MY THANKS & CLOSE OF 2009 4TH ANNUAL STEVE MCQUEEN FILM FESTIVAL!
Steve McQueen: 1930-1980
(Photo Courtesy: Donna Reddon) -
A Steve McQueen Recreation Center was dedicated at The Boys Republic in Chino Hills, California in 1983 with funds Steve left to the school in his Will. A plaque installed outside the building reads:
_______________
"Steve McQueen came here as a troubled boy but left as a man. He went on to achieve stardom in motion pictures but returned to this campus often to share of himself and his fortune. His legacy is hope and inspiration to those students here now, and those yet to come."
The Boys Republic Continues...
-
If you wish to contribute a gift to Boys Republic in Steve's honor, donations are always welcomed at:
Boys Republic High School
5130 Riverside Dr.
Chino, CA. 91710-4130
-
The 2009 Steve McQueen Film Festival:
- Despite all appearances, as I am fond of saying: "Nobody who is successful at anything goes it alone". This "Festival" started out four years ago as an idea I had while on a road trip in the South. It was winter, and a freezing rain storm forced me to pull my car off the highway into the safety of a restaurant parking lot. With the heater on and after listening to the car radio for weather bulletins, I started to make notes on a yellow pad of paper about an idea for a very unusual medium where I could make a bold attempt to deliver a "Film Festival" honoring my favorite actor, Steve McQueen. The skies were gray and overcast that late morning. But as pages of notes began to fill up with ideas, my excitement grew at the mere thought that the potential of the worldwide web could equal the reach of an international newspaper or a television program! The advantages are so numerous in terms of being accessible at any time throughout the year to anyone who truly loves great movie acting, and of course the incomparable Steve McQueen!
-
I wish to thank the following for their love, friendship and inspiration:
-
Barbara McQueen
Marshall Terrill
Jeb Rosebrook
Barbara Leigh
Adrienne McQueen
Veronica Valdez
Donna Redden
Mike Jugan
William Pierce
Rod Hart
The Palace Bar, Prescott, Arizona
The People of Prescott, Arizona
Dave Kunz
Santa Paula Municipal Airport
The People of Santa Paula, California -
It's been a tremendous joy, my friends. Thank you for your continued loyalty. I will see you back here next year when we launch the 5th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival!
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to the men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything before or after is just waiting".
Considered in 2009 "the ultimate racing movie"
that will never be equalled!
1970: Tough Times Personally and Professionally
Solar Productions rented this garage to store the race and stunt cars.
-
We've arrived at the final film of the 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival. As a writer, I opened the Festival with a frank question and an answer to: "Why Steve McQueen?" I am quite certain some of you who have stayed with me through the past 4 years are asking why I chose the films for this years Festival, and more specifically, why LeMANS? I'll explain.
-
After a year of deliberate thought, I felt that I had to address the intensity of McQueen's persona and somehow combine that energy with acting roles that were so vastly different from each other in a relatively short time frame. The films in past Festivals that were excluded from this year's presentation are many. However, with McQueen as my subject, I genuinely felt that the task before me was to grab the reader hard by the proverbial shirt collar and launch the Festival with the film that is clearly identified with Steve's reputation as "The King of Cool" in Bullitt. With The Great Escape, it was historically significant to feature the film that was Steve's breakthrough role to superstardom. In Junior Bonnerwe confront an existential question each of us--regardless of age--must confront: "What's next?" This past Saturday, I attended a Screenwriters seminar given by my friend Jeb Rosebrook (who wrote the 1972 McQueen film Junior Bonner). One of the points Jeb made about film and Junior Bonner, specifically, is that sometimes there is no happy ending. That is to say, there is a conflict, but no resolution. Actress Barbara Leigh, who co-starred with Steve in Junior Bonner astutely pointed this out to me early on in my feature "THE INTERVIEW" as well. A very sharp lady!
-
With Papillon,twoof the the most significant actors of our time are paired together to tell a true story, a gritty tale about injustices and the survival instincts of the human spirit. In between all of this, author Marshall Terrill and Screenwriter Jeb Rosebrook generously sat down with me (and my tape recorder) over early morning breakfast meetings to share their craft and their immense subject knowledge of Steve McQueen. The result was information that I dare say no other website has ever produced! And I make no apologies to anyone if that appears to be braggadocious; the facts speak for themselves, and this series will forever remain on the worldwide web "crawler" as a testament to that history. I was merely lucky enough to come to know these two men and to gain immensely from what they shared. LeMANS is another matter altogether. Like Junior Bonner, LeMANS failed to find an audience when it premiered. Then a curious event happened. Beginning in 2000, movie fans began to take another look at the DVD versions of both films. As a result, Junior Bonner is today recognized as a masterpiece that was Steve's personal favorite among his 30 film career. Similarly,LeMANS has come to be regarded as the ultimate auto racing picture that simply could never be made today. As far back as 1966 during filming of Steve's Academy Award-Nominated film The Sand Pebbles, he began to assemble components of the film we are about to feature--a full 4 years later.
-
The filming ofLeMANS claimed many casualty's on several fronts. McQueen's 14 year-marriage to wife Neile Adams disintegrated. Steve was 40 and facing his own internal demons exacerbated by his recreational drug use and his erratic behavior that cost many friendships with startling confrontations. The pressure associated with the sheer magnitude of this film project and the financial resources required to fulfill Steve's vision of the ultimate racing movie led to a combative exit of the original director John Sturges, who became fed up with McQueen's constant interference. Sturges reportedly tossed the script into the air and said "I'm too old and too rich for this shit" and literally left LeMans, France for the United States--never to work with Steve again. Sturges was replaced by television director Lee H. Katzin, although McQueen exercised considerable influence over the film. The facilities for the four-month shoot included leased offices and garage facilities so massive it was dubbed "Solar Village". A total of 22 cars were leased at stupendously high costs. Driver David Piper sadly suffered an accident during filming with his Porsche 917 that eventually required amputation of his leg. With McQueen's characteristic drive to create authenticity, the tension within the production crew was measurable. Cost overruns and delays led to a very bitter situation when (now defunct) Cinema Center Films literally stepped in and took over the film from McQueen/ This resulted in a severing of the long-time friendship with Executive Producer and Solar Productions partner Robert Relyea who recalls: "From that moment on, Steve never spoke to me again". Indeed, while Steve McQueen completed his dream film, his Solar Productions was forced to file bankruptcy. Still, no motor sport fan is today without this DVD in their collection. Here is the team of top-level drivers of the day that McQueen enlisted: 1970 LeMANS winner Richard Attwood, Han Akersloot, Caude Ballot-Lena, Christian Baron, Jurgen Barth, Derek Bell, Edgar Berney, Paul Blancpain, Arthur Blank, Jean Pierre Bordin, Guy Chasseuil, Andre de Cortanze, Hughes de Fierlant, Vic Elford, Nanni Galli, Erich Glavitza, Masten Gregory,Pierre Greub, Jean Pierre Hanrioud, Rene' Herzog, Toine Hezemans, Peter Huber, Jacky Ickx, Jean Pierre Jabouille, Helmut Kelleners, Gerard Larrousse, Herbert Linge, Steve McQueen, John Miles, Silvio Moser, Herbert Muller, Mimmo Neccia, Robin Ormes, Michael Parkes, Aldo Pessina, Teddy Pilette, David Piper, Brian Redman, Jean Sage, Jo Siffert, Rob Slotemaker, Dieter Spoerry, Rolf Stommelen, and Jonathan Williams.
-
The Plot: McQueen is driver Michael Delaney who was involved a year earlier in a tragic accident that cost the life of another driver whose grieving widow, (played by Elga Anderson) returns to the race in an attempt to seek closure. She is at once a beautiful woman and a tortured soul. McQueen is haunted by the crash as the film opens with him driving a stock Porsche 911 along the country road route, stopping at the site of the fatal crash. We see where replacement guard rail has been installed. At 21 minutes and 12 seconds into the film, McQueen's character emerges at the racing village to applause and he acknowledges the crowd. At 23 minutes and 34 seconds McQueen's Porsche 917 hatch is secured with a claustrophobic silence as the sound effect of a heartbeat begins and each driver prepares for the 4:00 PM start of the most grueling auto race in history. A full 38 minutes and 30 seconds passes before any dialogue is exchanged! The competition between the Gulf Wyler sponsored Porsche 917's and Ferrari 512's among the 6 classes of cars allowed (with 110 drivers at the start of the race) came a year after McQueen and race partner Peter Revson took second place at the 12 hours of Sebring in a Porsche 908 Spyder behind Mario Andretti. McQueen desperately wanted to enter the actual LeMANS and owned the car to compete. But like Bullitt, common sense prevailed when it was decided that the risk to McQueen and the production being cancelled due to a potential mishap would be too great. So, immediately after the LeMANS race concluded, filming was completed in four months. Unlike Bullitt, McQueen did the bulk of his own driving at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. The film was written by Harry Kleiner (also from Bullitt). In spite of poor reviews and largely empty theaters upon its May 1971 release, time has nevertheless served this film well.
-
Five-time winner Derek Bell states: "It's stood the test of time. It's something I never thought would ever stand up thirty years later. It's like vintage wine: better today than it was then".The Cast: Steve McQueen is Michael Delaney; Siegfried Rauch is Erich Stahler; Elga Andersen is Lisa Belgetti; Ronald Leigh-Hunt is David Townsend; and Fred Haltiner is Johann Ritter.
-
Incidentally, the two-finger reverse "V"-hand gesture used at the top of this page by McQueen is a sign of defiance (which of course I love). It is rooted in claims that the French would cut off the arrow-shooting fingers of all English and Welsh long bowmen after they had won the battle at Agincourt. But the English came out victorious and showed off their two fingers, still intact. Wait until you see the reaction in this film! And no, I haven't given away the ending. Special Appreciation is given at the end of the film during the credits to driver David Piper "for his sacrifice during the fiming of this picture.
-
This is an entirely different McQueen film that reveals his passion and dedication to getting the details right. It is also a fitting close to our 4th year.
Considered by many to be McQueen's best performance!
-
Now comes the famous film adaptation of author Henri Charriere's worldwide best seller, "PAPILLON" (French word for "the butterfly"). This film paired Steve McQueen with Dustin Hoffman in 1973. Set in the notorious Devil's Island penal colony of French Guiana, this is the true-life story of the atrocities Charriere endures during a life-sentence after being framed for the murder of a pimp. According to author Marshall Terrill, publisher Robert Laffont sold the rights to European producer Robert Dorfman for $600,000. Dorfman's first thought was to cast Europe's Jean-Paul Belmondo for the lead role. However, when it became apparent to Dorfman that he could attract a larger audience with a huge U.S. star with a European and Asian following, he approached director Franklin Schaffner and Steve McQueen. Dorfman and Schaffner struggled through two scripts before veteran writer Dalton Trumbo was enlisted to start a third script from scratch. The film's budget ballooned from an initially projected $4 million to $14 million dollars in February. This became the highest budgeted film of 1973. Financing was cobbled together on the condition that a December release would follow to profitably exploit the Christmas holidays. In the ensuing nine months, locations were scouted and the film was shot sequentially in Spain and Jamaica.
-
The film initiated a "first" by paying Steve McQueen $2 million in up front money to secure his contract--the first actor to be paid such a large advance. Dustin Hoffman expressed interest with some trepidation in playing the role of Dega, the counterfeiter. According to author Marshall Terrill's book, "Steve McQueen: Portrait of An American Rebel", Hoffman stipulated: "I knew that I wouldn't be interested in doing the film if it was going to be one of those buddy prison pictures, where McQueen and I would be required to play charismatic head to head". The pairing of McQueen with Hoffman produced a mixture of tension, mutual respect and flare ups. In the midst of this complicated relationship, delays in the actors receiving their per diem's led McQueen to halt production on the film for five days in protest over the issue at a cost of $50,000 per day resulting in an expensive $250,000 lesson for Allied Artists. Then the real-life Papillon Henri Charriere visited the set. Seeing the prison set construction, he experienced feeling haunted from his incarceration 40 years earlier. Sadly, Charriere died before filming was completed. Conditions for McQueen and Hoffman were demanding.
-
Whether eating from a plate with his hands chained behind his back, or wrestling an alligator in the swamps, McQueen according to co-actor Don Gordon completed the most physically wrenching work of his career. " All of that work for him was very tough. He just busted his ass. He worked. That's what he did. Forget about him being a star, he was an actor. He did his part better than any actor in the world who could have done Papillon. He brought it to another dimension". The film includes a five-year period where Papillon endures a five-year solitary confinement for an escape attempt. Both Papillon and Dega age considerably throughout the film. By the end of the film, McQueen came to respect Hoffman both as an actor and a person. But the relationship was strained. Hoffman felt bitter, however McQueen genuinely respected him and painfully deliberated calling him several times after filming wrapped. Eventually, both actors came to respect one another in friendship. A demanding Method actor, Hoffman's dedication to the role of Dega found him starving himself with a diet of one coconut a day to achieve his gaunt look. The ultimate escape film became a great adventure. However, politics entered the fray.
-
It is permissible to wonder whether McQueen's refusal to attend The Golden Globes Awards in-person to collect his award for "Best Actor" in Papillon later cost him an Oscar. Never one who gravitated to glamour and award ceremonies, McQueen expressed deep appreciation when The Golden Globes committee contacted him. Yet, he stated that he would not be able to attend and Robert Redford was chosen instead as "Best Actor" for "The Sting". Reviews for Papillon were largely negative, despite the film becoming a box office success (and in subsequent years, it was hailed as a "Classic"). Box Office magazine went against the tide and opined: "McQueen has never done finer work and will doubtless be remembered come Oscar time". At the 1974 Academy Awards, Jack Lemmon won Best Male Actor for "Save the Tiger". Dustin Hoffman was nominated as "Best Supporting Actor". Angered after the ceremonies, Hoffman told the press: "Not only should Steve McQueen have been nominated for Papillon, he should have won". The duo, clearly, brought out the best in each other. The Cast:Steve McQueen is Henri 'Papillon' Charriere; Dustin Hoffman is Louis Dega; Victor Jory is the Indian Chief; Don Gordon is Julot; and Anthony Zerbe is Toussaint. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner; Produced by Robert Dorfman and Franklin J. Schaffner; Executive Producer: Ted Richmond. This one is a true tour de force!
Agreat film is written by a great screenwriter: Jeb Rosebrook...
...and the film you have just finished viewing on The Festival.
Steve at the Rodeo Grounds in Prescott, Arizona
_
Jeb Rosebrook is an Alumnus and Trustee of The Orme School (a central Arizona boys college prep school for grades K-12 located on 26,000 acres of a working ranch) in addition to being a Screenwriter and Producer. I knew of Jeb's name and fine reputation for many years, but never once dreamed that I would have the honor of meeting him. On March 7, 2009 Barbara McQueen appeared in Chandler, Arizona at The Chandler Center for the Performing Arts as part of her wonderful exhibition of photographs she had taken during her final years with her husband and screen legend Steve McQueen. During a "Question and Answer" session, Jeb Rosebrook, the Screenwriter for the 1972 McQueen film "Junior Bonner" also appeared with Barbara as they fielded questions from a jam-packed audience. This was Barbara's last appearance after a two-year tour of her book "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile", co-authored by Marshall Terrill. I opened our visit by mentioning Jeb's 2007 commencement address to Members of Cum Laude, students, faculty, parents and friends of The Orme School. Rosebrook attended the school at the age of 9 after his family relocated to Phoenix from Connecticut.
-
Manning: I wanted to ask about your travels across America and how your quiet observations of people and their circumstances would later influence your writing. Your key mentors were the Orme Family.
-
Rosebrook: Yeah, I was very lucky. My father was in advertising in New York. He was Vice President of Young & Rubicom. My mother had been on Broadway briefly in 1924, and the later she was with International News Service which was acquired by United Press. Basically, the people at the Orme School who ran the ranch--the man whose Chapel I spoke in--Mort Orme was my advisor. I always liked to write, because I was an asthmatic and stayed at home a lot and liked to write my own comic strips I had drawn and I loved to read. I guess it was really when my parents gave me a station wagon years later --I mean, how many kids have parents loan them their car to take off and drive all across the country by themselves when they've never been more than 85 miles miles away from home!
-
Manning: That had to be a wonderful experience.
-
Rosebrook: Willa Cather once said that everything you experience between age 8 and 15 is what forms the writer and I think that's true.
-
Manning: That's interesting. My first essay was a piece I had written in the 4th grade about my brother called "Hot Summer In Vietnam". And I still have that framed on my dining room wall at home.
-
Rosebrook: Yeah, and that's when I started writing at 9 years-old. Did your brother come home okay?
-
Manning: He did, yes. Thank you. Your name is prominently displayed on the mural inside The Palace Bar (the Prescott, Arizona bar where key scenes of "Junior Bonner" were filmed). A group of us visited last weekend with Marshall Terrill.
-
Rosebrook: That mural was done originally, sometime in the 70's or early 80's when The Palace was still in the throes of really not doing very well. The bar next door, Matt's is still a pretty strong cowboy bar and The Palace had gone through a number of owners. It was a punk bar at one time. The mural did not have my name on it. Peckinpah's was and Steve McQueen's was. When Dave, the owner, bought The Palace--he was out of Newport Beach, California. The mural was behind an area where they would shoot baskets near a shuffleboard and it was really covered with layers of smoke. So, when Dave and his partners bought it, they cleaned up the mural and added my name. You know, it gives you an idea of the stature of the writer (mutual laughter).
-
Manning: You know, I was going over your credits as a screenwriter for film and television and I kept trying to find a thread that would lead me to your original four-page treatment called "Bonner" that would eventually become the McQueen movie. What inspired you to write "Bonner"? Did you have someone on mind or was it someone that you met?
-
Rosebrook: Not really. As far as rodeos are concerned, when I was in Orme we had roundups in the Fall. But in some ways, I was a real little cowboy. In high school, I went to at least one junior rodeo. I've been to rodeos before in Madison Square Garden in New York with my mother. But the couple of summers that I worked at Orme as a ranch hand, I went to the Prescott Rodeo. In 1970, I went up there and I had not been to a rodeo since 1955. We were pretty busted financially. I was still trying to sell something. I sold an option of a script to James Coburn--my first script. That kind of gave me a leg-up on at least getting in the door with an agent. What really struck me was driving outside of Prescott that day and seeing the homes being built in Prescott Valley. There were then about twelve-hundred people living in Prescott Downs and homes were being built all over the place with banners and signs. That really somehow subconsciously--I connected the rodeo with that. It just somehow came about that somebody who was from there, who was coming back and who had a brother in real estate who was a developer making his first million, and the other brother was in the rodeo--that's kind of the way it all came about. I have a very good friend who is a poet in Colorado who told me one day that the majority of my writing really reflects the fact that I left home when I was 9. I was never back home more than three months a year. Many of the things that I've written really have to do with the loss of land, of the way things were--even if you take "I Will Cry No More Forever". It's the story of Chief Joseph, the chief of the Nez Perce Indians. They were not the Christian branch of the Nez Perce that had been baptized. He wanted to be free. It was a year after the Battle of Little Big Horn. The Army gave General Howard--who I think was from Cincinnati-- Howard was a one-armed General and he wanted Joseph to stay on the reservation. Joseph didn't want to do it. So, he and the Nez Perce band took off. It was a year after Custer, and America became alarmed that the band of Nez Perce was loose. They still teach his battle tactics at West Point. He ended up going through Yellow Stone. They were trying to meet with Sitting Bull who had gone to Canada after Little Big Horn. They got within 40 miles of Canada. They had more women and children than anything. They decided to stop and rest before entering Canada and that's where General Miles and the Army caught up with them. That was, in a sense, the same kind of story.
-
Manning: Sure.
-
Rosebrook:"The Waltons" was Earl Hammer--whom I've known since I was 21 years-old--he created "The Waltons". So, I had a chance to write about Virginia on that (television) series. I was able to incorporate some of my own experiences into many of the things I was lucky enough to be able to write. One of "The Gambler" episodes I did with Kenny Rogers--I rewrote a guy in 1987 who had written a script that was unshootable. It was a forced march. I was writing while they were filming. But it was about Sitting Bull and how The Gambler had to go see Sitting Bull--it was about the death of Sitting Bull. So, I wrote at least three Native American pieces. I'm not sure I could do that today because of political correctness.
-
Manning: One question I feel everyone reading this will want to know is what working with Steve McQueen was like for you?
-
Rosebrook: Well, the most vivid memory I have is just being called into his trailer that last couple weeks of filming before we did that big dance and fight scene in The Palace Bar. Actually, it was the scene where he was dancing with Barbara Leigh. That's when he asked me, "By the way,why am I called Junior?" Now, this is August. The previous November, I had started writing the script about "Junior Bonner". Incidentally, it wasn't until I started writing the script that the father showed up, then the dog--I still have no idea how this got there! He had a way of wanting to do dialogue in his own way. So, here was the scene and I couldn't answer his question, and I thought I was going to catch hell for that. I mean. 'Who do you think you are? A big-time writer who wrote the script and you don't know who Junior is?' He just said, "Okay". Then we went out and filmed the scene and I believe the way it went was--I believe you know that Barbara and Steve were not exactly strangers. They knew each other well enough to have this dance and this kind of 'let it fly' --so to speak. In the process, she says "Why do they call you Junior?"
-
Manning: I remember that!
-
Rosebrook: And Steve said "I don't know".
Manning: In the phone booth.
-
Rosebrook: Yeah, in the phone booth, that's right! Now, that's a memory! (mutual laughter). There were others where we had been working for two weeks and he wanted to work on changing some of his dialogue with Ida Lupino. Although I was there, those are the things that Steve may have consulted with (director) Sam Peckinpah. He knew in his mind what he wanted to do and he wanted to try it out. I don't think Steve was a Method actor.
-
Manning: No, I don't either.
-
Rosebrook: But he certainly came from instincts. That day all afternoon--I think Bill Pierce (former Vice Chair of The Prescott Film Commission) took you by the house--and Ida Lupino was one of the very first women directors, and she was a real pro. She knew her lines. And she wasn't going to budge from the way she knew her lines. He'd fool around with his lines and kind of throw her off. They filmed all afternoon. In filming terminology, when you have a scene that works you "print it". If you have a scene that might work, you put a "hold" on it. The whole afternoon it was all "holds", there were no prints. When he left--you remember that kitchen scene with the apple pie?
-
Manning: Oh, yeah!
-
Rosebrook: She said "You better know your lines tomorrow or your going to eat a hell of a lot of apple pie". So, he came by the next day and (snaps his fingers) it went like that.
-
Manning: She didn't work for 6 years before "Junior Bonner", right?
-
Rosebrook: Longer than that! She had done a Clifford Odetts movie based on his play "The Big Knife" in 1955 about Hollywood. And Marty Baum who ran ABC Pictures originally had Susan Hayward in mind. Susan Hayward came out and met with Peckinpah, (producer) Joe Wizan and me for lunch. I mean this story's been told many times. We were so impressed with being with Susan Hayward that we didn't talk about the movie! So, she didn't think we wanted her and she went home to Florida. Then Marty thought about Ida Lupino--and that I think turned out to be a great choice. Because Ida was a consumate actress. She and Robert Preston had worked in motion pictures early on. I wish we had a tape recorder there. Early on in filming, Bill Holden was living in Palm Springs. He drove up from Palm Springs to Prescott to see Sam because they had met on "The Wild Bunch". So, he had a dinner for Bill Holden and it was really something to sit there and listen to Holden, and Robert Preston and Ida talking about their days when they were under studio contract. But with McQueen, I think the toughest time---there was a lot of concern. Steve had been involved with firing Sam Peckinpah off of "The Cincinnati Kid" years before. Norman Jewison, who was a much more experienced director took over and did a great job. So there was a lot of 'What's going to happen between these two guys?' And actually they hit it off very well, because there was no press around. I think there was no press around because Steve had just split from Neile (Adams) and he wanted a summer to himself. When it came time to do the scene at the railroad depot, the rehearsal--here was Robert Preston who knew all of his lines--Sam had written some of the other lines in there about the whore house in Nevada. But most of the other lines were mine. I had a fraternity brother named Dan Cox. And I saw him last year for the first time in years. I said to him, "Dan, I made you famous". Dan would have a few drinks at a fraternity party and say "As long as sex lives. my name will never die" (mutual laughter). So, I used that in that scene. Steve says, "You remember Bob Cox?" Steve was having a very difficult time--and I think it was maybe his relationship that he never had with his father--that was a pretty personal scene in which Robert Preston wants to go to Australia and Curly won't send him, so he thinks he can hit Junior up for the money and Junior doesn't have any money. The rehearsal was very difficult. Steve could not--would not put his arms around that scene. I don't want to go into the whole thing but finally, he put on his shirt--because lots of times he never wore a shirt--that guy was really put together--considering how much he smoked and all that. Once they did the scene--one of the things that was added was the day before, Sam and I sat and talked about what the scene was about. One of the things that's key about that scene was that maybe there was something about me and my father in there. You know, I wasn't always with my father and Sam said. "You know when my father got upset with me"---Sam had grown up on a ranch--"he would cuff my hat off my head". Did you know about this?
-
Manning: Oh, yeah.
-
Rosebrook: That's how that happened. In the end, it is a powerful scene put together by Steve's feelings, Preston's work and Sam's cuffing the hat when the train comes through. It was really well done.
-
Manning: He makes you feel that emotion, doesn't he? When he turns and shuts his eyes as Preston walks across the track just as the train passes.
-
Rosebrook: It's the first time, I think--I can't be sure about this--that may have been as close as Steve McQueen ever came to crying in a movie. And then at the end of it he said, "We're going to do the wild cow milking together". And only once did he call him "Pop". Throughout the whole movie, he (Preston) was "Ace". He never could call him Dad. Now, whether that's the way he wanted to do because that's the way he felt, I don't know. And as I mentioned the other night--the last time we were filming Steve was the opening of the movie--the thunderstorm, the car. He ended up in Jerome. Jerome is a mining town on Mingus Mountain near Prescott. It's really an interesting old town. Steve never had any money. And he asked me to buy him a six-pack of beer (mutual laughter). The other memory was when he met my daughter, Catherine, who was 5 at the time. We were outside the motel where we were staying and Dorothy was with me and Steve was there. And Catherine, my daughter was so shy and she held her head down and Steve put his hand on her head. And to this day, she says she met Steve McQueen but she never saw him!
-
Manning: I can't think of a better supporting cast than Ida Lupino and Robert Preston...
-
Rosebrook: ...And Ben Johnson! There were two great things about Ben Johnson. The first, when we were doing rehearsals for a week, Steve told everybody "This guy sitting here right next to me is going to win an Academy Award this year. I saw the rough cut last week of 'The Last Picture Show' and he's going to win the award." Secondly, Steve nailed me again. Once in a while, I can come up with a good line. Like, at the end of the fight (scene) somebody said "What do we do now?" and I said "Let's play 'Star Spangled Banner'--let's play something patriotic". And I wandered over to the bar when Robert Preston says "Up to the mouth, over the gums, look out stomach here she comes. If this world's all about winners, what's for losers?" I had a line in there and Steve didn't like the line. So he said, "Give me a line". Finally, Ben was sitting next to Steve and he said, "Some body's gotta hold the horses don't they". Now, he had probably stolen that from John Ford, but it worked! That in essence, when it works is what moviemaking can be about. A lot of writers don't go on location because the drectors and the actors don't want them there. Because they can be a pain in the ass, they want lines changed. You really can't bring your ego with you, because it really is a collaborative effort. That's a good Steve memory--when he nailed me and when I bought his beer.
-
Manning: Was it Old Milwaukee?
-
Rosebrook: No, it was Miller. We had a conract with Miller, Coca Cola and Wild Turkey in that film. If someone was drinking a beer, it was Miller. If they were drinking Cola it was Coca-Cola and if there was someone drinking the hard stuff, it was Wild Turkey.
-
Manning: Barbara Leigh and I discussed the ending, and I told her about being 14 years-old and being in the movie theater with my next door neighbor who was my buddy as a kid, and we couldn't get over her beauty for weeks! We couldn't possibly understand how or why Steve's character dropped her off at that small airport, put her on a plane and said he had to get on down the road!
-
Rosebrook: There's another one in the next town.
-
Manning: Barbara Leigh? Not as far as we were concerned! (laughter).
-
Rosebrook: Or why he didn't take her to El Paso? No. Steve and Sam were hell bent on getting Ali MacGraw for "The Getaway". And (Peter) Bogdanovich had backed out of directing Steve and Ali in "The Great Gatsby". So, they kind of conspired because she kept turning down that script. It was written and re-written. That's what I undertand, I mean, I wasn't there.
-
Manning: Is this the film that most people mention most to you in your career?
-
Rosebrook: Oh, yeah. Because I haven't done many movies. Now, they bring up "The Black Hole" a lot. When it came out, I was in a bookstore in L.A. for a book signing---by somebody else---and there was a Science Fiction nut there. And those people can really be screwy. I said, "You know, I was involved in writing--because I was the fifth or sixth writer--one of the worst Science Fiction movies of all time". And he said "What's that?" I said, "The Black Hole". Well, "The Black Hole" now is pretty popular. I've heard now they're going to try and remake it. They should. When "Junior Bonner" was not a commercial success, I had a thing that I always regret. I was sent over to meet with Jon Voight's manager and I kinda wish that there was something that I could have come up with for Jon Voight. My career then went into televsion because "Junior Bonner" was a critical success, but not a financial success. And the next thing I knew, I had an opportunity to rewrite "Miracle on 34th Street"--which was nice because you're not typecast. I had grown up in New York, and I was able to take my knowledge of writing ads for a department store and kind of update what the original "Miracle" was.
-
Manning: Are you surprised that "Junior Bonner" has become so enormously popular in DVD sales over the past 9 years? It now enjoys a type of cult status.
-
Rosebrook: Really? I do know that it's been on DVD and video before that. It changes production companies on the DVD about every three or four years. Somebody has rights to it, then somebody else takes it over. I've never even seen the Commentary as a matter of fact. I have it at home but I've never watched it. It's amazing to me that I was never asked to do a commentary. Garner Simmonds wrote the first book on Peckinpah, and I know he's in there. I am surprised and I'm not surprised. One of the reasons, there's a guy named Mike Clark who writes movie reviews for USA Today , and after 9/11 he wrote a list of "10 Movies People Should See" to give them a feeling about how they should feel about America and "Junior Bonner" was one of them . Clark has been a big fan of "Junior Bonner" and I've written to thank him because every time it comes back on DVD, he writes a beautiful thing about it. Steve felt it should have been released as an art film--a big release but in small theaters and let its audience grow. In the years since, it has grown. I didn't want it advertised as a rodeo movie. There have been two other rodeo movies, "The Honkers" and "J.W. Coop" and rodeo movies, historically have never made any money". Somebody has told me that there's never been a submarine movie that's lost money. But on the other hand, there's never been a car racing movie or a rodeo movie that ever made money. I felt it was a form of family drama. It just so happened these people were in the rodeo. After all, one of them is in real estate. And it was about change--there's no doubt about that. Family dynamics. I originally saw Waren Oates and Strother Martin (laughter). I liked smaller movies. When they said "We're going to use Steve McQueen, I said "Oh, that'll be another Steve McQueen movie". It was about this time, maybe two weeks later, I had finished writing "Junior Bonner" but I was still rewriting scenes. So, I came home from lunch one day--my office wasn't too far from home, and (my wife) Dorothy said "Joe Wizan just called and you're to pick him up to go to Steve McQueen's house tonight". I didn't have time to reflect on this at the time. I picked up Joe and here I am at Steve McQueen's house.
-
Manning: This is in Brentwood or Palm Springs?
-
Rosebrook: Brentwood. That's when Neile was making dinner for the kids and that's when Steve was outside doing something. He comes in and sits down and immediately--doesn't waste any time and gets into the script. Finally, he looked at Joe and he looked at me and said, "Why doesn't he take notes?" And Joe covered really well and said , "Well, Jeb remembers everything. He'll go home tonight and write this down". But Joe was sweating a little.
-
Manning: You never stayed in touch with him after the film?
-
Rosebrook: He wasn't a guy to stay in touch with a writer. Not Steve. I mean, I was a tool. And I don't want to put myself down. But I was a vehicle to get into this movie and to get Peckinpah into it and to get the cast into it. The Barbara Leigh story was really a story about a girl who worked in a bank in Phoenix and her life was kind of dull and she had a Volkswagon, and she came to Prescott to raise a little hell and have some fun and maybe meet somebody. So, she meets "Junior Bonner". And most of the scenes in The Palace are really personal scenes between Steve and the girl. Sam decided they needed more action, so he said, "Let's have a fight". We also said, "Let's throw in that she's a rich girl"--that she's on the arm of a rich guy. I think that whole scene about, "Hey, you're Junior Bonner"-- taking pictures'--it wasn't--I didnt want that in there. He's with the dog by the horse trailer and the guys walk up with the camera.
-
Manning: Oh, yeah..."We go back six years ago" and "Well, I'll tell ya, six years is a long time".
-
Rosebrook: That was Sam...it works. But it wasn't real to me. One of the things I will take credit for is that some of the music in there, I had written into the script.
-
Manning: I've thoroughly enjoyed this Jeb.
-
Rosenbrook: Thank you, Michael.
-
My sincere thanks to Jeb Rosebrook for making this visit possible.
The film poster I have framed in my home featuring Steve with the lovely and talented Barbara Leigh. For those of you just joining us, Barbara took time out of her busy schedule to be my Featured Guest here on a recent "THE INTERVIEW" and remains as lovely today as ever.
Scenes from an unforgettable film: Steve with Ida Lupino in the famous "kitchen scene" Marshall Terrill referenced in his visit with us; Ida with Robert Preston and of course the unforgettable Barbara Leigh with Steve at the "airport scene". This is a warm and wonderful film.
-
This film became Steve McQueen's favorite. According to Screenwriter Jeb Rosebrook (who will join us for a visit tomorrow), McQueen loved the script and agreed to play the lead role in April, 1971. The following month, Sam Peckinpah signed on to direct the film after completing the intense and violentStraw Dogs with Dustin Hoffman in England. Filming for JUNIOR BONNER began on June 30th in Prescott, Arizona with the nation's largest rodeo scheduled to begin on July 14th. To be certain, McQueen felt a great deal of tension at the prospect of working with Peckinpah, who was fired six years earlier as director of The Cincinnati Kid and replaced by Norman Jewison. For his part, Peckinpah felt McQueen failed to stand up for him at the time of his firing. Co-star Ben Johnson, who had recently completed his role as "Sam The Lion" in Peter Bogdanovich's epic, The Last Picture Showremembers that McQueen and Peckinpah "fought like cats and dogs". Peckinpah was eager to direct Junior Bonner to soften his image as "The Master of Violence" in film. Junior Bonner would be the exception to this rule with a brilliant cast surrounding Steve. Ida Lupino played Elvira, mother to McQueen and his huckster real estate mogul brother Curly (played by Joe Don Baker). Robert Preston was cast as Ace Bonner, Steve's good-for-nothing, womanizing boozer of a father and Ben Johnson as rodeo owner Buck Roan. As readers of this BLOG Page will recognize, Steve's love interest in the film (and in life at the time) was actress and model Barbara Leigh, my delightful Guest who appeared recently here on "THE INTERVIEW".
-
The subtext of this film centers on a slightly over-the-hill former rodeo star (McQueen) whose life is faltering. A desire to redeem his fortunes by returning home to Arizona and reconcile with the family he hasn't seen in years leads to the shocking discovery that the family is in the process of disintegrating. Bonner's parents have separated, and his huckster brother Curley has been busy turning every square inch of his parent's land into cash as quickly as he possibly can to construct a mobile home park. The existential crisis for McQueen's character is a family and town he no longer recognizes when materialism and the speed of a changing world clash with the simpler values he once related to. With no money and few prospects for regaining his stature on the rodeo circuit, Junior struggles to come to terms with his hometown by attempting to win the Fourth of July Frontier Day Rodeo. It is here where he is determined to strike a deal with rodeo owner Buck Roan to ride "Sunshine"--a wild bull deemed impossible for a cowboy to endure the required 8 second ride. Filming took approximately 10 weeks to film and found McQueen casual and comfortable in his role, which drew some of the best critical reviews of his career. Indeed, "The Master of Violence"--Peckinpah had succeeded in altering his image.
-
The Reviews are in. According to author Marshall Terrill, The Los Angeles Timeswrote:"Steve McQueen is explosive and forceful in one of his finest performances".The New York Daily News' Kathleen Carroll wrote: "A nice, loose, easygoing rodeo picture. McQueen has met with a role that fits him like a glove". And "across the pond", The London Timeswrote:"For those of us who have come to expect (or fear) that each new Sam Peckinpah film will be a new bloodbath, this comes as a pleasant surprise, a reminder of milder, gentler films. As the fourth film this author saw in a first run release inside a small Mid-West movie theater, Junior Bonner was refreshing and exhilarating as a film that people could relate to (not to mention introducing one of the most beautiful actresses my 14 year-old eyes had ever seen in Barbara Leigh).
-
One of the most memorable if not heart-wrenching scenes in the movie occurs during a conversation on an outside train station bench between Junior and his father, Ace when Junior is approached to finance Ace's dream of traveling to Australia to discover gold. Junior reveals that he is flat broke. The tension and heartbreak created in this scene was a very difficult task for McQueen to access emotionally. But it came across on the big screen just as it does today on the DVD release as packing a wallop, shattering McQueen's assertion in 1968 to Bullitt Director Peter Yates that "I'm not an actor, I'm a reactor". Then as today, what emerges is quite the opposite. McQueen is clearly an excellent actor who reveals an intense instinct unmatched by anyone. As Marshall Terrill's interview with me so clearly demonstrates, time and again in this film, McQueen delivers from the emotional depth of an actor who was deeply concerned about lavishing on his films an unmistakable authenticity. He cared and as the audience, we care too.
-
During the summer of 1972, no less than three rodeo films, "J.W Coop","The Honkers" and "When Legends Die" were all released within a three-month period to a wary public rendering the film as the only McQueen project to lose money. Steve had this to say about the film in retrospect: "I liked Junior Bonner very much. It was the first time I'd worked with Sam, and we got it together. I thought the script was tremendous---one of the best properties I've come across. But I think the film is a failure, at least financially, and in this business, that's what counts". A final note...
-
Beginning in 2000, two McQueen DVD's that did not succeed financially in finding their respective audiences as first run films, curiously, began building a unique following. One of those films is JUNIOR BONNER. It is excellent, and I believe it will find a place in your heart. And that is the reason I selected it for inclusion in the 2009 4th AnnualSteve McQueen Film Festival.
-
Jeb Rosebrook, the Screenwriter for Junior Bonner will visit here with us tomorrow! I hope you love and enjoy this film as much as I do!
Manning: One of the things our friend Mike Jugan--who was Steve's private pilot--was telling us when our group was in Prescott was that when he'd fly Steve out to El Paso for his cancer treatments, the two of them would be seated in the Lear Jet just talking. Mike was an avid motocross rider.
-
Terrill: Well, he saw "On Any Sunday" about fifty times.
-
Manning: That much? Well, Mike wanted to talk about bikes, whereas Steve wanted to talk about flying. So, I had the impression that even during the final days of his life, he was still very lucid and very forward thinking...
-
Terrill: Yeah, what Mike revealed was that he had no inclination to die, he was very confident. And that gave me great peace knowing that...
-
Manning: Yes.
-
Terrill:...he was at peace, that he wasn't flying towards his final operation. Mike said that his attitude was "Well, we're going to do this operation and then I'll be back again". So, that was his attitude. And I think when Mike revealed that to Pat Johnson, that gave Pat a great amount of comfort as well.
-
Manning: Yeah. Yeah. And for the benefit of the readers, we should probably mention who Mike Dewey is.
-
Terrill: Well, he is the gentleman who sold Steve his hangar and a pilot friend. And Mike is a legend in his own right as a stunt pilot. He eventually became Steve's friend.
-
Manning: And he found peace in Santa Paula.
-
Terrill:In Santa Paula he had this whole life away from Hollywood. It's interesting. You get outside those city limits. I don't know how to say this. But Hollywood is a great place to visit, but it's all fantasy and bullshit. The lure for some reason is so strong but time and time again, people think it's Disneyland and it's not. Los Angeles is a town of have and have-nots. There's a certain desperation in the air when it comes to people trying to make it in the industry. People spend a lot of their valuable years trying to make it in the industry and all of a sudden they're 30, 40 and have nothing to show for it. Then when they go back to the real world and try to get a job, they have this big hole on their resume and have forgone years of regular employment, a 401K, a retirement fund, put off having a family or career. And if you don't watch yourself there, you can really get burned. It's an industry in which it uses up people; it spits them out and obviously Steve knew that. And the mentality is that you're only as good as your last movie. I think that Steve probably knew that more than anybody, which is why he really cared and lavished on his films and acting roles. Because he knew that it could all vanish within any minute. That helps you understand who Steve McQueen was and why he had that certain attitude about the industry. Back to Santa Paula, he could have the best of both worlds. He could go into work--which was an hour away--and then he could have his complete life outside of Hollywood in Santa Paula, which is a very homey kind of place, and he could have real friends. Again, it goes back to that respect that I had for him for wanting that. You know, Hollywood is...if you're not at the latest party, if you're not at the latest awards show. Steve was able to maintain that outsider status, and not really deal with any of that industry crap.
-
Manning: I've shared this with you before, and certainly on my BLOG, that the Steve that I came to admire most was not the Steve who had been written about incessantly about bedding his co-stars, his use of recreational drugs for a period of time and the troubled past that we all understand now. But the man that he became towards the end. He did find peace with God. This is difficult, but I'd like your thoughts on what might have been had Steve survived his surgery. I know that he died of a blood clot following that surgery to remove some of the tumors. In your mind, you've done so much research on him. What direction do you think Steve would have taken had he lived? He was only 50.
-
Terrill: You mean as far as his acting, as far as his whole life?
-
Manning: Everything!
-
Terrill: As far as the acting is concerned, he would have been in the enviable position where he didn't have to work. In Hollywood, that's everything because if you didn't have to work, well producers and studios are going to throw ridiculous amounts of money away, which is something that he figured out early in his career. That's always astounded me. This guy with a 9th grade education figured out Hollywood pretty fast. To me, he is the epitome of a guy with Ph.D on the streets is often smarter than a Ph.D from Harvard. McQueen ran circles around Hollywood executives, which is another reason why we like him, right? That kind of goes back to the fact that I have no doubt that he would be acting. It's kind of like--and I don't want to compare him to Marlon Brando, because I'm not a big fan of Marlon Brando. But Brando was also in that position where he didn't have to work. Movie studio's threw ridiculous money his way in order to get him to work. I think Steve would have been in that position. As far as his life is concerned, there's evidence that shows that he would have purchased a home in Ketchum (Idaho)--he wouldn't have necessarily moved there full-time. But Barbara said that one of his dreams was to purchase the old General Store that was featured in the movie "Bus Stop" (The North Folk Store) with Marilyn Monroe. He would have purchased it and run it as a General Store--Pat Johnson talked about that too--where you could go and the old timers would come in and pour themselves a cup of coffee and put there feet on the stove and just kick back. I could certainly see McQueen doing that. He would have definitely been a rancher. He would have kept a very low public profile and worked infrequently. But when a script interested him or when there was perhaps enough money attached to it, he would follow that path. McQueen would have continued enjoying his life, and doing what he wanted to do. That's what we all admire about him.
-
Manning: There were about 40 books out there if my memory is correct, by the time you first published your book...
-
Terrill: The first one? I don't think so. I think there might have been maybe 10 at the most.
-
Manning: Oh, 10. Well, I happened to mention your book last night to a 23 year-old woman and she knew it!
-
Terrill: Wow!
-
Manning: Knew that book! But focusing on the tribute book that's coming out. It'll be hard bound?
-
Terrill:Yeah, it'll be hard bound. I'm trying to talk the publisher into doing a special Limited Edition. Again, there will be a disc like the one with Barbara McQueen's book where there will be McQueen talking about the making of "An Enemy of the People" (1978) and he would also be discussing some of his other films. It would have a slip-case, hard back, signed and numbered. It will also include McQueen's family tree on both sides. I worked with Loren Thomson, a distant relative of Steve and Uncle Claude's on the tree, and it was like solving a huge jigsaw puzzle. The real mystery was McQueen's father...I now know who he is, when and where he was born, when and where he died and what he did for a living. He was always the missing link in the McQueen story and I'm very proud of that family tree. Both sides of his family hail from Scotland. The McQueen's I can trace back to the 1600s and the Thomsons from the 1700s.
-
Manning; When will it become available so all of my readers will know.
-
Terrill:Well, again, a November/December time frame is what I'm shooting for to capitalize on the holiday season...
-
Manning: Of this year...
-
Terrill:Yes, 2009. The last time we released just the limited edition in the first six months and then we came out with the hard back. So, I don't know if we're going to release both at the same time or not.
-
Manning: I see this book as being one of the most exciting events of the year--especially for McQueen fans like myself. How can people start to become aware of it? Where will they find out how to purchase the book? Where to order it? How to receive it?
-
Terrill:Well, they can go to the Dalton Watson website at http://www.daltonwatson.com/. And they'll also be able to purchase it on Amazon.com, but I don't believe the Limited Edition will be available on Amazon. It will feature photos from the Donna Reddon collection. She has over 1,000 photos in her collection. So, a lot of these photos have either never been seen, or they've been published once or twice back in the 60's and have never been seem again. Shot from the movie sets will be included with candid photos. For example, I'd interview somebody, and they'd say, "Well, yeah. I've got a snap shot of that goes with the story. I just interviewed car collector Bruce Meyer who talks about how McQueen bought his first Porsche back from him. He has a candid shot of McQueen having a beer with him in front of the black 1958 Porsche Speedster. He tells this wonderful story about how he bought the car in a 1966 auction and McQueen found out about it in 1975 and said "Nah, I've got to see it to believe it to be true". So, Bruce Meyer reunites McQueen with his car again. McQueen looked at it, then went right behind the back seat and pulled up the carpet--ripped it right up and he spotted where the roll bar used to be. And then he looked in the trunk and found an old Gardner-Reynolds recapped tire. And that proved it to McQueen who said, "You've got to sell me my car back!" And this went on for at least a month with McQueen hounding him for weeks at a time with phone calls. Finally, Bruce sold it back to him. The book is also going to show photos from the Barbara McQueen collection---you know, she took hundreds of photos. There will be photos from the same sessions, but just different shots. For "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile" we pretty much picked the best shots. The tribute book will have different poses, outtake photos, and the pictures will be arranged in chronological order with each passage.
-
Manning: I always ask my Guests to close with any final thoughts. Go ahead...
-
Terrill:Let's just say that it's my gift to McQueen fans. I owe a great deal to Steve McQueen because he was the subject of my first book. It became a best-seller and that really kick-started my career. And so this is my way of paying tribute to the man because in my Authors Note I say "His legacy is one that's worth preserving".
-
Manning: In my opening to the "Festival" here, I talk about the fact that so much more is known to us now that was kept quiet for so long. For example, his philanthropy. It's most appropriate now that people know about that.
-
Terrill:And McQueen provides to everyone an example of how to give, which is anonymously; that's the classy way. A lot was focused on McQueen as this bastard, this guy who was a womanizer. But in order to be objective, you have to know the other side. And that was that he was a great father...
-
Manning: Loved his kids...
-
Terrill:Loved his kids. He was a good friend, a trusted friend and he was very good to The Boys Republic. Somebody just told me a story just the other day. She was a bartender at The Old Place in Malibu (California) and it was owned by Tom Runyon, this guy who was a co-star in "The Getaway"--and it's a funky old place in Agoura Hills off of Mulholland (Drive) where you go in and the only thing you can order is steak or clams. And they only served beer and wine. It's kind of a biker-actor-local character joint. And she was the bartender there and she told me that Steve--at that period of his life when he lived in Malibu--he just wanted to be Steve; he didn't want to be Steve McQueen. And often times he would come behind the bar and serve drinks. He had the beard and the long hair, so a lot of the time people wouldn't recognize him. He was just enjoying himself! He poured patrons drinks and he could just be a normal guy. She lived almost next door to The Old Place. She said every Christmas, she'd hear a little tap on the door in the morning and one day she opened it one morning and he said, "Oh, I wasn't supposed to wake you". She said, "What are you doing?" And he said, "Oh I'm just adding a little Holiday Cheer to your life!" This Christmas wreath that he was putting on the door that he purchased was from The Boys Republic; that's how they raised their money. They made these beautiful Christmas wreaths and Steve bought hundreds of these Christmas wreaths and he would go tack then up on people's doors just to show that he loved them and cared about them. At the same time, he was financially supporting the Boys Republic.
-
Manning: There's a whole other side of McQueen that's coming out of this book and I appreciate your time, Marshall and I hope every body reading this both near and far will have a chance to pick up a copy of the book later this year. And I think it's safe to say this is going to be a real keep-sake that one could have and pass along to their children.
-
Terrill:It's entirely different. I'm really proud of the concept because it just kind of really came quite by accident. In whatever book I do, I want to give people just a little more than what they're expecting. I didn't want to just give them new photos; I wanted to give them new stories to go along with the photos. Anybody can slap together photos and call it a book. That's not a book that you're going to go back to the shelf time and time again. This is one of those books where I want people to read, look and savor.
-
Manning: So, we'll go to daltonwatson.com and Amazon.com along with fine bookstores everywhere, right?
-
Terrill: Oh yeah! If there's any bookstores still left! (mutual laughter).
-
Manning: Marshall, always a pleasure. Thank you.
-
Terrill: Thank you!
-
My sincere thanks to Marshall Terrill for making this visit possible.
Terrill: Well, the new book came by accident. I wasn't looking to do a Tribute Book. But what happened was when I was writing the Barbara McQueen book ("Steve McQueen: The Last Mile") I thought it might be nice to have a couple of guest passages. Enlist some people from the time period that Barbie and Steve knew to kind of chime-in. It worked great and I talked to a couple of people like Lee Majors and Karen Wilson, the young lady that Steve and Barbara had adopted (during filming of "The Hunter").
-
Manning: Yes...
-
Terrill: ...and a couple of other people. But in putting the book together, I realized that it took away from the flow of Barbara's story. So, I said 'For some reason, this isn't working'. Because Barbara is trying to tell a story and all of a sudden, these people interject their story and it takes away from the flow of what Barbara is trying to tell. So I thought, maybe what we could do is get a collection of people who knew Steve and have them write guest passages from a point of view that's chronological from the time that he was born to his death. I kept in contact from (my book) "Portrait of an American Rebel". And as a result of doing these (television, radio and photo exhibition) shows with Barbara and going to Slater (Missouri) people started coming up to us at these shows and saying, "Hey, I knew Steve and I have these pictures that no one has ever seen before". It really started coming together then. I remember Keith Richards saying that he used to write the best songs on the road. Well, this is one of those books that came together on the road. And every show! For example, this recent Chandler, Arizona show I have ten new passages from that! And we're doing a November release to commemorate the death of McQueen (Steve died on November 7, 1980 of a blood clot following cancer surgery) and that will also spill over into March which will be his 80th birthday.
-
Manning:Yes, hard to believe. What can people expect from the new book? And I'm assuming that people are familiar with your book ("Steve McQueen: Portrait of An American Rebel") when it first was released in December of 1993. Will there be new material?
-
Terrill: Oh, absolutely! There will be untold stories and unseen pictures. When I was putting together this Tribute Book, I had an idea of a photo book, and again, this came together about three or four years ago. So, this is before the glut of photo books came out. It was one of those cases where anyone can put a photo book together. But what's going to keep people going back to that book and pulling it off the shelf are the stories. So, a lot of stories are significant. Some are insignificant. But they're all dealing with McQueen. For example, there's a great story about a lady by the name of Joann Chapman. She said that when Steve lived in Brentwood (California) he had a Ferrari that used to come roaring out of the (Benedict) Canyon. And they'd meet at the stoplight right in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel.
-
Manning: I know that stop light!
-
Terrill: And she had a Jaguar. They would meet at this stop light and they would gun their engines and they'd drag race! She said he won every single time. I asked her "Didn't you ever win?" She said, "You know what? Actually I did win. Whenever he won, he would do a little wave in the rear view mirror. I won one time and I looked in the rear view mirror and did my little wave". And she said he had a smile on his face. It wasn't the fact that she lost, but he let her win.
-
Manning: (laughing) Ah, so that's what it was!
-
Terrill: You know, it's a great story. The fact that these two--they never spoke a word with each other but they both had hot automobiles and they'd both drag race on Sunset (Boulevard).
-
Manning: What makes Steve McQueen relevant in 2009?
-
Terrill: The one word I can think of is 'authenticity'. We are lacking true original heroes today. People felt a special connection to McQueen, he wasn't just a movie star. Today's movie stars--you have George Clooney who makes smart movies, makes good movies but you don't feel a connection to him. With McQueen, he reached you through that screen and that's a true gift. He was an original in his life. There are several factors. We all know the kind of background he came from, so we care about him as a person because we know the torment he went through as child and teenager. He also didn't necessarily play the Hollywood game which is what we liked about him too. The fact that he had his own life. He had (motorcycle and auto) racing. He had his own family. He made a life outside of Hollywood. And we can all connect to that. With John Lennon, when he put out an album we could kind of tell where he was in his life. With Steve McQueen, his films intersected his personal life and you could look at each film and you could tell exactly where McQueen was in his life at that time. They had a strange way of echoing his life. I think that's why we probably all have that special connection to him because he was a guy you wanted to care about. There's not too many movie actors you can say that about today.
-
Manning: How do you explain the loss that so many people still feel today as if we've just recently lost Steve last Wednesday? And the second part of my question is that young people today are constantly discovering him, whether it's through film acting class or the standpoint of admiring "The King of Cool". But going back to my first question. Why do you think so many of us--myself included--still feel this tremendous void. It's been almost 30 years?
-
Terrill: I was watching "Junior Bonner" last night because of our trip last week (several of us traveled to Prescott. Arizona where the 1972 McQueen movie was filmed) and I was looking at it from a point of view to revisit the locations we just saw. But I couldn't help myself and started examining McQueen's acting. It's so fresh and he touches you emotionally. For example the one thing that stood out for me was the reaction he gave when his mother (Ida Lupino) told him that Robert Preston (as father, Ace Bonner) sold his land to the son, Curly Bonner for $15,000--you see McQueen's reaction; you see it boiling up inside of him and fifteen minutes later on in the film you know why he punches out Joe Don Baker. That's the reason. But he didn't have to say anything! You knew through his reaction why he was upset. My God, what a gift! People can instinctively read it on his face and what he's trying to convey. And to do that so well...to so many people.
-
Manning: Yeah! It's the old saying that it's nothing they put in the (movie theater) seats that make you respond, it's what goes through your eyes and brain and to your heart.
-
Terrill: And that's the thing. You see Steve McQueen's heart through his acting and there's the real connection.
-
Manning: Do you feel as I do that younger people--and I often reference on my Blog on my full website--that 20-somethings are just now discovering who Steve is and whether it's from the Tag Heuer (wrist watch) ads, or the spate of television commercials that have come out in just the past few years where they've used film clips fromBullitt where Steve will appear on screen. I like to think that 20-something's are identifying or otherwise tapping into that emotional tenor. Do you feel that?
-
Terrill: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely! The majority of people under 40 don't know who he is. But, when we do these shows or these exhibitions or we go to Slater, you see the kids who are connected to McQueen. It's mostly the young men who have an interest in cars. They find out about McQueen that way. Women connect with McQueen on a whole different level. The guys think he's cool, but the women are drawn to something else: first and foremost, they think he's the sexiest man to ever walk the earth. There's McQueen and the rest of the male species is a distant second (laughs). I've learned to accept my place in line (laughs) because my wife, even though she was never a McQueen fan, thinks he is sexy as hell. But my point is that women connect with McQueen on a much deeper level than men do. They understand his foibles and flaws because they know deep down the man was hurt as a child and they want to nurture him. I'm sure someday this would make for a great college term paper! Most of the younger fans are introduced to McQueen by their parents. They're inexplicably drawn to him and when they learn of his personal story, they're hooked. Very much the same way the Beatles keep hooking new generations of listeners – the parents introduce them and it's off to the races. When I was growing up, Elvis and Steve McQueen were my dad's guys. He might not be your generation's idol, but that rubs off on you. And then as you get older and you kind of look back, you say "Wow! That guy was something else". Elvis to me was this entertainer, almost caricature if you will, stuck in the 1950's. But as I got older and learned more about him, I learned that he had this movie career in the 60's and he went back to Vegas in the 70's and so he had a second and third career. And then I end up doing three books about him! It's the same with McQueen. McQueen and The Beatles I always kind of connected to.
-
Manning: You did?
-
Terrill: Oh, yeah. They both kind of came of age at the same time, right?
-
Manning: Right.
-
Terrill:Their time in the spotlight was the same time frame. They both ascended from nothing to the top in a very short time. The Beatles broke out in January '64; McQueen broke in August of 63' (in "The Great Escape"). The Beatles broke up in 69'. That was McQueen's peak.
-
Manning: He stopped giving interviews that year.
-
Terrill: Right, that's right--that;s a great point.
-
Manning: From the time you revised "Portrait of An American Rebel" to now, what surprised you most from all of your research about McQueen that maybe you didn't have at your grasp when you first published the book in 1993? Was there anything that surprised you, that really stood out the most?
-
Terrill:Well, I think you've got to realize that when I wrote "Portrait of An American Rebel" I was 26. And so I'm observing McQueen from a 45-year-old perspective. When I was 26, I was looking at the obvious. What attracted me to McQueen at the time was the fact that he wasn't always so nice, that he could be a bastard. I had a tendency to follow the legend. But as I get older and the more I talk to people, I realize the fact that he really was a truly wonderful guy. He was a nice guy, he made people feel warm and comfortable. He did a lot of good things. I think that his circumstances dictated really what kind of person he was, but as he got older and matured and mellowed, people said that he was the most tender guy you'd ever meet. As I get older, I look at that McQueen more than the guy who made this ruthless climb to the top. My perspective of him really softened quite a bit, even though my perspective of him in the beginning was very heroic. Now, I see him more as a human being who scaled these incredible heights and had to deal with that as a human being as he got older. For a guy with a 9th grade education, I think he dealt with people and his situation very wisely. For example, when he was in Hollywood--in Hollywood yes means no; no means yes. That would drive me crazy.
-
Manning: Oh, me too!
-
Terrill:McQueen surrounded himself with a group of people, who were a core group of friends whom he could trust to tell him the truth. And if you think about it, that was such a smart thing to do. It really is. If you want to keep your edge, if you want to keep your perspective of reality, you do that. And that's what McQueen did. Not a lot of people in Hollywood do that or have done that. They have these entourages that leech off the superstars and they stop becoming human beings. McQueen made a very conscious effort to stay grounded, which is something you have to respect.
-
Manning:You're talking about the stuntmen who surrounded McQueen...
-
Terrill:...well, guys like Pat Johnson (Steve's karate instructor) Loren Janes and Bud Ekins (stunt doubles)...guys who would call him on his shit if his ego got too big or out of whack. And that's what you need in life. Because in Hollywood, they're all there to make a buck off of you.
-
Manning: There was no ulterior motive with these guys. They were there for Steve.
-
Terrill: Right.
-
Manning: They weren't there to get something from him or to get material gain. Our trip to Santa Paula (California) was a once in a lifetime gift because...and I think most of us who were on that trip (December 6 & 7, 2008) agree that it was the people that we met through you, like Pat Johnson and others that were able to fill-in certain areas of Steve that we didn't know about. What did that trip mean to you? Was there anything unexpected?
-
Terrill:A couple of things. The first was that I never got why the world's highest paid movie star would live in an airplane hangar with his motorcycles. And as you know, I spent a weekend in Mike Dewey's hangar with his airplane and his bikes and all his possessions were in this 3,000 square foot hangar. And I finally got it. Because McQueen had every thing he loved all right within his reach.
-
Manning: Antique toys, right?
-
Terrill:Everything. And so, I finally understood that. I never understood why he wouldn't want to choose to live in a house. The other thing was something that a guy named Wendell Dowling, who was an artist who knew Steve--this is Sammy Mason's (Steve's flight instructor) son-in-law--what he said to me was pretty profound. He said Steve, pretty much in the 1970's gave up his motorcycle life. And when he took up flying, he had that camaraderie again with the planes and the pilots. That made complete sense to me. So, that was the second thing that really stood out on that trip. Going to Santa Paula on the trip helped me place that important piece in the jigsaw puzzle of his life.
John Sturges had directed McQueen in 1960's masterpiece (considered by many to be the last real Western filmed in the United States) The Magnificent Seven. Three years later, McQueen's breakthrough role as an action hero was cemented after a stormy showdown with Sturges in THE GREAT ESCAPE. William Morris Agency executives flew in from California after learning that Sturges sought to release McQueen, who protested his role as too small by refusing to work for two weeks. Thankfully, a truce was struck and McQueen's role was expanded!
-
Production of the film took place near Munich, Germany and was based on the 1950 novel by Paul Brickhill based on a true story of a breakout from a World War II German prison camp called Stalag Luft III. Brickhill along with 250 prisoners managed to execute an escape through an underground tunnel. In all, only 76 men escaped; 73 were recaptured and 3 made their way to safety in England. Brickhill was one of the three survivors; the remaining 73 were either executed by the ruthless German gestapo, or returned to maximum security prison. The wait for credibility (and bankability) for Director Sturges took a full 13 years after he read the 1950 Brickhill book. Sturges was shown the door by MGM after proposing a $10 million budget for production. After the enormous success of The Magnificent Seven, Sturges then bolted from MGM to United Artists who gave him the green light for The Great Escape, but reigned in the original budget to just $4 million.
-
The Cast: McQueen was signed to play Captain Virgil Hilts, "the Cooler King"; James Gardner was signed as Flight Lieutenant Hendley, "the scrounger". The remaining cast became Charles Bronson as Flight Lieutenant Danny Velinsky, "The Tunnel King"; Richard Attenborough played Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett "Big X"; James Donald is Group Captain Ramsey, The SBO"; Donald Pleasance is Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe "The Forger"; James Coburn is Flying Officer Louis Sedgewick "The Manufacturer", David McCallum as Lieutenant Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt "Dispersal"; Gordon Jackson is Flight Lieutenant Sandy Macdonald "Intelligence"; John Leyton is Flight Lieutenant William Dickes "The Tunneler"; Angus Lennie is Flying Officer Archibald Ives "The Mole"; Nigel Stock is Flight Lieutenant Denys Cavendish "The Surveyor", and Robert Graf as Werner "The Ferret".
-
The deceptively simple plot called for Hilts to break out of the camp, case the area outsideand then allow himself to be caught and placed in solitary confinement (in "The Cooler") in order to provide the valuable information to Attenborough's "Big X". The film works brilliantly as a multi-character vehicle where the cast becomes a truly cohesive unit that creates and maintains the kind of tension American audiences miss in films. McQueen springs to life with a burning intensity after he steals a German officer's motorcycle and is chased by hundreds of Nazi's through a village countryside. According to author Marshall Terrill, Life magazine described McQueen as "the next big movie star". After the films roaring international success, Director Sturges added the following. "When you find somebody with that kind of talent, you use him. Steve is unique. The way Cary Grant is unique, or Spencer Tracy or Marlon Brando. Like most good actors, he likes an attitude---he likes to know where he stands in relation to the action of a scene, rather than just come on and act---then he goes from there. Steve has a great interest in people. Watch him as he sits up there and listens, hunching himself up. That's why you can't take your eyes off him on screen. He's alive!"
-
Nominated at the 1964 Academy Awards for Best Picture Editing (Ferris Webster), the screenplay by James Clavell and W.R. Burnett. This is the film that made Steve McQueen "a star"!
This year, we begin the "Festival" with an intense movie that began filming in February, 1968--not in Los Angeles, but San Francisco. Director Lawrence Kasdan stated that there isn't a serious acting student who hasn't watched Bulitttime and time again to absorb the sheer intensity of McQueen's street smarts and physical theatrical attributes that he infused into the character of plainclothes police detective Lt. Frank Bullitt. McQueen's facial expressions literally displaced paragraphs of dialogue written by Screenwriters Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner. The examples are numerous. Watch the scene in the hospital between a politician with grand ambitions (played by Robert Vaughn) and again at the San Francisco International Airport. The latter scene is notable for the tense "cat and mouse" dialogue where Vaughn as Walter Chalmers attempts to pressure Bullitt into compromising his principles. McQueen made cinema history when he uttered the word "bullshit!" through gritted teeth--a "first" in motion pictures. Another excellent example of McQueen's instincts and acting talent comes in a scene where he revisits a seedy motel room where a murder was committed. Using his eyes and facial expressions as he quietly ponders how a mafia hit took place, McQueen completely improvised the scene to perfection. Even his body movements climbing in and out of the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback before the infamous car chase sequence is studied closely by actors today. This was the authentic McQueen.
-
It is impossible not to mention, of course, the most famous car chase in cinema history that saved a convoluted script that few people remembered after they left the theater. Filmed over a two-week period over a 22-block area of San Francisco, stunt coordinator Carey Lofton enlisted McQueen and stunt man Bud Ekins (who handled the daring motorcycle jump in 1963's "The Great Escape") to drive the Ford Mustang at dangerous speeds over airborne hill jumps on Taylor Street heading north (downhill). Ekins was pursuing veteran stunt driver Bill Hickman, who drove the black 1968 Dodge Charger. Director Peter Yates (making his United States premiere) had recently wrapped a car chase scene in the crime film Robbery (which was screened by theBullitt cast) and credits producer Phil D'Antoni's commitment to include the chase. The car chase has never been duplicated in over 41 years, despite numerous attempts to copy it.
Between McQueen, Lofton and Ekins each man handled roughly a third of the driving required of the scene. Bud Ekins handled the most dangerous jump scenes at a 6 AM call (McQueen was deliberately given a 10 AM call but showed up in time to see Ekins finish), while stunt coordinator Carey Loftin handled other key scenes. McQueen was constrained by insurance company regulations. Nevertheless, it should be noted that it is actually McQueen who is driving the Mustang at the beginning of the chase and over the first airborne hill jump, followed by two right-hand turns. Two mistakes were left in this scene. The first occurred when Hickman's front left tire grabbed more traction that he anticipated at the beginning of the chase scene. Instead of glancing off a parked 1956 Ford Victoria as the script required, Hickman's Dodge Charger slams into the car and obliterates an unattended tripod camera on the nearby sidewalk. There is little doubt that if a camera operator had been on hand, they would have been killed by the impact. This is visible on the Special Feature Disc "Steve McQueen's Commitment to Reality". Despite magafluxing the suspensions of both cars by veteran race car builder Max Balchowsky, the Mustang and Charger suffered an under steering problem during suburban street scenes where tight cornering was required. McQueen overshoots the same turn Hickman has braved, locks up the brakes, sticks his head outside the open car door window and does a "reverse-burn out" with the Mustang before resuming the chase after the Charger. This scene was left in the film and also marks the suspension of filming with McQueen replaced behind the wheel with stunt man Bud Ekins. However, Steve does handle the risky dirt and gravel spin-out that is preceded by Ekins' most dangerous stunt---laying down a BSA motorcycle in front of McQueen's car on the Guadelupe Canyon Parkway. According to author Marshall Terrill, McQueen recalled: "When he told us he was going to do this stunt, I really didn't want him to do it. 'You're liable to get kissed off, and your wife will never forgive me', I told him. But he was stubborn, convinced he could do it okay, so we let him go ahead. Man, I'll tell you, I never saw anything as scary as having him throw down that BSA in front of us. He must have slid at least seventy-five feet along the blacktop. I just twisted theMustang side-ways to miss him, spun twice and slapped the bank--which wasn't in the script!" For you motor heads out there like me, the double-clutching (redundant with today's more sophisticated transmissions) at speeds of up to 114 miles on the Canyon Highway flats was all performed by McQueen. In an amusing, if not tense moment, Director Peter Yates was filming close-ups of McQueen inside the Mustang when he suddenly tapped Steve on the shoulder and said "I believe we're out of film". McQueen replied, "That's nothing. We're out of brakes!" At that point, McQueen struggled with multiple down-shifting, coupled with weaving the Ford wildly side to side to slow the car down. Relief was at hand when McQueen turned up a hill and the car was brought to a stop with both men laughing hysterically afterwards. McQueen is again behind the wheel side-slamming the Ford Mustang mercilessly into Hickman's Dodge Charger parallel along the Guadelupe Canyon Highway. For the previous two weeks, both men practiced handling the cars at the Cotati Racetrack to gain a sense of camaraderie.
-
Cinematographer William Fraker had the thankless job of filming McQueen and Hickman just six feet away from their vehicles during the Guadelupe Canyon Parkway chase scene. Fraker was precariously perched on a seat mounted on a stripped down Corvette chassis that served as the camera car. Hickman's stunt driving was so precise, that the scene in which he appears to lose control of the Dodge Charger, clipping a tractor-trailer's bumper on the left side of the car while careening off the last section of guard rail on the right side of the highway was fortuitous; the drop-off at the end of the guard rail was approximately 500 feet! Interestingly, 13 years earlier, it was Hickman who was driving James Dean's station wagon towing an empty flat bed trailer behind the actor's Porche Spyder when Dean was killed in a Cholame, California collision on September 30, 1955 en route to a race the next day in Salinas. Hickman attempted to pull Dean from the wreckage when the actor died in Hickman's arms. HIckman later said he was traumatized for days after Deans death. For roughly 25 years, Hickman earned a living as a stunt driver for movies including Walt Disney's "Love Bug", doubling for Gene Hackman in "The French Connection" and opposite Roy Scheider in "The Seven-Ups". The latter two films were also produced by Phil D'Antoni.
-
The cast for Bullittincluded then 21 year-old British actress Jacqueline Bissett as "Cathy", Bullitt's girlfriend, long time McQueen friend and co-star Don Gordon as Detective Delgetti, Simon Oakland is cast as Bullitt's Police Captain, Robert Vaughn is the slimy politician, Chalmers and Norman Fell is Captain Baker. Both McQueen and Gordon were taken on ride-alongs at night with San Francisco Police officers to prepare them for their roles. McQueen experienced a riot and an intense track down of the killer of a young Hispanic woman. Gordon was on-hand for an actual drug bust. In the film, McQueen and Gordon completely improvised the scene at police headquarters where they broke open two travel trunks. Director Yates ensured that the duo not know what the trunks contained. Filming concluded in May, 1968 with post-production completed for the October 17, 1968 premiere at New York's Radio City Music Hall. McQueen's fated second wife, Ali MacGraw was in attendance.
-
Variety hailed the film as "an extremely well-made crime melodrama, highlighted by one of the most exciting auto chase sequences in years". Infused with a gritty realism together with McQueen's natural instincts for bringing the character of Lt. Frank Bullitt to life, this film has action, drama, tension and the hard-bitten realism of a cool cop who had a thankless job to do and reluctantly carried out his responsibilities. Many of the films co-stars including Robert Duvall and Jacqueline Bissett went on to achieve major leading actor/actress status throughout the next 30 years. For McQueen, the over-the top success of the film for Warner Brothers and his Solar Productions secured his status as a Hollywood superstar. It also marked the last time McQueen would ever play a cop.
-
The film is based on the Robert L. Fish novel "Mute Witness" about a former mafia member who is under police protection over the weekend to ensure his scheduled testimony before a Senate Subcommittee investigating organized crime on Monday morning. It would be McQueen's last film as a cop. The Cast:Steve McQueen is Lt. Frank Bullitt; Jacqueline Bissett is Cathy; Don Gordon is Delgetti; Simon Oakland is Captain Bennett; Norman Fell is Captain Baker; Bill Hickman is Phil; Georg Stanford Brown is Dr. Willard. Winner: 1969 Academy Award for "Best Film Editing": Frank P. Keller.
-
I deliberately chose Bullittto begin the Festival with plenty of adrenaline, but also to capture Steve at his zenith for those under the age of 40 who might not be familiar with his work. This film helped defined "The King of Cool".
-
DOCUMENTARY NOTE: In 2005, Turner Classic Movies premiered the excellent documentary: "Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool" which is included in theBullitt DVD package. It is highly recommended by this author that you view this special edition DVD featuring recollections of McQueen's life and work from Neile Adams, Robert Culp, Alec Baldwin, Don Gordon, Robert Relyea, Chad McQueen, Hilly Elkins, Bud Ekins, Pat Johnson, Loren Janes, Suzanne Pleshette, Katherine Haber, Martin Landau, Eli Wallach, Lawrence Kasdan, Robert Vaughn, Norman Jewison and Barbara McQueen. This is admittedly a high-octane way to jump-start the 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival. But I felt this year's approach required a bold beginning for audiences to capture the true essence of what became the legend we now know and appreciate as Steve McQueen.
Good Morning. One of the questions I am inevitably asked about this annual project is "Why Steve McQueen?" The question alone is significant enough to warrant a doctoral thesis. But maybe a brief explanation would be helpful.
-
When I was 9 years-old I recall one of my neighbors on the street I grew up on in Southeastern Ohio excitedly asking me "Are you going to watch 'The Great Escape' tonight on television?" At the time, television was relegated to three basic networks and it became a common practice to feature a film two years after it's first run release nationwide in movie theaters. "The Great Escape" was featured over two successive nights on television. It became the break-out role for actor Steve McQueen. It was the first McQueen film I ever watched, and I have been a loyal fan ever since.
-
Before making my new home in Scottsdale, Arizona I was on a magazine assignment to interview an airline CEO in Indiana. On my car trip back to Ohio, I exited the freeway system and drove along the streets of Steve's boyhood town of Beech Grove, Indiana. It was a poor neighborhood where dusk seemed to bring along a certain element of danger, at least as far as I was concerned. But I had captured in my own mind the beginnings of a very troubled youth in Steve.
-
The tiny theater where my parents would drop off a neighborhood buddy and myself as teenagers, curiously enough, was built next door to a motorcycle and car dealership. McQueen loved both motorcycles and cars. I was lucky. I attended first run releases of such films as "Bullitt", the motorcycle documentary "On Any Sunday", "Thomas Crown Affair", "The Getaway", "The Towering Inferno" and my favorite film (and Steve McQueen's) "Junior Bonner". Never in a million years would I have ever expected to become close friends with Marshall Terrill (author of the seminal biography: "Steve McQueen, "Portrait of An American Rebel"). Nor could I have known years later that I would be in attendance December 6 & 7, 2008 at a fundraiser event for the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula in California called "Remembering Steve McQueen". At that event, many friendships were born. And while Marshall is too modest to admit it, God was surely using him to bring together Steve's widow Barbara, his karate instructor and close friend of 22 years Pat Johnson, Steve's private Lear Jet pilot Mike Jugan, Actress and Producer Adrienne McQueen, photographer Veronica Valdez and myself.
-
A short time later, fate would again lend a hand when actress and model Barbara Leigh, Steve's co-star in "Junior Bonner" became my Special Guest on my website feature, "THE INTERVIEW". How ironic that at the tender age of 14, I first saw Barbara on the big screen. This beautiful girl captivated our imaginations very much in the same way the nation responded to Bo Derek's debut in Blake Edwards' movie "10". Barbara had left us with an indelible impression of what the "it girl" represented, and her beauty today remains as unforgettable as her personality. But I digress.
-
Why McQueen? For starters, he was a fellow Mid-Westerner who recognized the values that came along with growing up in middle-America. He had it rough. Here was a guy who was abandoned unconscionably by a good-for-nothing father and his alcoholic mother--a trauma that would leave Steve with a self image that he wasn't good enough. In spite of these odds and the lack of a high school education, he rose to meteoric heights in terms of his fame. Actor Martin Landau (who along with Steve became only two of 2,000 applicants accepted into Lee Strasberg's prestigious Actor's Studio) said it best: "He was complicated. But that complication makes for an interesting person, if you can manage to bring at least some of it to your acting". Steve's troubled life landed him in the Chino Hills, California Boys Republic--a reform school for boys. After a stint in the service, a trail of turbulent personal relationships followed with women he was promiscuous with and film directors he clashed with professionally. The deep pain of Steve's life as a throw-away kid was tempered, however, by his role as a father with his two children, daughter Terry (1959-1998) and son Chad. A fascination with motorcycles and automobile racing provided an outlet for what actress Candace Bergen (Steve's co-star in the 1966 Academy-Award nominated film, "The Sand Pebbles") once described in Steve as a "caged animal". And we guys, of course generally related to his love of all things mechanical--at least I did--and still do today!
-
Steve's razor-sharp instincts led friend and fellow actor Robert Culp to describe him as "visceral and transcendent" on both the stage and screen. Similarly, Levar Burton, whose break-out role in Alex Hailey's epic television series, "Roots" led to a role in Steve's last fated film, "The Hunter" observed: "That man had a fierce humanity about him. And when he focused those baby blues on you, you knew, 'I'm in the club!"
-
By 1974, Steve became the world's highest paid actor at $14 million a percentage of the gross profits for appearing with fellow actor and friend Paul Newman as the Fire Chief in "The Towering Inferno". But it was neither Steve's riches, his sexual conquests of an endless parade of attractive women or his considerable worldwide fame as the anti hero that fascinates me to this day. He was a tortured soul who could be at once brutally unforgiving and tremendously charitable. Ultimately, this loner who trusted few people and suffered quietly beneath a veil of personal anguish and self doubt, nevertheless, personified to millions of adoring fans an image of a maverick who took risks and believed in accountability. He was relentless. By the time he met Cosmopolitan fashion model Barbara Minty, he changed his life.
-
Steve had a new focus married to Barbara: "to begin living again". The McQueen's bought a simple ranch house 70 miles north of Los Angeles. While the 6-month renovation of the house took shape, The McQueen's settled into an airplane hangar on the Santa Paula Airport grounds where residents grew to love Steve and mercifully protected his privacy. It was while Steve was earning his private pilots license with Sammy Mason--a born-again Christian--that Steve grew to embrace Christianity. At long last, he had found the peace that had eluded him and one by one he began reparation to many friendships laid to waste during his days of booze, recreational drugs and womanizing; all of that meaninglessness was gone now. With the love of a devoted wife who knew Steve less as an actor than for his personality Barbara was definitely a catalyst who encouraged Steve to seek a fuller and richer life of love, trust and forgiveness. Sadly, he did not have the benefit of time.
-
In 1979, Steve was diagnosed with Mesothelioma-a terminal cancer that ultimately took his life on November 7, 1980 when a blood clot stopped his heart after major surgery was undertaken to remove a massive tumor. A piece of the world seemed torn away from so many. Today, Steve McQueen is still mourned as a great actor whose performances transcended the silver screen and lent what co-star and friend Sir Richard Attenborough refers to as "a wonderful authenticity" that reaches us and makes us care about others. He was a fascinating person, a great actor and a philanthropist who reached for--and achieved--the highest honors only to embrace life's simpler pleasures so many of us take for granted. And that, my friends, is why I continue this annual labor of love each and every year. It is also my formal answer to the question: "Why Steve McQueen?" In a world lacking true legends, Steve became truly legendary in his brief life. He died at age 50 and left behind 30 motion pictures. You will read much more about Steve in the days ahead. I have carefully selected a handful of films to convey the depth of his range as an actor. We'll have film, commentary and two amazing Guests whose interviews you won't want to miss.
"Steve McQueen was from a time when you didn't know every little dirty thing about our public figures. He and James Dean were very mysterious, archetypal American heroes."
Sheryl Crow
"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth."
Steve McQueen
-
(Photos Courtesy of Donna Redden)
-
Whenever your hard work is balanced by a good laugh or two, you know that you are on the right track. For example, between telephone calls and e-mails from friends, I've actually fielded the following inquiries about "The 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival":
-
"Hey, I'm just sorry I won't have time to fly in for the festival. But I'll be with you in spirit!"
"Where exactly is the festival and I also need to ask you about parking. Call me."
"Michael: You left out the address and time. We have the dates, but how will we know where to go without directions from the airport?"
No, I'm not exaggerating either! That's why it is funny and as I write this, I've had a chance to laugh with the friends who left me these messages, so no feelings are hurt in sharing them. It's only natural when we hear that a "Festival" is taking place to assume that a proper venue such as a building or outdoor theater will be the gathering site. Many expect an Admission charge. When I explain that this "Festival" takes place entirely on the worldwide web--specifically, on my personal website--reactions can range from silence on the other end of the telephone, to a narrowing of the eyes and a puzzled facial expression in-person. A Festival on a website? Listen, I won't lay claim to having the only Festival on the worldwide web, but I can honestly say it is unique.
-
Typically, those who participate can read my commentary and then watch the DVD of the McQueen film selected. NetFlix is used quite a bit (from the feedback I've received in recent years). But the public library is also a good source to check out DVD's for free! The depth of selections depends of course on the library inventory. As a general rule, the larger downtown libraries might have a selection that the satellite library locations are missing. Intra-library loans are often arranged to accommodate these requests. Others already have McQueen movies in their private collections, and it becomes enjoyable to reach up and pull a featured selection off the shelf.
-
In summary, over the years the "Festival" has really grown and matured into its own. This year, we removed the emphasis on presenting movies in any kind of chronological order; the selections are slightly fewer but with an expanded presentation, and of course as noted earlier we have the privilege of two VIP Guests. Author Marshall Terrill will talk about an exciting new McQueen Tribute Book he is preparing to release, and he will share never before-revealed information about the legend of Steve McQueen. In addition, Jeb Rosebrook who is the Screenwriter of the 1972 McQueen film "Junior Bonner" will share his first-hand reflections about being on the filming location for the entire shoot. We'll hear about Director Sam Peckinpah, the supporting cast, and specific scenes that make this movie so memorable. All of this makes for a richer, fuller experience and I am greatly indebted to having access to Marshall and Jeb who were generous with their time and knowledge with me. I sincerely hope you enjoy the next 10 Days of McQueen!
I can feel it. Things are starting to heat up for this Sunday, March 22nd. We launch the 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival. Two exciting Special Guests: Author Marshall Terrill and Screenwriter Jeb Rosebrook will join us and offer phenomenal insights into the life of Steve McQueen as you never knew him before. The Festival dates are March 22nd - March 31st right here on this BLOG Page. We're closing in on one hell of a ride!
JEB ROSEBROOK TO GUEST ON 4TH ANNUAL STEVE MCQUEEN FILM FESTIVAL!
Jeb and Dorothy Rosebrook
(Photo Courtesy: The Daily Courier)
-
Jeb Rosebrook, screenwriter for the 1972 Steve McQueen film "Junior Bonner" will be my second Special Guest to be interviewed here during our 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival. His Filmography also includes:
Last night, I was running some errands and listening to the local Jazz station when this song came on. Hey! Yesterday was Nat "King" Cole's Birthday. Let's hit Route 66!
MARSHALL TERRILL TO GUEST ON 4TH ANNUAL STEVE MCQUEEN FILM FESTIVAL!
Coming to Print, late 2009!
Marshall Terrill is one of my two Special Guests who will be appearing on the 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festivalhere on this BLOG Page.His ground-breaking biography "Steve McQueen: Portrait of An American Rebel" (updated in 2005) is widely hailed as the seminal work detailing the life and times of the film superstar of the '60s and '70s--whose power both on and off camera was legendary. His new book will be discussed in our interview. To belabor the obvious, it says something when an author of this magnitude devotes years to painstaking research and is humble enough to sit down with me for a no-holds-barred visit. The "Festival" officially begins right here at www.michaelmanning.tv March 22nd and ends on March 31st. Marshall will share his insights on what we can expect from his fresh, new work on Steve McQueen. It is at once exhilarating and welcomed by millions of fans worldwide who are still held spellbound by this great actor. Stay tuned!
THE DREAM GIRL ON MY APARTMENT WALLS (A SING-A-LONG PART II)!
Artist: David DeVary
-
While preparations are underway for this Sunday's launch of the 4th Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival, I wanted to pay homage to one of my favorite contemporary artists who hails from Illinois but resides today in Santa Fe, David DeVary. I have some of his works framed here at home as part of a late Winter makeover of the apartment.
Here's the late Telly Savales. Put aside the Gold medallion necklace for a moment and recall this Grammy Award Winning actor from the TV series "Kojak" with the line: "Who loves ya, baby?" What is funny and memorable about Telly is his 1975 album, ("Telly"). He talks through the lyrics. I hope you have a stiff drink handy by the time he gets to Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World" or "If" by Bread! But what really made me laugh was how his television character, Theo Kojak would arrive at a crime scene in a green 1973 Buick Century. He'd throw the transmission into "Park" before the car came to a complete stop and kicked open the door, put a lolly pop in his mouth (a heavy smoker, TV producers turned from anti-cigarrette sentiment, so the lolipop became a substitute) and walk around the crime scene asking questions. In my mind, I can still see that car rocking back and forth. Hilarious! Kojak's team of plainclothes officers included Detective Bobby Crocker (Kevin Dobson), Detectives Stavros (played by Telly's real-life brother George Savales), Saperstein (Mark Russell), and Rizzo (Vince Conti). Throwing a car into "Park" prematurely? Kojak had company!
Here's the late Jack Lord. He was acknowledged by Elvis from the stage during one of the tapping's (for rebroadcast) of his historic 1973 "Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite" concert. The two were friends and Elvis enjoyed Lord's TV show--the police drama, "Hawaii Five-O". Like Telly Savales, Jack Lord also had a penchant for throwing his black unmarked 1965 Mercury into "Park" before he brought the car to a full stop. Producers later gave him an updated Mercury Grand Marquis, but Lord reportedly asked for his old car back! His signature line became, "Book em Danno" (Danny was played by James MacArthur). Sadly, co-stars Kam Fong and Zulu are no longer with us. But I still find this fare amusing! The show was the longest running crime show on American television until the police drama "Law & Order" surpassed it in 2003! There. That's my entire BLOG Post for today...
Well it ain’t any fun when they tell you you have cancer And it sure don’t help when they say they have no answer At the time you’ll think it is the greatest curse Let me tell you there is one thing that’s worse If they tell you it was gone but now it’s back When you thought you’d won but you’re still under attack Talk about taking the wind out of your sails It’s only tragic if you’re thinking that hope fails Because hope, my friend did not let you down No, it carried you across you the rocky ground And it set you on this water that you know It will hold you til the breeze begins to blow Don’t you worry if the tide is still too low The day will come when your courage starts to grow Before long you will see it overflow You may feel that it’s all a bit too slow But soon enough you’ll remember what you know It’s never too late to get up and go Now’s the time to practice what you’ve learned When the rain comes down let the little light burn Keep on to the point of no return Decide that you will do more than survive Each day is a chance for you to thrive And thrive you will if you make that your choice Faith, hope & Love still need a voice So tell me, what are you waiting for? Go ahead - - it’s time to leave this shore You have no idea what’s in store Between here and the the horizon there is more The adventure has only just begun So what if you’re back at square one Close your eyes and count to ten Then sail away and do it again Written by Singer/Songwriter David M. Bailey
Sheryl Crow is a pleasant enigma to me. In my previous BLOG Post I referenced this beautiful song of hers--my favorite--and I felt it would be nice to share it.
In 2002, musical artist Sheryl Crow scored a hit with the song "Steve McQueen". The music video featured Dave Kunz's replica of the 1968 Ford 390 cubic inch Mustang GT Fastback that was used in the McQueen film "Bullitt". The CD was extremely well produced and featured "Soak Up The Sun" as a second hit single. It closes with the very moving "Weather Channel"--one of my favorites!
Jennifer Caputo was Sheryl's stunt double during the shoot. After filming, Sheryl autographed Dave's drivers door panel (below).
All of which is to say that we will launch the 4th Annual "Steve McQueen Film Festival" here on this BLOG Page March 22nd through March 31st. Last year, 6,347 participants enjoyed our offering. This year, the movie selections will be featured out-of-sequence with a very Special Guest to be interviewed! This is a labor of love for me as new generations of Steve McQueen fans invariably begin discovering "The King of Cool" for the first time. Steve's films are refreshingly relevant on so many levels for the serious actor to movie lovers who are just now beginning to enjoy reissues. Older fans are often surprised to grasp just how much detail went into each of McQueen's productions and performances alike. I sincerely hope you will enjoy what we have assembled for this year. Until then, we return to our regular BLOG programming!
-
My personal thanks to Dave Kunz for making his photos available
A WEEKEND WITH BARBARA MCQUEEN AND REVISITING "JUNIOR BONNER"!
In early December, 2008 a group of us flew from the West Coast and Southwest points of the U.S. to Santa Paula, California to participate in a fundraiser for the Santa Paula Airport Museum called "Remembering Steve McQueen". Each of us, unknown to each other were brought together by another dear friend of mine-author Marshall Terrill. Marshall co-authored "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile" with Steve's widow Barbara McQueen. He is also author of the groundbreaking biography: "Steve McQueen: Portrait of An American Rebel".
-
Prior to my trip to California, I had watched Barbara two years earlier as a guest on "Late Night with David Letterman" in addition to her appearance in the Turner Movie Classics production of the documentary, "Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool". We all fell in love with Barbie. Her outgoing personality and sense of humor is contagious. One of my favorite memories of Barbara that weekend occurred when she pulled a joke on me in a hotel bar where we were all surrounding her with conversation and plenty of laughs mixed in with wonderful stories she shared of Steve. Seated next to me she whispered, "Do that thing with your eyes again, you're gorgeous". We had been joking most of the day and I said "Oh, that's nice"--and dismissed her as tossing out a funny line. Suddenly, without warning she grabbed me off my bar stool and dipped me (which was quite fun and hysterical)!
-
Seeing her again in Arizona was a chance for all of us to dine with her and recall those fun memories. A lovely, beautiful woman, Steve had finally found the peace he longed for in his life over the three and a half years he spent with Barbara. She is precious to me and to every one of us in this photo whose life was inextricably touched by Steve McQueen. At the end of our weekend in California, we somehow came up with a name for ourselves and settled on "The McQueen Orphans". Barbara calls us "The McQueeniacs"!
Here we are at the rear exit courtyard of The Palace Bar in Prescott, Arizona. It is here where a tender scene between actress Ida Lupino and actor Robert Preston was filmed in 1972's "JUNIOR BONNER". The original stairs have been replaced, however, the building is essentially unchanged. In the movie, Preston played Ace Bonner--McQueen's father who was a one time world champion rodeo star who becomes estranged from his wife, Elvira, chases women, drinks too much and becomes obsessed with get-rich schemes including mining for gold in Australia. I can't adequately describe how close we all felt to this film and how poignant it was for us all to stand at this spot. We experienced this magic several times as we walked and drove with William Pierce, former Chairman of the Prescott Film Commission who worked closely with Steve McQueen. Other sites of note included the town square courthouse where actor Ben Johnson (who played rodeo owner Buck Roan) offers McQueen's character a partnership in the business. On Main Street, we stood where McQueen walks up to Robert Preston (who has stolen McQueen's horse to ride in the Frontier Days Rodeo Parade) The pairing of Preston with McQueen as father and son is tremendously convincing, as the two played off each other brilliantly.
My dear friend Veronica Valdez and myself standing in the driveway of the Prescott home Steve used while filming "Junior Bonner". It is roughly 10 minutes from the set location.
Steve McQueen's private pilot Mike Jugan and myself with Rod Hart, who wrote and sang "Arizona Morning" and "Rodeo Man"--both of which appear in the movie "Junior Bonner". We were so honored to receive a private performance from this wonderful new friend of ours!
Here's my friend Adrienne McQueen with JebRosebrook, screenwriter for "Junior Bonner". Director Sam Peckinpah, in an unusual move insisted that Jeb remain on the set through the entire filming. Steve referred to Jeb as "Shakespeare" in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Steve preferred little dialogue and made extensive use of facial expressions to convey a scene. It was a Joy for each of us to spend some time with Jeb.
"The McQueen Orphans" L-R: Me, Author Marshall Terrill, Photographer Donna Redden, Actress & Producer Adrienne McQueen, Photographer Veronica Valdez and Steve McQueen's Private Pilot Mike Jugan at The Palace Bar in Prescott, Arizona on March 7, 2009 where the 1972 McQueen movie "JUNIOR BONNER" was filmed. At the upper-right corner of the giant mural behind us is the famous slow dance scene between Steve McQueen and Co-Star Barbara Leigh, (who played Charmagne in the film) who was my Special Guest on my Blog feature, "THE INTERVIEW".
The last two films of Steve McQueen: (Above) "Tom Horn" Co-Starring Linda Evans. (Below) "The Hunter", Co-Starring Kathryn Harrold and filmed on the South Side of Chicago.
'Steve McQueen: The Last Mile'
(The Arizona Republic): For Barbara Minty McQueen, Jan. 16, 1980, was an important day — she married Steve McQueen. But on Nov. 7 the same year, her heart sank. The actor's health took a turn for the worse, and their life together was cut short. She did not even have a chance to say goodbye. Several years after Steve's death, Barbara, who became a widow at 27, realized she had hundreds of pictures, and that's how the book and photo exhibit “Steve McQueen: The Last Mile” started.
-
The exhibit at the Chandler Center for the Arts, which runs from March 6 to April 11, includes 30 photographs taken by Barbara from 1977 through the end of the actor's life. “They are beautiful private, private pictures,” she said. “I had them forever. They sat in a box in my basement, and I finally thought people would really like it, and it would be a really nice story to tell.” In the past two years, the photo exhibit has been showcased in London; San Francisco; Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.; Ketchum, Idaho; Slater, Mo.; and Nashville. Some of the photos portray the actor hitting the road in his vintage pickup trucks, driving 700 miles for a rare WWI motorcycle, flying antique planes in rural California and avoiding the Hollywood buzz.
-
“One of my favorite photos is when it was early in the morning, and he was dressed as I called his aviator garb,” McQueen said. “He had his leather jacket, scarf and a cup of coffee, and he was in front of a plane. It is a side view, but it is beautiful. The sunlight is just perfect.”
-
Tempe's Marshall Terrill, who co-authored the book, said the exhibit is a look at Steve McQueen in a time when people were wondering what he was doing. After reaching the top with “The Towering Inferno” — when he became the highest-paid movie star in the world — McQueen left the spotlight. “The photos show that he was basically kind of learning to live again,” Terrill said. “He was traveling in cars. He was flying antique planes in Santa Paula. The bottom line is that he was learning to live and enjoy his life after searching for peace and happiness.”
-
An opening reception of the exhibit with Barbara will take place March 6. Guests will include Jeb Rosebrook, who wrote the screenplay for “Junior Bonner,” a 1972 movie in which McQueen had a lead role and which was filmed in Prescott. For Rosebrook, McQueen had a knack for the feeling of the character he was to portray. “Steve McQueen is a motion-picture icon in the same way that you would speak of Paul Newman. He is not one to be forgotten.”
It's hard to believe this is already March 3rd. In 72 hours, old friends and new alike will meet in Chandler, Arizona for the final stop of the photography exhibit from Barbara McQueen's book, "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile".
This is the week that my friend Barbara McQueen makes her final appearance touring her book, "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile", Co-Authored by another friend of mine, Marshall Terrill. For those of you based on the West Coast who have blogged with me for years, come to Arizona because I'd love to meet you! More importantly, you'll meet Barbara--a remarkable lady whose camera lens caught intimate moments of her husband, American actor and legend Steve McQueen.
A must see for any Steve McQueen fan - The Last Mile: An Exhibition of Rare and Private Photographs by Barbara McQueen. You are invited to view this intimate and private body of work of photographs taken of Steve McQueen from 1977 - 1980. Steve and Barbara McQueen spent their time before his 1980 death traveling around America in his vintage pickup trucks, making friends with "ordinary people" and enjoying life away from Hollywood, which is captured in these candid and poignant photos.
-
WHEN: Friday, March 6 from 7 to 9 P.M. "Meet the Artist": Barbara McQueen!
WHERE:At The Chandler Center for the Arts Exhibition Hall, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, Arizona.
HIGHLIGHTS:Admission is free to event. Also, Jeb Rosebrook will be present. Jeb wrote the screenplay for the 1972 McQueen film, "Junior Bonner" which was filmed in Prescott, Arizona.
POST EVENT: Gallery hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday and 12 Noon to 4 P.M. on Saturday through April 11th. For more information, call (480) 917-6859 or visitwww.chandlercenter.org.
Note from Michael Manning: Each of us is like a diamond; there are different angles to who we are and what we do. For instance, I have my own story about how I became a commercial aviation journalist in the late 1980's, and a helicopter news anchor for NBC in 2003. Many years later, I learned that a strong newspaper editorial I had written for a big city newspaper was submitted as an "Exhibit" in Court by ALPA (Airline Pilots Association Union) during hearings that ultimately prevented ex-Continental Airlines chief Frank Lorenzo from re-entering the airline industry with a low-cost/low-fare airline to be called ATX. This was really the beginning of my journalism career, and broadcast news would follow shortly thereafter.
-
The news media reports of the January 15, 2009 water ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 has a thread to my life as well. On October 27, 2004 I was invited by then US Airways Chairman Dr. David Bronner to fly to Crystal City, Virginia for an intense private meeting with then President & CEO Bruce Lakefield. Bruce was a retired nuclear submarine Commander in the Navy and had saved the now-defunct Lehman Brothers brokerage house before being recruited out of retirement to save or liquidate US Airways. In between television commercial shoots, (and frustrated by my Agent's decision to take an extra week on her Honeymoon in Hawaii) I drove to the reference library to study the plan that was announced by an attorney for US Airways (in a shaky voice). I found that plan "impaired" and felt that I could do better with a dose of simple common sense. Within two weeks of 18-hour days, I hammered out an "Alternative Plan of Reorganization" for the airline. The plan was reviewed by the Acting FAA Administrator, US Airways' Bankruptcy Judge, the head of the Department of Transportation and a couple members of Congress along with company officials. So, with two hours of sleep I boarded a 6 AM flight wearing an Italian cut suit and dress loafers and carried a briefcase as a sole passenger on a DeHavilland DHC-100 turboprop plane to a meeting that was hard-hitting and afterwards, physically draining. Bruce called my presentation "Ninety-nine point nine percent on the money". But as he predicted, the airline's largest creditor, Airbus Industrie quashed my plan (my plan refocused the carrier back to a fleet of American-manufactured Boeing 737 jet aircraft for a draconian transition from an International "Legacy Carrier" to a "Low Cost/Low Fare" Domestic US carrier while retaining substantially all of the company's employees and their jobs).
-
A lot has happened since that morning. I don't know who was tougher in that meeting--me or Bruce. But we had enormous respect for each other afterwards. Three years ago, smaller Phoenix-based airline America West bought the larger bankrupt US Airways and there are still many unfortunate issues of corporate strife that I don't need to go into. But in terms of "tying two threads together", when Frank Lorenzo decided his presence was a liability for Continental Airlines in 1990, he hired the headhunting firm of Heidrick & Struggles to find his replacement. Below is an edited account by Heidrick & Struggles Managing Partner Gerry McNamara of what he experienced as a passenger on board US Airways Flight 1549. But perhaps more important, he shares with us4 LESSONS IN LIFEthe ditching incident in New York's Hudson Bay taught him. Enjoy your Sunday!
Michael
-
Gerry McNamara:"Thursday was a difficult day for all of us at the firm and I left the Park Avenue office early afternoon to catch a cab bound for La Guardia Airport. I was scheduled for a 5 PM departure, but able to secure a seat on the earlier flight scheduled to leave at 3 PM. As many of us who fly frequently often do, I recall wondering if I'd just placed myself on a flight I shouldn't be on! Just prior to boarding I finished up a conference call with my associate, Jenn Sparks ( New York ), and our placement, the Chief Information Officer of United Airlines. When I told him that I was about to board a US Airways flight, we all had a little fun with it. I remember walking on the plane and seeing a fellow with gray hair in the cockpit and thinking "that's a good thing...I like to see gray hair in the cockpit!" I was seated in 8F, on the starboard side window and next to a young business man. The New York to Charlotte flight is one I've taken in what seems like hundreds of times over the years. I love to fly, always have, and this flight gives a great view of several New York landmarks including Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge. I had started to point out items of interest to the gentleman next to me when we heard a terrible crash - a sound no one ever wants to hear while flying - and then the engines wound down to a screeching halt. 10 seconds later, there was a strong smell of jet fuel. I knew we would be landing and thought the pilot would take us down no doubt to Newark Airport . As we began to turn south I noticed the pilot lining up on the river still - I thought - en route for Newark . Next thing we heard was "Brace for impact!" - a phrase I had heard many years before as an active duty Marine Officer but never before on a commercial air flight. Everyone looked at each other in shock. It all happened so fast we were astonished! We began to descend rapidly and it started to sink in. This is the last flight. I'm going to die today. This is it. I recited my favorite bible verse, The Lord's Prayer, and asked God to take care of my wife, children, family and friends. When I raised my head I noticed people texting their friends and family, getting off a last message. My Blackberry was turned off and in my trouser pocket with no time to get at it. Our descent continued and I prayed for courage to control my fear and help if able. I quickly realized that one of two things was going to happen, neither of them good. We could hit by the nose, flip and break up, leaving few if any survivors, bodies, cold water, fuel. Or we could hit one of the wings and roll and flip with the same result. I tightened my seat belt as tight as I could possibly get it so I would remain intact. As we came in for the landing, I looked out the windows and remember seeing the buildings in New Jersey , the cliffs in Weehawken , and then the piers. The water was dark green and sure to be freezing cold. The flight attendants were yelling in unison "Brace! Brace! Brace!" It was a violent hit - the water flew up over my window - but we bobbed up and were all amazed that we remained intact. There was some panic - people jumping over seats and running towards the doors, but we soon got everyone straightened out and calmed down. There were a lot of people that took leadership roles in little ways. Those sitting at the doors over the wing did a fantastic job. They were opened in a New York second! Everyone worked together - teamed up and in groups to figure out how to help each other. I exited on the starboard side of the plane, 3 or 4 rows behind my seat through a door over the wing and was, I believe, the 10th or 12th person out. I took my seat cushion as a flotation device and once outside saw I was the only one who did. None of us remembered to take the yellow inflatable life vests from under the seat. We were standing in 6-8 inches of water and it was freezing. There were two women on the wing, one of whom slipped off into the water. Another passenger and I pulled her back on and had her kneel down to keep from falling off again. By that point we were totally soaked and absolutely frozen from the icy wind.
-
"The ferries were the first to arrive, and although they're not made for rescue, they did an incredible job. I know this river, having swum in it as a boy. The Hudson is an estuary - part salt and part fresh water - and moves with the tide. I could tell the tide was moving out because we were tacking slowly south towards Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, and The Battery. The first ferry boat pulled its bow up to the tip of the wing, and the first mate lowered the Jacobs ladder down to us. We got a couple people up the ladder to safety, but the current was strong pushing the stern of the boat into the inflatable slide and we were afraid it would puncture it. There must have been 25 passengers in it by now. Only two or three were able to board the first ferry before it moved away. Another ferry came up, and we were able to get the woman that had fallen into the water on the ladder, but she just couldn't move her legs and fell off. Back onto the ladder she went; however, the ferry had to back away because of the swift current. A helicopter arrived on station (nearly blowing us all off the wing) and followed the ferry with the woman on the ladder. We lost view of the situation but I believe the helicopter lowered its basket to rescue her. As more ferries arrived, we were able to get people up on the boats a few at a time. The fellow in front of me fell off the ladder and into the water. When we got him back on the ladder he could not move his legs to climb. I couldn't help him from my position so I climbed up the ladder to the ferry deck where the first mate and I hoisted the Jacobs ladder with him on it. When he got close enough we grabbed his trouser belt and hauled him on deck. We were all safely off the wing. We could not stop shaking. Uncontrollable shaking. The only thing I had with me was my blackberry, which had gotten wet and was not working. (It started working again a few hours later). The ferry took us to the Weehawken Terminal in NJ where I borrowed a phone and called my wife to let her know I was okay. The second call I made was to Jenn. I knew she would be worried about me and could communicate to the rest of the firm that I was fine. At the terminal, first responders assessed every one's condition and sent people to the hospital as needed. As we pulled out of Weehawken my history kicked in and I recall it was the site of the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. Thankfully I left town in better condition than Mr. Hamilton who died of a mortal wound the next day! I stayed with my sister on Long Island that evening, then flew home the next day.
-
"I am struck by what was truly a miracle. Had this happened a few hours later, it would have been pitch dark and much harder to land. Ferries would no longer have been running after rush hour and it would not have been the same uplifting story. Surely there would have been fatalities, hypothermia, an absolute disaster!
-
"I witnessed the best of humanity that day. I and everyone on that plane survived and have been given a second chance. It struck me that in our work we continuously seek excellence to solve our client's leadership problems. We talk to clients all the time about the importance of experience and the ability to execute. Experience showed up big time on Flight 1549 as our pilot was a dedicated, trained, experienced professional who executed flawlessly when he had to. I have received scores of e-mails from across the firm and I am so grateful for the outpouring of interest and concern. We all fly a great deal or work with someone who does and so I wanted to share this story - the story of a miracle. I am thankful to be here to tell the tale. There is a great deal to be learned including: Why has this happened to me? Why have I survived and what am I supposed to do with this gift? For me, the answers to these questions and more will come over time, but already I find myself being more patient and forgiving, less critical and judgmental.
-
"For now I have 4 lessons I would like to share:
1.Cherish your families as never before and go to great lengths to keep your promises.
2. Be thankful and grateful for everything you have and don't worry about the things you don't have.
3. Keep in shape. You never know when you'll be called upon to save your own life, or help someone else save theirs.
4.When you fly, wear practical clothing. You never know when you'll end up in an emergency or on an icy wing in flip flops and pajamas and of absolutely no use to yourself or anyone else. Thanks to all who have reached out. I look forward to seeing you soon!"
Basically, I'm a Public Relations Consultant with a background in Broadcast News. I've worked as a Reporter and Anchor with PBS, ABC, CBS & NBC affiliates and in Cable Television. I'm active in Radio & Television Commercials, Guest Speaking engagements and I enjoy writing, music and sports.
-
