DAVID NAUGHTON: 2002 INTERVIEW

This is my 2002 interview with actor David Naughton at DragonCon in Atlanta GA.

David Naughton told me that people are always telling him where they were or what was going on in their life when they first saw "An American Werewolf in London." As he said that, I realized that I too, knew where I was when I saw the movie. I kept the story to myself because it wasn’t funny or interesting. I must admit that talking to David Naughton ranked #2, next to getting to put my arm around Traci Lords's soft, firm little body at Dragon*Con 2002. "An American Werewolf in London" ranks near the top of my ‘favorite movie’ list. On day three of Dragon*Con 2002, Mr. Naughton found time to sit and talk.

Rusty White: "American Werewolf in Paris."

David Naughton: Say no more. A big mistake. Terrible movie.

RW: So you’re glad you weren’t in it?

Mr. Naughton makes a face that lets me know I have asked yet another stupid question at Dragon*Con 2002.

RW: It looked cold out on the moors.

DN: It was very cold. We filmed on the West Coast of Wales. It was closer to Twickingham studios than Scotland. About 20 miles outside of London. The scenes on the Moors were the first things we filmed. We actually shot the first part of the film, first.

RW: As a serious student of cinema, I must ask: was that real sheep shit or special effects?

DN: (laughs) Everything about those sheep was real. Very smelly. They found a local rancher for that scene. In fact most of the people in the pub were locals. They were very natural, so John (Landis) used them instead of actors.

RW: You and Griffin Dunne played well together. It was real ‘buddy chemistry."

DN: We just connected right away. We hit it off.

We are distracted by a sexy-young woman in a leather Catwoman suit doing battle with a Kato wannabe. Dragon*Con is all about relaxed inhibitions. You never know what is going to happen next. I think to myself "Who knew nerds knew how to party like this?" followed by "And that they attracted so many babes!?!"

DN: Did you go to the ‘Dawn’ costume contest last night?

RW: No (damn it!)

DN: It was just crazy. The contestants were flashing the crowd. The crowd was flashing them back. Just crazy!

The Catwoman and Kato move their show down the aisle and we get back to business.

RW: Tell me about your training.

DN: I attended The London Academy of Dramatic Arts. I loved it. We lived and breathed acting. As students we could see any play in London for $5.00. It was a wonderful experience and education. I worked at the Royal

Theater as an usher. That was a big part of my education, seeing such great actors night after night. In fact, I saw Jenny Agutter in "Equus" several times. On the set of "Werewolf" I realized that this was the same woman I had lusted after when I was in school.

RW: That must have been nice!

Mr. Naughton smiles.

DN: I was in a three-year program. I left after two years to work, but I can’t say enough about how wonderful an experience it was as a young actor. I mean, we had guest speakers come in to talk about acting. I’m talking about Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson. This isn’t a lecture hall either. I’m sitting in an intimate classroom, as close as I am to you and they are casually talking about their craft. It was amazing.

RW: I asked Robert Picardo if his "Billy the Mangler" from "The Howling" could take you. I don’t think he got it.

DN: (Laughs) I’d kick his ass! John’s film was the first of the werewolf films at that time. Once he got started, all the other studios green-lighted their own werewolf movies. You had "The Howling," "Wolfen" and some others that weren’t as good as those two. But we were the first and the best.

RW: It’s a great date film. It’s very funny and very scary.

DN: Yes. John walked a fine line between humor and horror. He pulled it off. He makes you laugh and then laugh harder, and then some one gets ripped apart.

RW: How long did the transformation scene take to shoot?

DN: It was a six-day shoot with six hours a day for make-up and body prosthetics. Rick Baker was amazing. He won his first Oscar for "Werewolf."

RW: I remember reading "Famous Monsters of Filmland" as a kid. Rick Baker was always sending in his makeup creations when he was still a teenager. Then he and John Landis got together at age 18 and…

DN: "Schlock!" Did you see it?

RW: Yes.

DN: I remember those days. Rick is a genius. Funny story. Rick couldn’t get a work permit in England to do the movie. John got him in the country as a tourist. Rick and his crew had to smuggle in all of their equipment. They had trunks full of heads and arms. I would have loved to see the faces of the security agents if they had been caught.

RW: It would be worse today.

I told Mr. Naughton about Lou Ferrigno’s experience with racial profiling at the Phoenix airport.

DN: You’re kidding? They didn’t recognize the "Hulk"? They’re lucky he didn’t turn green on them!

RW: I know it was early in your career, but you were the lead in "Werewolf." Did you get residuals?

DN: No. Because it was a ‘foreign film’ I didn’t get a SAG contract. At that time, if you appeared in a film made overseas you didn’t get a SAG contract. The result was we got a flat fee and no residuals. A SAG contract would have made a huge difference on that film.

RW: So, the rule has changed?

DN: Yes, now, no matter what country, if you are a SAG actor, you get a SAG contract.

RW: What do you have coming down the pike?

DN: I did a film in Brazil called "The Flying Virus." It was written and directed by a guy named Jeff Hare. Rutger Hauer, Gabrielle Anwar and Craig Sheffer were in it.

RW: Did you film in the Amazon? My wife spent a week down there and loved it.

DN: No, we filmed in Sao Paulo. It was a city, so I didn’t get my shots. When I got down there, I wished I had.

RW: Michael Caine said that he did several films just because he wanted to travel. Ever done that?

DN: Yeah. I wanted to go to Rome. I got an offer to do an Italian film and I went. Kate Capshaw and I were the only American actors on the film. It was called "Ti Presento Un’Amica." I was told the Italian actors would be speaking English. It turned out, they spoke broken English, and didn’t understand a word they were saying. (imitates) "I’ma gonna breaka you ina halfa!"

RW: Sounds like it co-starred Chico Marx.

DN: Right! I remember I was shooting a scene with an Italian actress and I had to say the line "There’s a feast tonight, I’ll do the cooking." The actress yelled "Cut!" and went off on a tirade. She was complaining to the director that I was changing the script. She said, "He said "Aldo" is cooking! Who is "Aldo"? I didn’t see an "Aldo" in the script." She thought the words "I’ll do" was a character named "Aldo." It was like that all the way through. I don’t think the movie was ever released in America. Maybe on video. At least I got to see Rome!

RW: Most Italian films are shot without sound and the dialogue is looped in later. What was that like?

DN: Actually, this movie was shoot with synchronous sound, but you could tell that was unusual over there. We would do a scene and the crew would talk right through our shots. It was very disconcerting. The crew had to be reminded that the sound was being recorded and to be quiet.

Traci Lords’ one hour autograph session breaks up. The fans gathered around her disperse to seek new prey. A crowd moves in on Mr. Naughton. Not wanting to stand in the way, I thank my gracious host for his time. Mr. Naughton struck me as a sincere and open human being. I found Mr. Naughton to be free of pretension. I found him to be an all-around nice guy. He could eat "Billy the Mangler" for breakfast any day of the week!

TOM SAVINI: 2003 INTERVIEW

This was my 2003 interview with make-up and special effects genius Tom Savini at WonderFest.

I went to “Wonderfest 2003” to meet and interview the legendary Ray Harryhausen. However, “Wonderfest 2003” will always be a memorable experience for me because of actor/writer/director/special effects master Tom Savini. In fact, much of my interview with Mr. Savini can’t even be published. After writing this article, I erased the tape. No, he didn’t admit that he was really the killer of OJ’s wife. It was nothing like that. Mr. Savini just sat around with me and talked. We both were able to vent about things in our lives. I realized that except for Tom’s talent, good looks and money, he and I have a lot in common. Pretty cool. He realized later that the tape recorder was going. I offered to turn it off. “No, you said you wouldn’t print it.” Talk about disarming. If I were a greedy bottom-feeder from one of the tabloids, I’d be laughing to myself and counting the dollars. Mr. Savini didn’t reveal anything earth-shattering, he just opened up on a human level. Don’t be disheartened that I’m keeping a lot of this to myself; later, I will share with you the story of Tom Savini and my daughter’s underwear.

Horror film fans revere Tom Savini as one of the master’s of make-up and special effects. Savini’s work has been on display in numerous genre films from “Friday the 13th” to “Maniac” and “From Dusk Til Dawn.” In addition to his behind the scenes work, Mr. Savini has turned in a number of memorable performance, most notably in the aforementioned “From Dusk Til Dawn.” Mr. Savini was a combat photographer in Vietnam. Through his artistry, Mr. Savini has been able to recreate much of the real life horror he witnessed into the type of make-believe carnage so many people (myself included) crave.

In between the times our conversation detoured into the personal, Mr. Savini shared some of his thoughts on the craft of moviemaking.

Rusty White: Movies have had a profound effect on my life. Whether it is just because of the pure magic of the film or on a deeper level, like say “Billy Jack” effected me.

Tom Savini: The one scene in “Billy Jack” with the sheriff, you know I used to have my video tape of it wound to that spot so I that when ever I wanted to I could just go to it. Now that I have the DVD I just go right to it. You know that scene where he smacks the sheriff on the side of the head.

RW:: “I’m going to take my right foot, and wop you on that side of your face, and you want to know something, there’s not a damn thing you’re going to be able to do about it.”

TS: And then what they did, they didn’t just keep the camera on the sheriff and him, they went to an overhead shot for the impact, which jolted you, just like it jolted him. Brilliant filmmaking. It’s like in “ET,” if you ever see “ET” again, notice that almost every single camera angle is about this high. (Mr. Savini holds his hand about three and a half feet off of the ground. You know, you’re looking at the dangling keys straight ahead. That’s how tall you are when you are twelve years old. So, Spielberg made you feel and become one of the kids. Because your point of view is from the height you were when you were twelve.

RW: I never noticed that.

TS: Yeah. It’s brilliant. I mean, you don’t learn that in directing school. That’s Spielberg. So, it’s moments like that if you’re an ardent movie watcher, you can’t help but learn from shit like that, man!

A fan walks up with several DVDs.

TS: What did you buy there?

Fan: I got a couple of Vincent Price movies for my son. He likes Vincent Price.

TS: Isn’t that amazing. Vincent Price does not miss a generation.

One thing leads to another and the conversation veers off into unexpected territory. A little while later, another craftsman comes up to talk with Tom. Tom mentions that one of his students might be interested in working on a project. I steer the conversation back to the movies.

RW: Where do you teach?

TS: I don’t really teach. I’ve been approached several times by lawyers about starting a school. They never called back. This guy came up to me. He owned a business school in Pittsburgh. The school has been around since 1904. He rolled the dice. He put a lot of…a quarter of a million dollars behind it, he bought the building and everything. It’s going gangbusters. People come from all over the world to go there. Our teachers are from LA, guys like Greg, who used to work for me and came back. They have a lot of credentials. I just do seminars for the new semester when they come in. When I’m in town, I’ll go up there a couple times a week to make sure their portfolios are up to snuff. It cost $25,000 for 16 months. They get their degree. We have 150 students now and 56 more coming in. This is my retirement plan.

RW: What are the job prospects for the graduates.

TS: Well some of them get jobs like that (snaps his fingers). It depends on your portfolio. The portfolio is what you are. You can be standing in a room with no portfolio and that guy over there has a portfolio, he gets the job. You can be a hundred times more talented than the other guy, but you are just talking. He has something to show. So we make sure that when they leave, they have a portfolio that will get them work. And some of them don’t! Some of them, after 16 months, one guy had like three sketches. ‘That’s all you did in 16 months?!’ Some guys have 50 pages of superior stuff. The last graduating class, two guys got jobs when they drove into Hollywood.

RW: I was watching “Maniac,” there was a lot of disturbing stuff in that movie. I thought the highlight was your work. Especially the scene where you got shot through the car windshield.

TS: Yeah, where I blew my own head off! (Mr. Savini doubled for star Joe Spinell in a scene in which Spinell’s character murdered Savini’s character!) We had six cameras on that. I sat on the hood of the car with a double-barreled shotgun loaded with magnum pellets. I had goggles on because I had never fired through a windshield before. And my fake head was in their filled with rubbers filled with blood and shrimp dip and apple cores and anything we could find we threw in that head. We had six cameras. We did this in New York. Now, you’re not allowed to fire a gun in New York. We had an off duty cop who was a friend of ours. After I shot my head, within a minute and a half, there was nobody there. We were gone. I threw the rifle to the cop who drove it away. They threw me in a car and drove me away. The crew jumped in the car and drove it away. The camera and lights were all gone. So, we just stole that shot. But when I shot my head, I flew off the car into somebody’s arms. The impact was so strong. But even after I threw the gun to the cop, I had to come around and see what the damage was to the head. And it was just spectacular. And there were six cameras in slo-mo, so it was a gorgeous shot.

You know when I scalped the girl’s head. We shot that at the St. James Hotel in New York City. A week later, a hooker was decapitated at that same hotel. I mean, the movie hadn’t even been out yet, but the coincidence was amazing.

RW: Tell me about Joe Spinell.

TS: Very nice man. Alcoholic. Died of emphysema, but he fell and hit his head in his apartment.

RW: Kind of like William Holden?

TS: Exactly, exactly. He fell feet toward the door of his apartment and his head away. Now, when “Maniac” was over, I gave him his fake head. He kept it on his television. When he fell, he bled a lot. So when the cops get into the apartment, they saw his body there and the fake head on the TV and they though he had been decapitated. It took them a minute to figure what really happened.

RW: I thought the documentary about Joe Spinell on the “Maniac” DVD was the best thing about the disk. It was a nice tribute.

TS: I haven’t watched it yet. I own it, but I haven’t watched it. We were talking at dinner the other night, and would you believe that Caroline Munro would go on a date with Joe Spinell? (laughs)

RW: I was surprised by that subplot. To me, it gave the movie what little depth it had. It’s kind of like “Red Dragon” or better yet, “Manhunter.” When Tom Noonan is in bed with the blind lady, he gets this tortured look on his face as he realizes what a monster he is, yet he is sharing such a tender moment with this woman.

TS: Exactly. Tom Noonan was great. I like “Manhunter” better than “Red Dragon.”

RW: Spinell’s moment with Caroline Munro was like that.

TS: Her casting was an accident. Daria Argento was originally cast in that role. She begged off for some reason. There was a convention in New York that Caroline was at. I knew that Joe had done “Starcrash” with her. So, I told Joe, ‘Hey, there’s a convention. Caroline Munro is here.’ So he went to say hello and gave her the part right away.

Joe was great. He took me to the set of “Night Hawks” ‘cause he was in that. I got to meet Sylvester Stallone. He was a very generous man, Joe Spinell, but some of the stuff he wanted to do in that movie we had to say ‘No.’ I know he wants an exploitation film, but biting the clitoris off of a woman, I mean…I could build it for you, but do you really want to show that?!

I only got $5,000 for all of the effects in that movie. I just came from the first “Friday the 13th.” For me it was two months of living in New York, getting my name on another film. I’m glad I did it. But there’s a misconception about that movie. I still get it. The rumor is that I hated the people I worked with on that movie. I made a comment once in a magazine that the movie was ‘trash.’ Because the director Bill Lustig was saying that in interviews all the time. “This is crap, this is trash.” Now they thought I was talking about the people. I wasn’t. I love Bill Lustig. Now, I’m doing “Tales From the Darkside” and Joe Spinell is doing a cameo. He stops me and starts screaming at me “What are you saying all that shit about us for?” I didn’t know what he was talking about because I hadn’t heard it yet. Later on, at conventions I hear it again. I didn’t say that! What the fuck is going on? So now I realize what Spinell is talking about. So every chance I get, in front of convention crowds, I tell them what a mistake that was. I tell them that I said the movie is ‘Trash,’ and I say that because the director himself says that. The subject matter is trash, not the people. On the DVD I did the audio commentary with Bill Lustig and I made a point of clearing that up once and for all. Those rumors come out, and no matter what you do, you can’t fight them.

RW: I read Bruce Campbell’s book “If Chins Could Talk,” and was struck by how much fun those guys have making movies. Was that your impression of working with them.

TS: That was a good book. I’m shopping my book to the same publisher. But, yeah. Lots of fun. The nature of what we do makes it fun. You are in different circumstances all the time. The opportunities are not just at work. I was dating a girl once. I loved to scare her. I had a fake head of myself. She got up from the bed to go to the kitchen. I jumped up and got my fake head. I put it in the bed and then fluffed up the covers to make it look like I was still there. I hide in the closet to watch. Now she was the same way. She sneaks in real slow to try and scare me! She jumps on the bed to scare me and the head rolls down the pillow into her lap. She screams and jumps out of bed heading for the door. I jump out of the closet and get her again! Two scares for the price of one.

TALES FROM THE BACKSIDE

On the first morning of “Wonderfest 2003,” I took my daughter to the dealer room to meet the celebrities. I decided to take a picture of her with the actors so EI’s readers would have something other than my bald, fat face to look at with the interviews. We went up to Ken Foree first. Next came Tom Savini. I introduced myself and then Christy, my almost 17 year-old daughter. Tom made her feel at ease with a few jokes. He then broke out some magic tricks. The first consisted of a metal die and a round metal box. Christy placed the die in the box, covered it and Mr. Savini told her which number was facing up. His next trick involved a deck of cards and some homemade animation. It too, was very cool. Finally he asked for my daughter’s hand. “I am going to guess the color of your underwear. After a couple of second’s he declared “Red.” Christy was amazed. How did you do that! I butted in, “Easy, everyone in the room knows, because your underwear is about two inches higher than your pants!”

The next morning, I told Chris to wear a belt. I went downstairs to the convention. On the way out of the door I noticed an orange line at Christy’s waist. I went up to Mr. Savini. “It’s orange today.” “Don’t tell her you told me,” he replied. Later, Christy went up to Tom and asked if he had seen me. Tom extended his hand. Christy thought he wanted to shake hands so she fell for it. Tom squinted. “Orange!” In the middle of my interview with Ken Foree, Christy walked up and interrupted, “Did you tell him?” “Tell him what?” I replied, “Not me!”

Thanks for making my daughter’s weekend Mr. Savini. Good luck in the future.

WILLIAM WINDOM: 2001 INTERVIEW

One the third day of the Memphis Film Festival, the panel discussion featured "Planet of the Apes" actors Kim Hunter, Wright King and William Windom. Afterwards John Beifuss, film critic for The Memphis Commercial Appeal said to me "They could have had William Windom up their by himself and it would have been great." It wasn’t that Ms. Hunter and Mr. King weren’t interesting and informative, it’s just that William Windom was so damn funny.

A veteran of stage, screen and TV, William Windom is one of the most recognizable actors in America. Along with Jon Locke and Don Young, I found Mr. Windom to be the most approachable actors at the festival. Not one to take himself to seriously, Mr. Windom showed great patience at the commands of some fans which upset my southern up-bringing.

I laughed to myself as I waited to in line to meet Mr. Windom. A mercenary fellow Memphian had Mr. Windom sign several stills from the Star Trek TV series. Mr. Windom played Commander Decker in the "Doomsday Machine" episode. From the way the curt fan acted, I imagined he had visions of E-Bay dollars dancing in his head.

William Windom: "Do you want me to personalize it?"

Rude Fan: "No, don’t put my name on it!" (A personalized autograph has less resale value.) "Write ‘Commander Decker’ here." (Pointing to the spot on the photograph he wanted the words.) "Write ‘Doomsday Machine’ under that."

William Windom: "Okay."

Rude Fan: "Now put your name on the back" (Mr. Windom had already signed his name on the front.)

William Windom: "Sorry, I already signed the front."

Rude Fan: "Oh well, that will do"

The fan walked away with the still. Absent were the niceties and respect shown by just about every one else present. Mr. Windom took the abuse like a trooper. "You sure take direction well" I said. Mr. Windom laughed, "You have to son, you have to."

I purchased a still from Mr. Windom’s debut movie "To Kill a Mockingbird." He seemed surprised by my choice as most people wanted stills from "Star Trek" or "Murder She Wrote."

Rusty White: "I’m a lawyer today in large part because of that movie," I told him. Mr. Windom proceeded to tell me a few anecdotes about lawyers and "To Kill a Mockingbird."

William Windom: I went to a law school lecture in L.A. given by W.C. Fields Jr.. He was a very serious attorney. The thing was, he looked and sounded just like his father. I swore if I ever got in trouble, I was going to hire him to defend me. (Laughing) No jury in the world would convict you with W.C. Fields as your lawyer!

RW: What was it like working for Alan Pakula and Robert Mulligan on "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

WW:Alan was very involved as the producer. He’s a nice guy. Bob was great.

RW: You played the prosecuting attorney. How does it feel to be the man who railroaded Tom Robinson?

WW:(Laughs) I did not. I simply put on the case and the jury convicted him. (Gregory) Peck cracked me up one day. We were sitting at tables side by side. We were supposed to leave him alone because he couldn’t be distracted. This was a serious scene. Greg would sit at the table like this. (He props his elbows on the edge of the table with his forehead resting on his fists as if in prayer.) Now I have to do something to make the scene interesting because I’m just sitting there. The focus is on Greg. So I drape one leg over the arm of my chair, I pull my tie loose to one side and I chew on a pencil. Well this goes on for several days as we film the scene over and over. Finally Peck says to me out of the side of his mouth, (imitating Mr. Peck) "Hey Bill, do you think this would be to much?" At which point his elbow slips off the table like he has fallen asleep.

At the later panel discussion, Mr. Windom shared the story with the crowd and added that Mr. Peck’s little joke was a nice way of telling him to cut out the show-boating.

WW:The girl who played the little red-neck (the alleged rape victim Mayella Ewell) and I were working together at night in a play in L.A.. We would do the film during the day and the play at night. She would change from a back-woods red-neck to an elegant socialite at night. It was a lot of fun. The actor who played her father in the movie was a real redneck. The guy wasn’t an actor. He went on to make a living playing those parts. I thought he did a great job in the movie. We were filming the scene in which he was testifying. He was my witness. I wanted to something to make my scene special rather than just saying "Tell us what happened on the night in question." My mother was a southerner. In the old days, the farmers would gather around the courthouse on trial days. The farmers would squat down on their heels and chew the fat. So, in the middle of my examination of Mr. Ewell, I squatted down and asked him a question. He started to say his line and then stopped. He yelled out "Bob (director Robert Mulligan) cut the film! Make him stand up! He’s mocking me!" Mulligan came up and put his arm on my shoulder. He said "Bill, I loved what you did, but I’ve got to work with this guys for six more weeks." So I stood up and we did it again.

The next day I was able to spend more time with Mr. Windom. We spoke about some of his other work.

RW: What was it like to work for Frankenhiemer in "The Gypsy Moths"?

WW: He's a guy who frothed at the mouth. Him and the guy from the movie with Jason Robards, Hour of the Gun...

RW: John Sturges.

WW: Yeah, John Sturges. When they got talking foam would form at the corner of their mouths. That’s a sign that someone is a bit deranged.

RW: The foam isn't from chewing Tums but more from rabies.

WW: Something like that. I like a freer hand on the reign. Both men liked to crack the whip. Very serious about everything. No sense of humor. I've had more fun on other sets. I enjoyed Deborah Kerr though. I played her wimpy husband.

RW: What was it like to work for Clint Eastwood?

WW: A real softy. He's nothing like his on-screen persona in real life. Just a great guy. I've played tennis with him on many occasions. Clint can't play very well, so I like playing against him. He used to have his own tennis tournament. Always like to play against him. He is great to work for. I just did one movie with him (True Crime). Small part, played the bartender.

RW: Do you remember anything about "The Mephisto Waltz"?

WW: Oh yeah, that was with Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset. I played the doctor. They were having a baby if I remember right. I had to tell them that the baby had died. It was a real somber scene. We did it over and over. Everyone was tense and we had a hard time getting the scene right. I decided to break them up, shake things loose. I came in with my hands behind my back. Very somber. As I told them "I did everything I could..." I brought an old hand cranked drill out from behind my back. They're standing there in shock trying to keep a straight face. I really don’t remember anything else about the movie.

RW: It was an occult thriller.

WW: Oh yeah, that would explain my morbid humor.

RW: How about "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman."

WW: That was fun. They would put Darryl Hannah up on a Platform 50 feet in the air and film over her shoulder to give her the perspective of height. I was down below so it looked like she was a giant. It wasn't a very good movie, but fun to do.

RW: What was Christopher Guest like to work with.

WW: Did he direct that? Oh my God. I loved "Waiting for Guffman." I was going to send him a fan letter I liked it so much. I can't believe (50 Foot Woman) was his. I forgot. I'll have to rethink the fan letter.

RW: You could tell him how much he has improved as a director.

WW: Yeah!

RW: You've been in quite a few John Hughes movies. How is he to work with.

WW: I like John. He likes to keep the camera rolling after the take is over to see what you will do. Fun sets to work on.

RW: How did the one man show "Ernie Pyle" come about?

WW: I was doing "Thurber" at UCLA. They ( UCLA) said that they had received a lot of money to do some experimental theater. They wanted me to do something new. I had a blank check. I looked around for something to develop. I'm serious about a few things, WWII is one of them. The problem with doing a one man show about WWII was getting the rights to the works of authors like Irwin Shaw or Herman Wouk. I came across Ernie Pyle's work. (note: Ernie Pyle was a newspaper man and WWII correspondent. He died at the hands of a Japanese sniper on Okanawa.) He's dead so I just had to get permission of the newspaper that published him. He was a reporter before the war. It was two parts, his civilian life and the war years. By the time I got it together, UCLA had lost their grant. I was very depressed after all the work. My agent booked me to do the "Thurber" show at the University of Indiana. I came out of a building and looked up. There carved in stone right in front of me were the words "Ernie Pyle School of Journalism." I broke into a wild grin. "Do I have a show for you!" The university agreed. They said come back next year and do Thurber 2 (he did two versions of the "Thurber" play) and Ernie Pyle 2.

RW: Did you write "Ernie Pyle"?

WW: I compiled it. All of the words are Ernie Pyle's own. I just compiled and organized them. I did the same thing with "Thurber."

RW: I saw "Thurber" on TV. Are there any tapes available of "Ernie Pyle."

WW: I don't believe so. I once saw a poor video tape that wasn't worth showing. I'm not sure if there are any copies out there or not.

On the third night of the festival, the rascally Mr. Windom joined Jon Locke in an impromptu duet of Roger Miller’s "Massachusetts Transit Authority" much to the joy of the crowd in the exhibition hall. My wife and kids showed up Friday night. Mr. Windom introduced my three year old daughter Lauren to the game of 3 card Monty. Lauren didn’t have any money so I didn’t worry to much. My wife stated that her parents were fans of "Murder She Wrote" and watched seven days a week.

WW: How sad for them. Tell them to get a life.

His dry humor livened up the entire festival.

WW: I pull a little stunt on every new set. I go by Bill. There are always several crew members named Bill. Every time someone calls for "Bill" I have to look around. Whenever I start a new project I tell them to call me "Break." It only takes a couple of days of people yelling "Break" for the joke to wear thin. You have to have a sense of humor.

He does have a sense of humor. During the above-mentioned "Planet of the Apes" panel discussion, Mr. Windom was asked what it was like to act opposite someone in ape make-up. Unfortunately for the questioner, Mr. Windom had no scenes with anyone in make-up.

WW: I do have an ape story though. I was in a well known watering hole in L.A. waiting for a friend. I wanted to light a smoke, but didn’t have any matches. There was a huge guy next to me who had some matches. He had his back to me. I thought about stealing the matches and then thought better of it. He was big. So, I tapped him on the shoulder and asked for a match. He turned and said sure. I was dumfounded. I’ve never been in awe of show people, but this was different. The guy handing me a match was the original ape man himself, Johnny Weissmuller.

I enjoyed William Windom for many years before I met him. I wish his Made-for-TV film "The House on Greenapple Road" was available on VHS. Another favorite of mine is the Jimmy Stewart depression era comedy "Fool’s Parade." I saw "Fool’s Parade" for the first time in years at the festival. It is still a great movie. A movie made that much better by the presence of a witty, intelligent and classy guy by the name of William Windom.

INGRID PITT: 2002 INTERVIEW

This is my 2002 interview with Hammer scream queen Ingrid Pitt from the Chicago Fantastic Film Festival.

Sexy can be classy, and INGRID PITT proved that vampires can be both. More than fangs, blood, and sexuality, Hammer Films’ scream queen Pitt, the sensual vampiress preying upon unwitting Victorians, played memorable characters equal, if not superior, to the men with whom she shared screen time. She portrayed characters that never compromised with those who stood in her way. All the while, she drove the male antagonists wild with desire.

In the pantheon of horror film stars few women have come close to occupying the top ranks with male stars such as Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing. For the most part, women in horror have been little more than sexy window dressing or pathetic victims. Even Elsa Lanchester had little to do as the title monster in "The Bride of Frankenstein." Hammer Films star Ingrid Pitt was one of the few women to break through the ceiling and take her place among the best of the best.

Pitt, a Polish actress, became the object of desire for millions of horror fans in such films as "Countess Dracula," "The Vampire Lovers," "The House that Dripped Blood," and "The Wicker Man." What set Pitt apart from countless other beautiful femme fatales was her striking screen presence and finely honed acting skills.

Pitt emerged as a star during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, Hammer was trying to inject new life into their ailing studio. Sex and violence became more graphic. Pitt was never shy about performing nude scenes. Anyone can take off his or her clothes on film, but there were (and are today) few talented actors who were endowed with bodies as beautiful as Pitt’s. The fact that she still draws crowds 30 years after the period of her greatest on-screen success is proof that Pitt’s talents are much more than skin deep.

Born in Poland, Pitt’s childhood was scarred by the holocaust. She survived her WWII experiences and became a successful actress. I had the great pleasure of meeting Ingrid Pitt and spending a little time with her on June 1, 2002, at the "Chicago Fantastic Film Festival." Ms. Pitt was warm and open to all of the fans that lined up to say a word, ask a question, or fawn over the British scream queen. Pointing to a still photo of Pitt and Clint Eastwood from the film "Where Eagles Dare" I asked….

RUSTY WHITE: I watched "Where Eagles Dare" a couple of weeks ago. How did it feel to shoot the Nazi characters at the end of the film?

IP: I…I had to keep swallowing. I was thinking, "I’m shooting the Nazis."

RW: Was it a cathartic experience?

IP: In some ways it was. You survive something and you have to get on with your life.

RW: Not everyone has survived what you went through. In your acting were you able to use the evil you were exposed to as a child? You portrayed a lot of evil characters?

IP: Somewhat. It is more fun to portray the heavy. If you’re the victim you are quickly forgotten…or you are pathetic. You remember the heavy.

RW:Were you a formally trained actor?

IP: I started out in the theater. I was part of the Berlin Ensemble. It was a group of actors run by Bertolt Brecht and his wife. Next I was at the Actor’s Studio in New York. I left though. I went round and round with that Man (Lee Strasberg). We argued endlessly about the Russian Method. What they taught wasn’t really the Russian method. We argued and argued and I left…well, he would say he threw me out. Either way, I didn’t stay there.

RW: (pointing out the Clint Eastwood photo again) It is amazing how much Clint Eastwood matured as an actor and filmmaker since "Where Eagles Dare."

IP: Yes, yes. He and Richard Burton were so different. Clint was looking forward to the rest of his career. He was watching everything, looking forward. Richard Burton was just drinking and spouting Shakespeare.

RW:Did he think the role was beneath him?

IP: No, he was tired of living. He was unhappy. He drank. His wife drank; she drank more than he did at that time. It was sad. They were a couple of sad children. It was unfortunate. They would divorce, get remarried. Really out of control. He was a man’s man; he was just tired of living.

RW:So, you enjoyed working with Clint Eastwood?

IP: He was fun. One day he grabbed me, threw me on a motorcycle and took off. When we got back, the producers were yelling, "Think of the insurance!" We didn’t do that again.

Ms. Pitt and I spoke of things in general. She found out I was from Memphis.

IP: So, you’re from Memphis. Did you know Elvis?

RW:I never met him, but he did pay for my birth! My dad was a reporter back in the late 50s. He did a free-lance story about Elvis’s mother. That paycheck paid for the hospital bills of my birth.

IP: Elvis was a lovely man.

RW:You knew him well?

IP: We took karate classes together. He was a wonderful man. He was centered. There was something about him that made you feel secure.

RW:What degree black belt are you?

IP: I’m ranked higher in Europe. I took a different type of karate in Europe than in America. You can’t always have a gun. You have to have something in your life that gives you security. That makes you safe.

RW:I left Memphis in a rush and forgot to bring my DVD of "The Wicker Man" for you to autograph. At the time, did you realize that you were working on something special?

IP: We felt like everything was going down the drain. British Lion (the production studio) was being sold at the time. No one at British Lion wanted to make the film. At Cannes, the producer had a Wicker Man statue made to promote the picture, but British Lion wouldn’t let the film be shown. The film was cut and cut and forgotten. It was American college students that made the film a success. Roger Corman had an uncut print. A lot of the film was lost forever. Christopher (Lee) said that the film was buried under the motorway. I don’t know what happened to the missing film.

RW:Fortunately we have the restored version now!

IP: I understand that Nicholas Cage is talking about remaking "The Wicker Man." I don’t see why they would do that.

RW:Me either. I’ve enjoyed watching the film several times, even though I already know the great ending. Part of the enjoyment of watching the film again, is the memory of that first viewing.

IP: Remakes don’t usually work.

RW:Remaking "The Wicker Man" would make as much sense as remaking "Gone With the Wind" or "Casablanca."

IP: Exactly. They got it right the first time. I can think of few remakes, which are better than the original.

RW:The only one I can think of off-hand was Richard Lester’s "The Three Musketeers." It was fun and bawdy, but so was the book.

IP: Oliver Reed was wonderful.

RW:Did you ever work with him?

IP: No. (A sad smile crosses her face.) He was a dear friend. A dear, dear man. It is still hard to believe he is gone.

RW:It’s hard to watch "Gladiator" without thinking about the fact he died during filming. I liked that they dedicated the film to him.

IP: Exactly. I had a CD of the soundtrack. I would listen and remember…. I lost it. Oh well, life goes on.

RW:America has a puritanical streak that makes it OK to show violence onscreen, but sex is frowned upon. There seems to be a healthier attitude in Europe concerning sex.

IP: There are problems there too. "Countess Dracula" was tame compared to what I wanted to do.

RW:I love that film. I thought it dealt with its subject in a mature manner.

IP: Elizabeth of Bathory was just evil. It was horrendous what she did to those girls.

(Note: "Countess Dracula" was based on the true life story of Elizabeth of Bathory, a noble who believed that bathing in the blood of virgins would give her eternal youth and beauty. She murdered countless peasant girls out of vanity.)

IP: Trevellian (the British censor) wouldn’t let us film many things we wanted. He would say, "Cut this, cut that." We couldn’t show much. The scene with the whore…I wanted to hang her upside down from the ceiling. I would lie nude below her and bathe as her blood poured over my body. They wouldn’t let us do that. I wanted to show just how evil this woman was. It was horrendous what she did to those girls.

RW:(Noting the fans who were showing up to meet Ms. Pitt) I’d love to talk all day, but there are others waiting to talk so, thank you very much for giving me this time. I just want to add that you have the sexiest nose that ever graced the screen.

IP: (Smirking) If you say so.

RW:You don’t like your nose?

IP: Lets say I have an optimistic nose!

RW:Thanks again for your time!

IP: You’ve very welcome "Firecracker"!

(Note: I was wearing a T-Shirt promoting Steve Balderson’s film "Firecracker")

KEN FOREE: 2003 INTERVIEW

This is my 2003 interview with actor Ken Foree at Wonderfest. My daughter Christy accompanied on this trip the year before her ATV accident. She is pictured below with Mr. Foree.

Actor Ken Foree is well known to several different groups of moviegoers. To the several thousand people attending “Wonderfest 2003” in Louisville Kentucky, Mr. Foree is known as a horror film actor. Mr. Foree played leading roles in several well-known horror films such as George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead,” Stuart Gordon’s “From Beyond” and one of the lessor “Chainsaw Massacre” films: “Leatherface." To my son Blair and millions of Nickelodeon fans, Mr. Foree played Kenan's father on the TV series “Kenan and Kel.” I didn’t put two and two together as I interviewed Mr. Foree, but I had laughed at his antics as I watched the silly “Kenan and Kel” TV movie “Two Heads Are Better Than None.” To tell you the truth, I came to Louisville with one agenda: to do a face to face interview with Ray Harryhausen. Anything else would be icing on the cake. I wish that I had done more background research on Mr. Foree. I wish I had because Mr. Foree was very open and talkative. One of the best interview subjects I’ve come across. The following took place over two days during several lulls in the action at “Wonderfest 2003.”

By way of introduction, I told Mr. Foree that I am an assistant public defender in Memphis.

Ken Foree: I have a cousin in St. Louis who was a public defender. He opened his own office. It’s been about a year. But he paid his dues as a public defender also.

Rusty White: How did you hook up with Stuart Gordon?

KF: “From Beyond.” I auditioned for Stuart and Brian Yuzna in LA. I think it was between me and another guy who used to work a lot. I don’t see him anymore, and I really don’t remember his name, but he did work a lot. Then somebody, I believe Barbara Crampton said ‘Let’s go with Ken Foree.’ That’s how it happened. The next thing I know, I’m cast and on my way to Rome.

RW: How was he to work with?

KF: Stuart. Stuart was a lot of fun. From an actor’s point of view, it was a collaboration. He was willing to listen. He wasn’t a guy who said ‘Hit your mark and say your lines.’ We talked about it. Stuart was, he’s looking at a script that he’s been trying to get some people interested in for a few years called “Pale Dreamer.” From what I understand, he’s looking at me. So, I may be working with him again, I don’t know. I saw him about six months ago. I went to his house and talked to him about it.

RW: What is your background as far as acting is concerned?

KF: Initially, I studied with one of Lee Strasburg’s teachers who branched off and opened his own gallery called ‘The Performance Gallery’ in New York. His name is Michael Schulman. I studied with him. Did a lot of off-Broadway. Then a TV series, a guest starring role in that and then a major motion picture for Universal and I was on my way. It was like an out-of-control train at that point.

RW: Was there some point in your life where you knew you had to be an actor?

KF: I think it was a continual process for me. I was so enamored with film. I think I saw “The Ten Commandments” about 20 times. They ran it at our neighborhood theater. It cost ten-cents to get in, so I went every day. It was this great epic. I watched “Wolfman,” “Frankenstein,” “Dracula” Bela Lugosi. I watched those every Friday night. So I had an early Horror film education and appreciation. Basically, I like good films. Somebody asked me that on the way in: ‘What do you like?’ There are a number “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?,” “Lawrence of Arabia” is one of my favorites. I can’t watch it any more because I watched i9t so many times, I know every line and every scene. “Night of the Living Dead” is one of my favorites.

RW: What did you think of the remake?

KF: I really didn’t see that much of it. I saw parts of it on cable. I think what threw me was the color. I liked the shadows of the original. I didn’t stick with the sequel to finish it. I can’t really say what kind of movie it is.

RW: You were talking about color vs. black and white. Are you a film noir fan?

KF: Well, it was just that film. There are many black and white films that I like.

(My daughter interrupted us at this point to ask about Tom Savini’s psychic ability to guess the color of her underwear.)

A fan comes up and asks Ken about the upcoming remake of “Dawn of the Dead.”

KF: They are coming out with it this year. Ving Rhames is playing the part that I played. Universal is doing it.

FAN: I didn’t know that.

KF: And I need to go see “Night of the Living Dead 2” because Tom Savini directed it. And I’ve got to see it for that reason alone.

Tom Savini at the next table chimes in: You haven’t seen it yet? Jeesz!

RW: Back to your influences.

KF: I guess you have to go back to a lot to the Black and White stuff. I used to like Frank Lovejoy and the detective stuff he used to do. And Robert Taylor and the stuff he used to do.

RW: If you like Black and White movies, maybe you’ll agree with me that Ted Turner needs a stake through the heart for all that colorization.

KF: (laughs) I’d forgotten about that. I’m glad he did some of that, but we still have the originals, so we can enjoy them either way. I’ll tell you another one of my favorites, “Sunset Blvd.”

RW: Billy Wilder was the best.

KF: He’s one of my favorite directors.

RW: I was researching his movies for the obituary I wrote for him. More than two-thirds of his films were nominated for Oscars.

KF: That’s phenomenal. I’ve seen some documentaries on Wilder. He had some monumental failures too. That’s what struck me. That he was human. It’s nice to know that he struggled with his craft. I’ll tell you a story. There is a director in Hollywood. I won’t mention his name, but he is well recognized, Oscar nominated work. Very recognizable. I was Universal’s lot one day and I saw his office and another producer’s office. I said I was going to stop by and see him and bitch to him about how I’m not happy about what’s going on, or how I didn’t get this job…I was just upset and full of self pity. It wasn’t really that bad, but I wanted to vent a little bit. So, I walk in to my friend’s office. He says “Ken, how are you doing?” then he starts in on his problems “I’ve got no control over this, they won’t let me do this, they’re busting my balls over this, I can’t get this…” He went on for a solid 45 minutes about how they were killing him. I stood there with my mouth open. I eventually said “It’s OK, things will work out.” I started to console him and I’m the one who went in to bitch to him. Then a lightning bolt hit me, I though “Hey, everyone has successes and failures. If something bad happens to you, don’t think you’re the only one going through a hard time.”

RW: You probably walked out feeling a lot better than when you went in.

KF: I did, I did! I though, “If they are doing this to him…” and it’s true, trials and successes, we all have them. I had an uncle who had his own vaudeville show. No one knows this, so this is news. He had different acts, with tents. He traveled in the South and the Midwest. He used to say, well, he died before I was born, but my mother would say that he would say about things that happen “It’s all goulash.” And that’s it. If you look at it, in life ‘S’ happens. And that is basically what it is: Shit Happens.

RW: I think what you just touched on, the universality of the human condition, for me is what is at the core of a good film. Whether it is set in outer space, or deals with the undead or just a family in conflict, if you have human characters you can relate to, there is a chance the movie will work. Everyone can relate to Luke Skywalker, or being stuck in a mall with zombies as you were. As long as the characters are real.

KF: Survival of the human spirit. No matter what venue, people can relate to it. Exactly.

RW: If you have a ton of great special effects but no real human characters all you end up with is a demo reel.

KF: That’s what it is. I can’t tell you how many people give me a film and ask me to look at it. I take it home and watch it. It has great special effects, a little blood and guts. But there is no story. You have to care about the characters. If you don’t have that, all you have is a cheap copy of what someone else already done. There is no character development. I watch and say, “What’s it about?” Then they tell you what it’s about and I ask “When did that happen?” (laughs)

RW: Mr. Schulman, your acting teacher, did he develop an off-shoot of Strasberg’s Method acting or was he a strict adherent to the Method.

KF: He was a strict adherent to it. He worked at the Actor’s Studio for years and then he branched out and opened his own studio. He and another guy, I can’t think of his name, but they branched out and opened their own studios. Michael was very successful with his, still is. He did very well.

RW: Did you ever meet Mr. Strasberg?

KF: No, I never did. I was in New York and someone told me that it was between me and another guy to get a full scholarship to the actor’s studio. I said “What?” I took me aback, because I didn’t even apply. I have no idea how my name got thrown in the mix. I just guess someone, word got around that I had some talent, either that or someone was in love with me and wanted me in the Studio! (laughs) I don’t know.

RW: Sounds like one of those mysteries you’ll have to wait for Judgment Day to find out about…I thought Mr. Strasberg’s performance was one of the many wonderful things in “The Godfather Part II.” I’m always amazed at the ‘tick’ in his speech during the scene when he asks Michael Corleone if they have a deal. He speaks, and gasps, speaks and gasps.

KF: Oh yeah (imitates Strasberg). If it’s not in the script, as an actor you looks for little things to bring the character to life. I imagine he knew someone in his past who had heart trouble and made that sound. I don’t know, but I imagine. You do your research for a role and try and discover what little things you can do to bring the character to life. I’m sure anyone who knows someone with a heart condition of aging problems can relate to his performance. It’s just good work.

RW: I just read Peter Fonda’s great autobiography, “Don’t Tell Dad.” There is a story he tells about a man who wanted to have Mr. Fonda produce a movie. Fonda told him he would if the guy would not call ‘Cut’ right after the actor’s finished the written words. Fonda wanted him to let the cameras roll for a few more seconds to give the actors an opportunity to explore their characters beyond the script, you’ll get some interesting stuff. Unfortunately, the guy didn’t follow Peter Fonda’s advice. Do any directors come to mind who provided you that kind of freedom to explore your craft?

KF: I’ve had several directors who have just turned on the camera and said ‘Go for it.’ They know you know what you are doing and they let you do your thing. That’s what they prefer to do, because they prefer not to work to hard! I’ve had some, I can remember one set, s sound stage and they’re getting ready to set up- the scene and I’ve got five or six directors telling me what to do. ‘Just tell me where the set up is and I’ll get it done. I’ve been doing this for a while. I don’t need the 1st AD, 2nd AD, cameraman, producer, script girl and everyone else telling me different things for the same scene. I’ve run into that a few times.

RW: Sounds like they were the novices.

KF: Well, when you are continuously piling out stuff, getting different actors every week, you kind of get used to pushing people around to get things done. You have a time schedule. You have to get it done, get it out, get to the next show.

RW: So you run into that doing TV series work. Kind of an assembly line process.

KF: It is for those who are behind the scenes. Yes.

RW: On a personal fulfillment level, do you prefer the immediacy of the stage or the permanence film work?

KF: I think any actor alive prefers the stage. Well, any New York actor prefers the stage. There is nothing like the give and take with an audience. There’s nothing like the inspiration you get from a live audience, and also, you don’t have any retakes, so whatever happens up there, happens and that’s it for that night. There’s a lot of excitement and I like that. I would love to do another stage play. I haven’t done one in a while. That is my first love.

RW: Do you find a role like yours in “Dawn of the Dead” to be a help or a hindrance…being typecast as a genre actor. Granted, you’ve played numerous types of characters. You’re not like say Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca in “Star Wars.”

KF: It has done nothing but help. It didn’t do for me what Chewbacca did for Peter Mayhew.

RW: I’m doing a small role in an indie film. It’s my first attempt at acting. When it comes to watching a movie you're appeared in are you ever able to just watch the movie and enjoy it for what it is, or are you always aware that that’s you up on the screen?

KF: Oh boy. Sometimes I can watch a movie and really start to get into it, but then I realize that my scene is coming up. I switch gears and become a director, directing myself. ‘Why didn’t I do that, or I could have done that different.’ It is hard to watch something I’m in and forget that that is me on the screen. Sometimes, with “Dawn of the Dead” for example that enough time has passed so I can just watch it to enjoy the movie. Or course what strikes me about “Dawn of the Dead” is how young I was. I still had hair!

RW: What’s on the horizon for you?

KF: I’m negotiating a deal and if it goes through, I’ll be doing something this summer. I’m also writing a treatment, I should have it finished this week. Like everyone else, I’ve got a treatment. I’m coming back into the business. Basically, I had a business, a restaurant, and I closed it down because my partner died December 21st. You know how those things go. Immediately my right hand is gone. You say “Oh God, how am I going to do this.” I decided after going to some of the conventions that I’ve gone to, to get back into acting. So many people have come up to me asking ‘When are we going to see you again.’ It’s humbling when so many people say you have affected their lives. It was also encouraging. I started back during pilot season. I got a new agent, because my agent had become a casting director because her brother has one of the largest production houses in Los Angeles. Has more shows on television than anyone else. She gave me a list of about eight agencies. I called the first one on her list. Called, the guy said “Ken Foree from ‘Dawn of the Dead!’ of course send him down! I met him that night. Met his partner. Got him a demo tape. That was it. The agency is Amsel, Eisenstadt and Frazier, they are an actor’s agency. I signed with them. I told them I would be ready for pilot season, January and February. The last two weeks of February I said, ‘Send me out.’ I still wasn’t ready, I was still running the business. I had a major government contract was dealing with, I had family issues, but I said ‘send me out anyway,’ because I didn’t want to meet pilot season. So, in two weeks I had four series leads and two movies.

I found Mr. Foree to be a survivor. His humor, intelligence and personality accent his talent as an actor. Not all actors can claim to have a lead role in a classic film. “Dawn of the Dead” is considered by many to be George Romero’s masterpiece. Standing alone as a film, not considering such things as social impact, “Dawn of the Dead” is in many ways superior to it’s predecessor. Ken Foree can be proud to have been a part of such a film. Fans can rejoice that Mr. Foree has decided to leave the world of business behind and return to acting. Here’s hoping Mr. Foree receives as much personal fulfillment from his craft in the future and the joy he has provided others from it in the past.

RAY HARRYHAUSEN: 2003 INTERVIEW

This is my 2003 interview with animation legend at the 2003 Wonderfest. My daughter accompanied me on the trip. This occurred the year before her ATV accident. She is pictured below with Mr. Harryhausen.

I have a wish list of filmmakers and actors I’d love to be able to talk with: Christopher Lee, Clint Eastwood, Brian De Palma, and Gregory Peck. Before this past weekend, the number-two name on that list would have been master of stop-motion animation Ray Harryhausen. Thanks to Lee Staton and the great folks who put on “Wonderfest 2003,” I was able to get some face-to-face time with Mr. Harryhausen. The six-hour drive through a raging thunderstorm was a small price to pay to meet one the greatest artists in the history of film.

For those of you who only know dinosaurs and mythical beasts through the wonder of CGI, Ray Harryhausen is the greatest stop-motion animator who ever lived. Purists may say that Harryhausen mentor Willis O’Brien (King Kong) was greater, but I disagree. While “King Kong” is the greatest film of the genre, Harryhausen’s talents and innovations far surpassed those of Mr. O’Brien.

Ray Harryhausen is now 82. While he is spry for a man his age, the hectic schedule at “Wonderfest 2003” limited the one-on-one time I had with him. I waited several hours for Mr. Harryhausen’s autograph session to end so that I could speak with him. Gino Sassani, a DVD critic for UpComingDiscs.com was also waiting. Though I was first in line for an interview, I didn't know how much or little time we would get with Mr. Harryhausen, so I suggested Gino and I combine our time. Ray sat down with us for a short period between the autograph session and his next speaking engagement. What follows is that interview. Following our interview with Ray are excerpts from his Q&A with the audience at “Wonderfest 2003” used with Mr. Harryhausen’s permission.

Gino Sassani: 20 Million Miles to Earth. The name of the beast was Ymir, of course it never appears in the film. Is that something that appeared in the script or that someone decided?

Ray Harryhausen: I originally devised the Ymir. It started as Norse mythology. I started the story, and Charlotte and I collaborated on it. In those days I was very modest, and I didn’t realize that modesty in Hollywood was a dirty word. I didn’t take credit for it, but the original story was based on my 20-page outline. Charlotte and I collaborated on it. So I gave her full credit.

GS: What was the name of the outline.

RH: The outline? It first took place in Chicago. When I originated the story. Then, I wanted a trip to Italy, so I changed the location when I submitted it to Columbia. I had always wanted to go to Europe and I didn’t have the money. So, I changed the location to Sicily because I wanted to go to Rome. So, it happened. I sold the story to Charles. Charlotte and I got most of the money and I got the job of doing the special effects.

GS: What about the design of the Ymir?

RH: The design of the Ymir went through many different stages, first he was a cyclops, then he was a two-horned, with two eyes. Oh, he was very stout originally. Then I decided that he would be better off thin. So I made him more humanoid.

Rusty White: I think it one of the more personal monsters you have created. The audience feels sympathy for him

RH: It’s hard to derive sympathy for an animal, so I tried to make it semi-human.

RW: It’s like in “King Kong,” you feel bad. There are some monsters, “Aliens” for example, where you want them to be killed, but with Ymir, you shed a tear.

RH: Yeah. That’s what we wanted. To get some sympathy for him. When he was so gross in his original design, you just couldn’t get that type of sympathy out of him.

GS: Did you also design the interiors of the space ship, or did you only deal with the stop motion?

RH: No, I designed the whole this, and I did all of the stop motion myself. See, I’m not just handed a script and told to put the special effects onto the screen. I work with the writer as well. We had a writer come in and a make about five or six, maybe eight big drawing, projection drawings of the highlights and the writer writes those in. Of course they become…everyone thinks the writer thought those up. That has happened on every picture. On “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,” I originated that story. Of course the writer gets all the credit. He ties it all together. That was a big mistake in my early career, to not have more of an ego to say, “I did it!” But as I said, I was modest in those days.

RW: If the writers showed up a convention like this, they wouldn’t draw these types of crowds. These are your movies.

RH: I’m not demeaning their contribution, because their job was to tie that all together. Many times they would devise a new situation. But these stories were developed through Charles Schneer (Harryhausen’s longtime producer). I would bring him a 20-page outline. He would hire a professional writer. He would submit 10 pages and the three of us would tear it apart. Most of the stories are based on my drawings, because only I know what I can do. It’s not what you would call a director’s picture in the European sense of the word. I’m involved in everything. I even have to go out and help sell the picture. But I didn’t pay much attention in my early days to the business side of it. I should have. I could have been a millionaire by now! (laughs)

GS: It Came From Beneath the Sea.

RH: That started with Charles Schneer. He first contacted me. He wanted to have a giant octopus after he saw “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.” So he said, he’d like to go over some of the areas of America to tear down. Stop-motion in that period, unfortunately was only noted for monster pictures, you know, invading the city. After “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms,” Tokyo got in on it and had “Godzilla” destroying Tokyo, which is the same as “The Beast.” So, I was trying to devise a new way to develop stop-motion, so I latched onto the Sinbad stories, because that was the personification of adventure. That led later to Greek mythology.

I remember growing up with Maria Montez pictures where they talked about the Roc, the talked about the Cyclops, and you never saw it on the screen. It was mainly a girly show, or a cops-and-robbers in baggy pants.

GS: You had some budget concerns on this film. That’s why the octopus was missing a couple of tentacles.

RH: It was a sextapus. If we had cut the budget any more it would have been a tripod!

RW: I hear you spent a lot of time in a bread truck doing some surreptitious filmmaking.

RH: The city fathers had to give permission to film there. We sent the script to San Francisco and the city fathers said they didn’t want to have public confidence in the Golden Gate bridge destroyed by having the bridge pulled down by an octopus. So they didn’t give us permission to operate, so had to get our shots the best way we could. Through devious means.

RW: You’re the grandfather of the indie film movement, with the guerilla filmmaking style.

RH: Yeah! (laughs)

GS: So you shot from a bread truck?

RH: Yeah. We got some projection plates made by going back and forth over the bridge with the cameras shooting out of the back of a bakery truck. But we couldn’t have a big crew there, we had to do it by other means. I won’t go into detail. The city fathers might sue!

GS: Sounds like you made them famous instead.

RH: I think I did.

RW: I was curious, you met Willis O’Brien in high school. As far as the armatures (the skeleton for the animation models) are concerned, learning how to build them for the models, did you learn from him or Marcel Delgado (O’Brian’s model maker)?

RH: No, I just did it by experiment. My first armatures were wooden with ball-and-socket joints. I got beads from a store and made ball sockets. But they would ratchet. The first cave bear I did had a wooden armature. It would ratchet, and you couldn’t move it and it wouldn’t stay in one place. It would shutter and go a little further than I wanted. So I never got very smooth animation out of it. But later on, I got better. I used to go to ‘The Pep Boys’ and get the rear view mirror sockets and use those for the armatures.

RW: Manny, Moe and Jack in the movies!

RH: Manny, Moe and Jack! Back in the early days.

EI: Speaking of Marcel Delgado. You obviously saw “King Kong” when it was first released. Growing up, I always heard stories about the famous ‘spider scene.’ Did you ever see that scene? Do you know if the scene was actually filmed or if there were just still photos.

RH: No. I didn’t see it. Ray Bradbury is the only one I know who claims he saw it in Arizona at a preview. He said he is sure he saw it. I haven’t heard of it surfacing. I think the negative must have been destroyed.

GS: There are some stills of the spider.

RH: Oh yes. It was actually shot, but Merian Cooper thought it slowed the process down and it was a little too gruesome.

GS: It really explains a lot in the film, because when they fall down, it almost takes away some of that drama.

RH: Yeah, that’s what he felt, so he cut it out after the first preview. So Ray may have seen the first preview.

At this point, Mr. Harryhausen had to leave to make an appearance at the Award Ceremony for the “Wonderfest 2003” modeling competition.

Below are excerpts from the moderator and audience Q&A with Ray Harryhausen on day one of “Wonderfest 2003.” I was in the audience, but did not contribute any of the questions.

On his inspiration to become an animator:

RH: I saw “King Kong” in 1933 before most of you were born. I haven’t been the same since. That shows you how important film can effect a person. I often pride myself in not latching on to Edward G. Robinson in “Little Caesar” or might be a Godfather today! I think films at that time were very potent and really affected people’s lives. Today you are so inundated with films that they are no longer a unique experience as they were back in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

On the presentation of vintage films:

The presentation was awesome. Sid Grauman was a great showman, he owned Grauman’s Chinese Theater. My aunt happened to work for his mother as a nurse when she was an invalid. He gave my aunt three tickets to see this strange film called “King Kong,” and I haven’t been the same since. That’s what happened to me. I always attributed it to a gorilla. I didn’t know how it was done at first. There were no books on stop-motion. It was all kept quite secret. A lot of misleading articles finally came out. About a year or two afterwards I discovered the glories of stop-motion animation.

On meeting Willis O’Brien:

When I was still in high school, I can’t remember the date. We had a study period in high school and I saw this girl across the way with a big book, a script of “King Kong” all highly illustrated, and I almost fell off my chair. So I went over to see her and talk about it. She said her father worked with O’Brien and that he was making a film, preparing a film called “War Eagles” at MGM. She said “Call him up and he’ll talk to you.” So I called him up and he kindly invited me down to MGM to see their preparations for “War Eagles.” There were not many people in those days who were interested in stop-motion, or even knew about it. So I guess he thought I was rather unique, and he invited me down there. So, I brought some of my models to show him. I was awestruck by the preparation for “War Eagles.” It’s a pity it wasn’t made at that time. Then the War came along and Merian Cooper went into “Flying Tigers” and the whole picture collapsed.

On “War Eagle” models:

They were mostly paintings and illustrations. He had three offices with about a half a dozen artists painting pictures and sketching drawings in various stages. I often wondered what happened to all those wonderful drawings. I guess MGM finally chucked them into the furnace. I remember Miklos Rozsa told me that all his wonderful scores that he did for MGM, the orchestrations were all chucked into the furnace. They should have been given to a college archive. Such is life. Hollywood has never had the respect for its past as they seem to have now.

On his WWII service and how animation saved his life:

I signed up. I was very naïve in those days. Still am I suppose. I felt I should sign up for something I could do, so I signed up to be a combat camera man, not realizing they were shot like clay pigeons. I went through a school class at Columbia Studios and Eastman Kodak to learn all about 35mm, the hand camera and all that sort of thing, which was great experience. Then in my spare time, I made this film. Something told me, I think it was the fickle-finger-of –fate tapping on my shoulder and said, “make this film about bridge building.” So I started to do a lot of research and I bought some tanks and guns from the five-and-dime store and made this little three-minute film about how to bridge a gorge as a possible training film. My head professor showed it to Frank Capra and he got me transferred from the Signal Corp to the Special Services.

We made the “Why We Fight” and “Snafu” cartoons, “Nuts and Bolts” propaganda films all for the troops during the war.

I was still in the military when I made “Guadalcanal.” It was such an important episode in the history of the war that I thought I’d like to make a tribute to it. I did that. It took me many months, of course, in my spare time. I did it all in my garage. I shot it in 16mm.

I worked on the “Snafu” series. He was a little character “Situation Normal All Fouled Up.” Of course they used stronger words in the Army! He was a little character. Dr. Seuss was the commanding office in charge of the cartoon department. We laid out a few covers of “Yank” magazine of “Snafu.” Then he had a crew who laid it all out and they sent it to “Disney” or “Warner Brothers” or whoever actually made the animated version.

On his Fairy Tale animation:

The Navy had an office next to ours on Sunset Blvd. They threw out a 1,000 feet of outdated Kodachrome. I think it was only four or five months out of date. 1,000 feet I saw on the junk pile, so I retrieved it. It was in my garage for another six months. So finally I though “How can I use this up?” So I decided to make the Fairy Tales. I started with Mother Goose stories.

The films did very well. I showed George Pal some of my puppets when he started doing “Puppetoons” and I became one of his first employees. I spent two years with George Pal and I enjoyed it very much. I wasn’t too happy with his ‘replacement figures’ because so much of it was pre-animated. He would have a cartoonist come in and draw them out. They were heavily stylized. They had to be cubistic because they were cut out of wood. And the heads were turned on a lathe. They had lips that would form vowels. They had fifty heads used so they could speak: “a” “e” “i” “o” “u.” Four or five heads would go into each word. That got so complicated. So when I made my fairy tales, I just made extreme expressions and used an 8-frame dissolve in the camera from one head to the other. It gave them a personality that they wouldn’t have had they had a set, rigor mortis expression. Pal’s films were all very grand in their way, although they couldn’t compete with “Tom and Jerry.”

On the O’Brien/Harryhausen dinosaur scene in the lost film Animal World:

It was all tabletop miniatures. It was very simple, so we could use two cameras. So we got twice as much footage. (Producer) Irwin Allen was very cost conscious. I didn’t build the models. The armatures were designed by Willis O’Brien, but they built in the prop department. They looked a little rubbery; they never had the proper skin texture. It was just a six-week stint for O’Bie and I. We didn’t object too much because it was made on a shoestring.

There were some mechanical dinosaurs also. Irwin Allen liked to direct himself. He liked to have the animal open its mouth or blink their eyes while shooting at high speed. But he never interfered with my animation.

On animating in Cinemascope:

It was very difficult. If we'd had a lot of money to experiment with, we probably could have solved the problem. I tried rear project, miniature project which was the basis for stop-motion animation with a Cinemascope lens, but we got a pulsation and a hotspot in the middle. If we'd had the money to experiment, we could have solved it, but it wasn't worth the trouble. So I redesigned the whole thing for a traveling matte.

On the proposed upcoming remake of King Kong:

I understand that Peter Jackson wants to remake "King Kong." If anyone is the right person to remake it, Peter Jackson is the man. If I had seen the Dino De Laurentis version when I was a child, I'd probably be a plumber today!