Canadian Film Digest (Jan 1973)

—_ 4 Page 12 JANUARY 1973 The Canadian Film Digest Feature Production 3 in 1 Candia Today: A Mari Usque Ad Mare. The American Invasion, Part Il: The Last Detail Cinematographer Michael Chapman Jf you want winter early, and you need a city to resemble the U.S. northeast seaboard, where do you go? Toronto, naturally, and that is where producer Gerald Ayres brought his company for The Last Detail, a Columbia picture shot during November and December. Ayres’ Acrobat Films is producing with Columbia Pictures distributing. Starring is Jack Nicolson, with co-stars Otis Young and Randy Quaid. Director is Hal Ashby. Tom Overton is sound man and Michael Chapman is Director of Photography. Chapman is shooting his first film as cinematographer. He was formerly operator for Gordon Willis (who was shooting The Paper Chase in Toronto at the same time!) The story concerns two veteran sailors escorting a young recruit to Portsmouth naval prison. Nicolson and Young portray the veterans and Randy Quaid the recruit. On the way they decide to show him what a good time is to a sailor. The shooting schedule called for forty-seven locations in and around Toronto, including Union Station (where the ‘‘Men-Hommes”’ sign was changed to read only ‘‘Men’’), High Park, Trenton Air Force Base, buses, a train, and Camp Borden, Barrie. Toronto was chosen as the production site because of the early winter, diversity of locations, talent pool — the film calls for 50 bit parts, all but a few assigned to Canadians — and production facilities. Actually the film was in preparation for some time, says producer Gerry Ayres. As former creative Vice President for Columbia Pictures (‘It was like Vichy — I was the apologist for unpopular opinions.’’) Ayres found the script. “Otto Preminger read it but his bid was lower than ours. Mike Nicols was set to direct last year and we wrote it for Jack. But other commitments came up So Nicols was out. Jack and Hal were working on another project which fell through, so Hal was chosen director.” Ashby liked the script because of the human relations it explored and because of the humour. It was written by Robert Towne, who will get his first public writing credit on this film. Formerly a script doctor, he also wrote the final drafts of Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather. Soundman Tom Overton should have been filming The Iceman Cometh for John Frankenheimer. He has recorded all of the latter's films, but will work only on location, not in a theatre where Iceman is being filmed. ‘*Besides,’’ he says, “I like these boys. I like the way they. work.’ He was referring to BBS Productions, which he has also worked for on most of their films. Co-star Otis Young, forty but appearing to be about thirty, feels that this film is exceptionally important to him. He was the first black stage manager on Broadway and was discovered for Television while in a play in Hollywood. This led to a co-starring role in The Outcasts; with Don Murray. But the series didn’t work out. ‘‘I played a ballsy guy on the screen but they expected me to shuffle along like all the other niggers offscreen. It was ridiculous. Then I got to be known as ‘difficult’. That’s when you ask for too much money. I’ve been offered Shaft and all that other shit, always I was the first, but I wouldn’t take them. I was really, blacklisted, until Jack told me about this part. It's so good I may win an Academy Award.” The young recruit is played by Randy Quaid, “the guy who took the girl swimming” in The Last Picture Show. That movie is very much in the past, though, for this is Quaid’s sixth since then. And then there is a marvellously co-operative actor and artist whom everyone calls ‘‘Jack”’. It’s Nicolson of course, an actor who submerges himself in a role to such an extent that he will do interviews before and after shooting, never during. And who ran a mile around Queen's Park in downtown Toronto every evening after shooting was completed. yg aa Niceleon Atl actor Randy Quaid eatelnt up on their reading. Coming Next Month: Part Il Vancouver Report Maritimes Report The NFB To Get The Rest Of The Story On The Feature Situation SUBSCRIBE NOW I Year °7.50 (Including the Yearbook!) Fill out the cOnpOR: To: Subscriptions ; The Canadian Film Digest 175 Bloor St. East Toronto 5 Montreal Views from — puumunrntuniae ST Please enter me on your lisis I enclose my cheque [ | (*7.50 per year) Potterton, Almond, Sheperd, pats Please Bill me [ | (*7.50 per year). ADDRESS: Kazcender, Tadros, eeoeevceeeevneeeeeesee eee edtgaeeceeeeseeeeseeeenseeeveeesetdeoeneesevneeeeaous APT. or SUITE: eeeewaeevdeedetescec.ene dae Sd eeet eine ee seeeeeeeeeseeeaeee and many others Oe ES es ee es et ee Se SE SY SD SY ee Lee eS Ge moms me mee pie, ace © CAVA SV AWS & BSL NS ED 2S = A Se eek’ 4 A TON Cee eS eee LN OS) 2A’ CAAA Ww & Whee