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niday March 19. 1999 - North Shore News

Robert Aiken

Ceutriiating Write:
FOR vears, L had pre-
ferred ‘reel” lite to
‘real’ life.

Mio tascinauien with the at
and realm ot the anenia led
me to Pollvwood iy dre hau
“SOs where P appeared in sev
eral floss over the mest decade
under the name Ford Dunhill,

One of the Lirger than lite
personalities F encountered
wwas controversial directed Eha
Ravan sho will be honeurcd
at this vear’s Academy
Awards.

My eves wall undisubtedly
nl with tearm when "Gadge”
receives his long overdue bon
onary Oscar on Sunday nicht,

Here is an ingentousty gut
ed director. now SY. whe hes
provided the world with the
aurigal and cinematic offerings
of great pasion, power and
truth. He has been “pun
ished” enough over the List
47 VEN tor “shamelessly
naming names” betore the
House Un-American
Activiues Committee.

Asa teenager, Ehad been
deeply influenced by
Serrerar Named Desire
(29351), Viva Zapata (1952)
and On The Waterfreut
(295-4). Marlon Brando's per-
formances inspired me to
want to be a serious dramatic
actor, to go to New York City
anct study at the famous
Actor's Studio with Kazan.

Bady Doll (1956) blew me
away. | could hardly believe
the performance he gor tram
Carcal Baker and evervone
else who appeared in his pie-
tures, So real, so natural. I
was absoiutely amazed by the
sociologically signiti
drama of A face In The
Crowd (1957), Wild River
(1960) and especially, Ease OF
Eden (1955) wich newcomer
James Dean.

As critic Richard Schickel
recently wrote in Tie: “Tr
was he (Kazan), more than
anyone else, who finally com-
pleted the Stanislavskian revo-
lution, establishing those now
unquestioned standards of
behavioural and psychological
authenticity by which critics,
the knowing public and actors
themselves evaluate their art.
He and the players he discov-
ered or mentored, like
Brando and Dean, altered the
very nature of performances
on stage and on screen.”

Sandy Meisner, of New
York's Neighborhood
Mavhouse fame, and [ had
become close friends. He had
found my work in class “excit-
ing and interesting.” He knew
that his old friend, Kazan,
would like my work so he
invited Gadge and his wife,
Molly, for dinner at his apart-
ment in New York City.

Kazan was looking for-a
young actor to play the lead
in his autobiographical pro-
ject, Te Anatolian Smile
which, later, at Jack Warner's
behest, became, America
America.

On the mantle Meisner
stratezically placed a shot of
me. That photograph led to
my being summoned by

Kazan, through my agent at
William Morris, to fly to
Chicago for an audition,

In an attempt to look
“Greek,” Tdved my hair jet-
black, arrived in Chicago,
went to the posh hotel, was
handed the script ar the desk
and read it overnight.

Written by Kazan himself,
it gave me profound insight
into hint. 1 was deeply moved

blere s senna ‘
Robert Aiken wall bo writ
mt about in dhe comms
months: Rock Efidson,
Ehvaboth Pavior, branes
Ford Coppola, Denn:s
Hopper, Paut Newman,
George Cukor, Warren
Beatty. Anan Nan, Vivien
Leth, Manlvn Moaroc,
Jack Nicholson, Robert |
Redrord. Elvis Hrestev, Kirk
Douglas, Peter Fonda,
Christopher Isherwood,
Alin Wats, Katherine
Hepbures Ann Margret.
Yonnessce Willan, Clint
Fastwood, Henry Miller,
Corus Harrington, Grice
Kelly, and Gene Kelis

and T wanted te land this
mmpressive role so bad.
Perhaps not badly enousi
was to, later, find out

Tue next day in bis lavish
hotel roam... me, Kazan and a
vouny actress P have singe for
gotten the name of
© We didn’t work trom the
script. We setup an improvt
sation. Ho simply gave me an
“intention”... something |
really wanted, bad to have,
tram che girl Her intent... to
resist... with all her might

A few moments of prepa-
ration, then, an “Action!”

proceeded tee ban on the

door A high emotions
sere hotvotvelling am
sereamiing. Powent anand on
and on. Pkeptespestiag han
tostopous, Ele didie.
Pshausted, Pevenruathy
gave up Poarer Tedd Gade,

“Pawas hesitant te break down

the door. iF could hase, I

rout atrad Pd have
te pay tor tae damage. His
respotse? Avert strong. "T
wish vou hid. Babl" cP was
Rebort Dunhill at drat pots,
having sven up the
Hallwoodish "Ford." ter
hum:

Prealived at that moment,
that Thad dininished as
changes by nar bois wailing
to broik chrongh thick.
expensive dae tehack tte
break a igen the process. to
find some wa of moving
through that obstacle, ame
hell or Ligh water.

That as the level af passion
vie Sonumimment Elna Kazan
demanded. Now, Funder
stood where those pertor
mances came front... how he
msprred Brando, Malden, Eva
Marie Sarr, Anthony Quinn,
Jean Borers, Vision Ta
James Dean, Andy Gr
Montgomery Clitt, Natale
Wood and se many others,
actors and non-actors alike.

AIKEN dyed his hair black to try out for the lead in

Kazan's America, America.

a ernreie
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AD ntore
than bret accom chance. [
heard Dong atten tie bad bis
future wite. Barbara Loden,
check a ont and she told
him thar bavas Snot quite
Grees Jecking cnough.”

Kavaaand Pkept up a cor
respondenye. Phe invited me
te gjom die Lincoln Center
Repertory Theater and gener
ously wrote letrers of refer
ence to sartous | follasood
producers ang directors,

Pater, Gadge invited me,
Severah times. ta the Warner
Brothers set, P got to watch
uni dineet. One day. 2 arrived
atthe stidie and Pwas invited
reamcet fein pack Warner's
otttce, where Traut pins
tein. spread out atbover
Worter’s dosk. stare at dhe
esting. sertot palis.w bts bair
out and cvclining. “fb don
Kaow what Pr dei, Bob!”

Fak Warner came an. Pot
mirodaced as. 7A Rell ofan

t

See Breakrur poe 26

ROBERT Aiken (right) with Elia Kazan. The director
will be honoured at the Oscar’s Sunday night.

“(Cam Eapilano: “
‘Cam College :-