Page 24 - the NOISE March 2015

inTerVieW WiTH MArK rydeLL
Best known as Director of such films: The Rose with Bette Midler, The Cowboys with John wayne, The Reivers with steen McQueen and the Academy Award-winning film On Golden Pond with Henry & Jane Fonda and Katherine Hepburn,
Mark Rydell has had an enormous career dating back to his days as an actor in soap Operas in the 1950s. Recently, he’s worked with his long-time friend ed Asner on diverse projects including their two-man show Oxymorons, which just played at sedona International Film Festival (sIFF). They have several projects you can find online or at netflix in case you missed them. Check out The Good Men about 9-11 ‘Truthers’ who challenge the ‘official’ version as presented by our honest government. The good men are those who do their patriotic duty and question tyranny when it exposes its ugly face.
This writer interviewed Mark Rydell about his career and his various shows at the festival.
What was it like working with the two Fondas and Kather- ine Hepburn in your Academy Award winning film On Golden Pond? (Nominated for 10 Awards and won six!)
what a privilege to direct these two giants, Henry and Katherine, as well as Jane, who is a friend of mine. I was a little intimidated at first, but they came to the set every day as students. They turned themselves over to me and begged for guidance. It was exciting and surprising every day. They were wide open to investigate and they’d do anything you asked of them. They just wanted to know where we were going with this story. And, in fact, during the one-week rehearsal before the shoot, which I had to fight the studio for, Henry and Kath- erine showed up and set everyone at ease, they were just stu- dents acting, showing up like everyone else.
Mark, they don’t make movies like that in Hollywood anymore, with older characters teaching us something about the stages of life. How did it get made?
It’s really sad the film market has become explosions and money up on the screen, instead of the subtle examination of human behavior near the end of life. we’re afraid to show that, financier’s are afraid to risk their money on exploring deep human emotions. But, if executed properly, people will have an emotional experience and the film can be successful criti- cally as well as financially.
And with Academy Awards!
There was a truth about these two characters approaching their later years and their affectionate interplay makes some folks uncomfortable. But an even bigger truth was that Jane’s character, her need to get to know her father before he dies was going on in her real life. Jane Fonda & Henry Fonda were not close for many years because of her political involve- ment in the Vietnam war and Henry’s stance. But this film, in front of our very eyes, not only brought these two characters together, it brought Jane & Henry back together. we were
By BoB reynoLds
watching reality reflected back to us in the screenplay and these characters and Jane & Henry’s real life. And I felt so privi- leged to be able to guide them back to each other in real life, through the script and their characters. And you can see that on screen and that was magical.”
You also worked with John Wayne on The Cowboys and Steve McQueen on The Reivers. What was that like?
well, The Cowboys was a 102-day shoot out in the cattle fields and we were moving 1500 head of cattle from here to there every day. But John wayne showed up every single day ready to work. I had heard he might be difficult, but he was so professional. He was the first one on the set every morn- ing and the last one to leave at night. It was late in wayne’s career and he even is ‘killed’ in the picture, but he said it was the best experience he ever had on set. so, that was quite a compliment.
And Steve McQueen?
steve & I went to school together at the neighborhood Playhouse. He was amazing, when he was up on the screen, there could be 25 people in the room but your eyes went to him. That was star quality; he had a riveting ability to attract attention. He was a sensitive, talented, very generous guy who grew up in an orphanage. He had a horrible background, he grew up without parents, without that love, but he some- how overcame it.
He also lived his life wildly! He was unique, I never met anyone like him; and funny. Once on the set I told him to be careful riding his motorcycle, because of the completion in- surance on the film and steve just smirked at me and jumped on his bike and motored off into the mountains. And women loved him, he came into a room and women just knew some- thing had changed, something had ... steve was there. He had magic, and I’ve been associated with lots of actors, but what steve had was different, it was magic! He died too young.
What about your friendship and association with Ed Asner?
we did Oxymorons together about two brothers who spend an afternoon on a park bench reflecting. They seem like op- posites but discuss a lifetime of possibilities. The Good Men is a short documentary that followed our play Oxymorons and shows ed’s passionate activist side. The ‘good men’ are those who question authority. He’s a responsible citizen that gets involved in issues deeply. He’s a spokesman for the truth of 9-11-01 and didn’t believe the story our government told us. ed’s a real activist and he’s always been out there speaking his mind. He’s not afraid to say things others might be afraid to say, that I would be afraid to say! He’s a real hero and not a celebrity. And he’s my friend.
| Bob Reynolds does mind his ps, Qs & as. film@thenoise.us
24 • MARCH 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us