Page 29 - Studio International - February 1971

almost entirely teenagers. Viva was the only Claude Chabrol. And then you say who was in museum show in Pasadena. We saw some big
person who was in the late twenties. But in it, and he says, mm, who, mm, well you know producers who had done films, and agents and
Flesh and in Trash now everybody's still the movie's not going to last... ; and you look some studio people but the basic fact of life is,
awfully young. There's a girl in Trash who's 16, at the people and they're sort of not so maybe five years ago, ten years ago, Hollywood
and there's James Warton, then there's a girl interesting. But you know I think you remember would say oh we'll give you a try and you can
who is like 17, or 18, and the girlfriend in Flesh, Camille with Greta Garbo and then you say do a film; there's no Hollywood, there's no
Patty Darbanville, who was 16 and is now 18 or who directed and you say mm, I think George studios. Columbia Pictures make a few films
19; she's a big hit here. Have you ever heard of a Cukor directed you know, and then you think and they're solvent and every other company is
song called Lady Darbanville? Well it's written of that Cukor but you know you remember bankrupt and about to close. And Paramount
about her by Cat Stephens; she's a beautiful whether it's Jean Harlow, or who the star was, Pictures will make one film next year, the
girl, you know, fascinating, you know. She's and John Wayne, Henry Fonda for John Ford Godfather, and maybe release another one they
smart and tough and sweet and young and we've or, you know, Katherine Hepburn, for George made a few months ago. Warner Bros. will
known her since she was 13 or 14; she was Stevens or George Cukor, and they had a great make one or two films, like Woodstock and
always more interested than just running around natural resource of talent in Hollywood. And a Performance. . . . And then MGM is bankrupt,
and doing anything. A lot of people who make lot of them were under contract to MGM. And they're out of business.... And Universal
careers, specially in this day and age—a lot of we feel in a funny way what we have in New York Pictures which is solvent really only wants
interesting people today just haven't got is a studio and we have the best players in the Airport—so there really isn't Hollywood, it
ambition and this is more the nature of life world available to our studio because we're the doesn't exist any more. So it's dead. We set
today, not to have ambition, not to be only studio that uses teenagers. We'll adjust Hollywood up as a great model to us. And now
committed; and so you come across some young our schedule a bit; if they don't show up well it's just all independent producers. The
person who comes to you and says they want to that's no great thing; we'll just do it another problem with being independent producers,
be in a film, we'll work hard, do this, do that. day or find somebody else. And so we had the there's no continuity involved, there can be no
Well they're completely artificial and they have luxury of being able to afford beautiful young tradition, there can be no audience response
no relation to people who go round—they really people who are fascinating to be able to work that returns. The whole notion that the
are like little imitations, people from another with and we didn't have to say look, you know, audience only go if it's a good film is stupid, I
time, so it's a great problem to work with people you're pretty interesting but you have to show think, because it means that the audience then
who aren't completely committed and who also for work at 8 o'clock on the morning, or 6 or 7 feels it has an obligation to go because it's a
are teenagers, because teenagers have so many or 8 o'clock every day for eight or twelve weeks. good film; instead of an audience that goes just
problems. We haven't been able to establish And they say hell, I don't want this shit; you because they want to see a film. They watch
ourselves so as to have much continuity with know, that's the way people are today and they television; see a dude television programme;
too many performers. But now—seeing Andy's don't want to do that. And nobody else is going they maybe watch those because they have to,
films are getting shown more and being more to use them that much. The commercial they like television; but now it's an obligation—
successful—the kids do want to work more. cinema doesn't use anybody under 3o. Because if it's a good film the audience will go. You
Now Patty's starting a film in France with the biggest stars are in their 4os and 5os and 6os. know I think it's obviously the end of the film
Michel Simon called La Maison and I think it's And the public is used to an older type. But business; but I do not think independent
very successful, but it was a great big expensive then again movies have lost the youthful production and emphasis on directors and all
film. And now she wants to—she might screen audience. They buy records, kids, they don't that is helping to quicken the whole thing. It
test for the St Claire part in Zeffirelli; and you really go to movies so much as they did; they happened so much quicker in America because
know, she wants to do something. And we had say they don't. And when they do go it's some they have so much television and Europe has no
her in our film in Paris again and then Jane, who real hype thing, you know. television whatsoever. I mean the television
was in Trash, and then Joe in Trash but he didn't HILL : What do you think the audience is for here is just absolutely nothing. American kids
come to Paris because again, you know, it's better your films? can't believe that people go and watch, turn on
that I make a film with him instead of just make a MORRISSEY : Well we always wanted it to be television, and there's no television—there's
story with one person because he's a very quiet young people, we always basically wanted them people talking about the man on the Moon and
type of person and if there's a lot of people in the to be a sort of mass, large audience. A then about gardening. In England at least they
scene he won't compete; he'll just clam up. He non-intellectual audience. And I was happy in have a little television; they have three stations.
only speaks when he has to. I think this is very Germany, Flesh became so popular and famous They're not on very much. And the choice is
good because I think this is, you know, the and all the cinemas sort of became a success too; very narrow. And the comedy programmes—you
tradition in men's acting on the screen—like because it was going to the cinema audience, know the frivolous programmes which are on
John Wayne : you only speak when necessary. the general audience, you know. We always —in the United States run all day long and
I mean everything's there for a purpose, but I intended it for that in the States but it got to they're really the good things and here the
think the main thing is to be aware of all the little out-of-the-way theatres, never on main comedy is all aimed at sort of elderly people,
movies that were made and what was really streets. So people either went to see it if they like Harry Secombe and people like that. It
good and what survived after years and years were looking for sex or were bored or something, really doesn't exist, so I don't know about
go by. I was just looking at a film which was one or the other. And that was limited. But I England, whether it's a big film-going nation.
popular, I guess ten years ago; I saw a piece of know popular films are really good and they are I don't think it ever was, but in Germany and
it, I was going by the theatre over there, in a popular medium and it's only been in the last France they still go to the movies because the
King's Road and I just happened to see ten, fifteen, twenty years that they've become television is non-existent. It's like visiting a
somebody and I just stuck my head in and they intellectualized and I think all the product in classroom to watch television in those countries.
were showing a movie called The Cousins- the past ten, fifteen years is a bit poor —I don't It's pathetic, it's stupid, because all that does is
1959/6o. It looked like it was a thousand years know. It's hard to say, maybe they'll stand up. preserve the status quo of a nation's character,
ago, it was so dated; it was so artificial, these The film-makers I like the most are certainly which is what they're mostly interested in doing
people talking, talking, talking and every time some of the old ones, I guess.... anyway, while America has got to all these
they were saying something it was a little HILL: Have any of the big commercial studios things, to raising their children on television to
pointed, the line was sort of pointed. A terrible made approaches to you ? make the people completely different to the
movie. And yet, you know, I remember that MORRISSEY : Well one or two in a way but then Europeans. There's an enormous chasm, I
movie; you say Claude Chabrol made it. Right, ... in actual fact we went out to Hollywood for a think, between American kids and European. I
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