unobtrusive.
90a

Another aneedote comes to
mind: Orson, watery eves
twinkling, related the ominous
story: “We narrowly cluded
the police. They were chasing
us. We were shooting behind
the bank early the other morn-
ing. Michael tripped rhe bur-

~ glar alarm with the tripod —
clumsy boob!”

His entire being was sud-
denly convulsed with laughter.
“They were actually chasing
us!” No one enjoyed the
adventure of we orking with
Orson Welles quite as much as
Orson, himself.

A young man had the bud-
get all prepared. Everything in
order. Professional. Ready to
be presented to a sponsor
with, possibly, Orson Welles as

part of the ackage. Orson
told him: “ This | budget is way
out of line. All this money for
the cameraman? Ridiculous!”
The young man was taken
aback. “But he’s a great direc-
tor of photography, Mr.
Welles!”

Orson started. He was

appalled, or seemingly so.

“Director of photography? It
was ‘cameraman’ in my day.”
The youth was unnerved and
apologetic.

Orson muttered on disap-
provingly, “Director of pho-
tography, indeed. He costs too
much. He’s not good if he
costs thar much money. If he
costs you nothing, he’s good.”

The young man was
shocked. “You actually mean
to say, Mr. Welles, that he is
automatically good if he’s
cheap?” Orson’s attitude had
suddenly completely changed
and he simply stated, “If he
costs nothing he’s good.”

O00

One evening, ata Mexican
restaurant in Beverly Hills:
Janice wanted to leave her
manager because he had dene
nothing for her modelling
career, Orson advised: “Never,
never give reasons. Just say ‘I
Want a new manager.’ No rea-
sons! No service contract is
binding. Otherwise it’s slavery.
Just say ‘I want out or I'll sec
my lawyer. They'll say ‘Try
and be ‘reasonable ... intelli-
gent.’ You say ‘I have no

Sr

obligation to be intelligent.
Pim just. a dumb, rather stupid
actress. Pawant our... that’s
thar’

Later he said: “Don’t be
honest with them ... agents,
managers ... all those
explotters. Thev're not honest
with vou! Tell them vou just
plaved a starring role in reper
tory theatre or something i
South America with ! copoldo
von Edelburg ... anything!”

“Ee didn’t want to be an
actor.” he would say. “TP need -
ed money. Fad | gone to
Dublin and asked, feigning
meckness, “May [work with
you and your company in
some capacity? Please?” He
laughed. “That’s what E would
have done ... swept the stage
or something. [told them |
was a star.

“Chutzpah! Got to have
chutzpah!

Gary Graver functioned as
production manager, assistant
director and cameraman. All
equipment, film stock and var-
ious rentals were taken out in
his name — a “Gary Graver
Production” with Orson ran-
ning the whofe show. Gary
and his czew —— Glen, Michael
and Les — were on call devor-
edly, day and night, as were
we.

The man chat many consid-
er to be the grearest theatrical
genius of our time abhorred
being called a “genius.”

Dennis Hopper, years ago,
had approached him and
enthusiastically spoke to him
of his great genius and Orson
cried angrily, “Don’t call me
that! ] hate it!” When Dennis
related this to me, IF suggested
that he could have retorted,
“Bur, Orson, I’m talking
about me!” He liked that, but
would not have dared.

During rushes: “This shot
is no good. No magic there.
Anybody’s movie!” Later, on
the set: “Yes, stay there. You’re
not in the shot, but we “feel”
you there. Let us ‘fee? you.”

After rushes: Somebody
said, “Antonioni never gor
shots like that!” Orson began
to rumble with imminent, sar-

Photo Robert Aiken

FILM director Orson Weiles sets up a shot on the streets of Los Angeles in 1976
whiie shooting The Other Side of the Wind.

donic laughter .... “You bet
your sweet ass he hasn't.” He
considered Antonioni’s films
“empty boxes.” (Note: Many
critics consider Antonioni’s
LAventara to be the greatest
picture ever made).

Orson changed his mind
constantly. He would never
accept that there was a prob-
jem. [f there was an obviously
insurmountable obstacle, he
immediately decided to do it
another way. Invariably, a ber-
ter way.

Interestingly crough, Russ
Meyer worked in a similar
manner and [ had found him
tey be just as brilliantly
resourceftl and inventive as
Orson (in some respects).

Orson was unpredictable.
One moment he was angry.
Next moment: “I have an
idea!” And with thar, he had
then completely “died” to the
previous moment and was
rotally and creatively into the
new, the fresh, the unique.

I recall him saving: “If
there is a protession/vocation
to directing, which I doubr, it

is the ability to use accidents.”

{ challenged that (J was a
bit ofan upstart): “There ave
no accidents, Orson! You
mean ‘serendipitous
moments,” probably.” And on
and on we argued good -
naturedly about that one.

“Of course | would not be
able to get as much coverage
shooting any other way. This is
the only way to shoot. T much
prefer a crew of four and lots
of time.”

fe had been shooting at
Century City at odd hours,
day and night. I would be
awakened at 4 a.m. “Be there
.. 20 minutes!” One morning,
the weather wasn’t right
“Then we'll sinply get some

smoked glass and re-create
Century City night here in the
dining room.” And he did.
The footage was astounding.

remember well: 2 a.m.
We were in the middle of one
of the three vacant lots adja-
cent to our headquarters,
Orson’s rented hame.

“God danined machine,”
he frustratedly bellowed
through his cigar as he, pyjama
clad, scotch i hand, struggled
in vain te position his huge
frame low enough to enable
him to see through the
viewfinder of the Arriflex cam-
era which was placed impossi-
bly low and tilted for one of
his famous, bizarre wide angles
of, in this case, we three actors

GOLDEN MILE
OPENS FEBRUARY 12"

There will be a
great new place to
play when Golden
Mile Bingo opens its
doors for the first
time at noon, Friday
12th.

North Shore resi-
dents can look for-
ward to hours of
non-stop entertain-
ment with friendly,
helpful staff catering
to their every need.
City transit stops
right at the door and
there’s free parking
available. Golden
Mile will be open
every day, from

noon on Wednesday,
Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, and from
3:00 pm Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday.

Golden Mile is
building its reputa-
tion on creating a
warm, friendly
atmosphere where
even novice players
can jump right into
the action. In addi-
tion to the regular
play and HotPots,
there will be a
$50,000 SuperStar
Bingo on Sunday,
February 14th -
that’s Valentine’s

S without portfolio

in the stationary car. He finally
left tte Gary, “Looks good 1a
me.

Orson reterred to me,
“Bob, you're driving at 80
m.p-h. and vou pretend to
ignore the lovemaking of Oja
and Robert next to vou. And
no “kabuki"t Just think it!”

He addressed Oja, the girl:
“O}ja.. vou are straddling
Robert Random and making
love as though you were alone
with him in the car... open
your dress a little more, dear

. Tet’s see more of vou.” Oja
revealed more of her nude
body beneath the raincoat.

Orson whooped, “Russ
Mever rides again!” This broke
everyone up, not the least,
Orson. After a few comments
about Mever, Hollywood's
King of the Nudies, Orson
gracefully intoned “Ready to
ge, Gary?”

Gary, prone and pretzel-
like, hollered excitedly, “Looks
good to me.” Michael then
turned on the back seat sun
gun and hurried to the kev
and flooded the windshield
with light. “Rain!” thundered
Orson. Glen fumbled with the
hose. “Hurry...hurry!” Orson
impatiently blared. We are
teady to go now, Orson is in
his ‘no-nonsense’ mod.

Glen finally turned the
hose on the windshield. Orson
cried, with intimidating mock-
bewilderment: “Where are the
streetlights, buses and other
cars?”

Gary's wile, Conuie, began
to move the red and yellow
gelatins slowly back and forth
betore the back light. Then
Orson sat on the back of the
car and, with obvious case,

See Welles pane 37

BINGO

Day, so bring your
loved one — Hey, you
might get lucky!
Golden Mile has
been busy refurbish-
ing the old fackpot

Bingo hall in
Vancouver East. .
With a new look and
a new attitude,
Golden Mile is aim-
ing at being the
friendliest place to
play bingo in the
Lower Mainland.
Come, see for your-
self and join the
action!

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°SMOKING & NON-SMOKING @
OPEN DAILY

FREE PARKING
eWHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
Golden Mile Bingo

“A Great Place to Play”
877 Hastings, 2nd Floor

215-8828

Vancouver (Next to Gulf & Fraser Credit Union)

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