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Posted: |
Aug 19, 2016 - 4:28 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE HOSPITAL was a black comedy about the goings-on at chaotic "Manhattan Medical Center" where "Dr. Herbert Bock" (George C. Scott), the hospital’s chief of staff, is seemingly the only sane member on the staff. Screenwriter Paddy Chayevsky had formed a production company in order to retain some control over the production. The writer stated that he "was in on all basic decisions, including the final cut." Although Michael Ritchie was originally set to direct the film, on 30 March 1970 Daily Variety announced that he was leaving the production due to "differences" and that Arthur Hiller had been hired to take over directing, in a deal that guaranteed him a percentage of the profits. The film thus marked the second time Hiller had directed a screenplay by Chayevsky, after THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY.
Chayevsky won an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for his screenplay, and Hiller's direction won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. The film's score, by Morris Surdin, has not had a release.
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Posted: |
Aug 19, 2016 - 11:50 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Arthur Hiller produced his first film and directed his first musical with 1972's MAN OF LA MANCHA. But his involvement in the project was not preordained. In 1968, it was announced that filming of MAN OF LA MANCHA would be delayed until at least 1971, after the stage version, which was in the third year of its run, was no longer showing in “first-class” venues. Playwright Dale Wasserman, who held the largest single interest in the stage play, got $1.5 million for his portion of the film rights and for writing a screenplay. In 1969, it was announced that Albert Marre would recreate his stage direction, and that Mitch Leigh, who composed the original music, would produce and supervise the scoring for the film. However, by 1970, after United Artists was unhappy with various screen tests, it was reported that Marre would probably be replaced by a more experienced film director.
An April 1971 Daily Variety news item reported that Peter Glenville was hired to direct, but by August 1971, Daily Variety repeated rumors that he would be replaced by Arthur Hiller, who indeed replaced Glenville by the time principal photography began in January 1972. Peter O'Toole was not at all happy about the firing of his friend Peter Glenville as director. O'Toole liked Glenville's idea of making the film a non-musical, a change that United Artists was not willing to accept. According to associate producer Saul Chaplin, the "look" of the film had already been largely determined by the previous creative teams hired to make the movie. It has always been unclear who cast the usually non-singing actors (Sophia Loren and Peter O'Toole, whose singing was dubbed), and which creative team cast the singing actors (Julie Gregg, Gino Conforti, James Coco and several of the "muleteers"). O'Toole expressed his displeasure by being deliberately difficult with Hiller, referring to him as "Little Arthur" throughout production.
The film was shot in Italy. Interiors, which included the prison and inn sequences, were shot at Dino De Laurentiis Studios in Rome, where there was enough vertical clearance to accommodate the tall staircase. Unlike the stage version of "Man of La Mancha," which had only one set, the film shows outdoor sequences, which were shot near Etruscan ruins near the village of Tarquinia, located about seventy-five miles north of Rome. Of the original Broadway cast, only Gino Conforti, who played “The barber,” reprised his role in the film. Although Peter O’Toole portrayed “Cervantes/Quixote” in the film, Richard Kiley, who originated the role on Broadway, and Gregory Peck were considered for the lead. MAN OF LA MANCHA marked the first musical role of Sophia Loren. Several songs from the stage version, mostly songs sung by Loren, were either omitted or shortened for the film.
Laurence Rosenthal was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Musical Scoring of an Adaptation and Original Song Score. The film's song score was released on a United Artists LP, which has seen CD releases by Rykodisc (1998) and Varese Sarabande (2005).
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2016 - 12:43 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH was an adaptation of a a 1968 play written by actor Robert Shaw. But Shaw requested that his name be removed from the film adaptation because "he was unhappy with Edward Anhalt's script." The American Film Theatre (AFT), which produced the film, insisted that the changes to the play were minor. AFT had originally offered Shaw the opportunity to adapt his play, but, as Shaw later stated, "I had written the novel, I had written the play, I had had enough." Anhalt explained that he "found it necessary to adjust the thematic emphasis" of the play. Shaw responded, saying, "There are whole new speeches now that run totally counter to what I originally wrote. I would stop it if I could." Shaw's request for his name to be removed from the film's credits was granted. However, in a 2005 interview, Arthur Hiller declared that Robert Shaw asked that his name be put back on the film after he saw the finished movie. However, by that time, all prints had been made, and it was too late to include his name in the credits.
Maximilian Schell stars in the film as "Arthur Goldman," a rich Jewish industrialist, living in luxury in a Manhattan high-rise. The story was inspired by the kidnapping and war-crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann. The 1975 film does not have a musical score.
THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH was to be the opening production of the second season of the American Film Theatre, which planned to release five films in its subscription series. The other titles for the season were to be "In Celebration," "Galileo," "An Enemy of the People," and "Six Characters in Search of a Play." The first two, along with THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH (which ended up being the third release of the season), were produced by the Eli Landau Organization and released by the AFT. "Six Characters in Search of a Play" was produced by Hollywood Television Theatre and broadcast by PBS in 1976. "An Enemy of the People" was not filmed until 1978 and was released in 1981 by Warner Bros. with no association with the AFT, which ceased production at the end of its second season. AFT announced a one year intermission with the release of THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH, which went into regular public distribution and not the usual two-day AFT subscription run. But due to distribution and financial challenges, the AFT series was not reinstated.
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Posted: |
Aug 20, 2016 - 12:49 AM
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By: |
CindyLover
(Member)
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An April 1971 Daily Variety news item reported that Peter Glenville was hired to direct, but by August 1971, Daily Variety repeated rumors that he would be replaced by Arthur Hiller, who indeed replaced Glenville by the time principal photography began in January 1972. Peter O'Toole was not at all happy about the firing of his friend Peter Glenville as director. O'Toole liked Glenville's idea of making the film a non-musical, a change that United Artists was not willing to accept. According to associate producer Saul Chaplin, the "look" of the film had already been largely determined by the previous creative teams hired to make the movie. It has always been unclear who cast the usually non-singing actors (Sophia Loren and Peter O'Toole, whose singing was dubbed),
"I think so Don Cerebro, but why would Sophia Loren do a musical?"
"A worthy conondrum, Sancho Pinky."
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 12:55 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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The 1976 action comedy SILVER STREAK was originally meant to be filmed in the United States; however, the National Rail Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) was fearful of adverse publicity and refused to cooperate. When filming was moved to Canada, Arthur Hiller, a native of British Columbia, hoped to make the film in his home province, but the government of neighboring Alberta offered inducements that British Columbia was unwilling to match. About $300,000 of the film’s budget was allocated for the use of Canadian Pacific Railway trains. The cost of the train wreck scene was estimated to be $500,000. Although Toronto’s Union Station served as the location for the scene, the disaster itself was simulated on a studio lot.
Robert Vaughn received the script in the mail, and loved it. He wanted to play art expert "Roger Devereau," but was dismayed to discover that Patrick McGoohan had already accepted the part. He contacted Arthur Hiller and discovered that the script was sent by mistake. He was invited to watch the production, and became friends with star Gene Wilder.
When the scene where Grover (Richard Pryor) puts the shoe polish on George's face to make him appear to be black was first filmed, the script had a white man walk in and believe that George (Gene Wilder) was black. Richard Pryor was uncomfortable with the scene and felt it would be funnier if a black man walked in and is not fooled at all. Pryor asked Hiller for a re-shoot but Hiller refused, so Pryor walked off the set and refused to return to filming until the scene was changed. Hiller relented, and Pryor's idea was used for the final cut.
Veteran stuntman John Daheim sustained “a severely lacerated skull” during the filming. Following the injury, Hiller, impressed with Daheim’s abilities, ordered the scene rewritten, requiring Daheim to fall forty feet into icy water from the roof of a train car. While a riskier stunt, it provided a bigger payday to Daheim.
Henry Mancini's score for the film was released by Intrada in 2002. That partially mono release was replaced by a full stereo release earlier this year.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 1:15 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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THE IN-LAWS finds dentist "Sheldon Kornpett" (Alan Arkin) in preparation for his daughter's wedding. When he meets "Vince Ricardo" (Peter Falk), the groom's father, who claims to be a government agent, he is dragged into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America. The 1979 comedy was the third film co-produced by Arthur Hiller.
The film began shooting 16 October 1978 in Washington, D.C., and afterward, moved on to New York City, where some filming took place in Herald Square. Hiller stated that the advantage to filming in New York City was the ability to treat the city as another character in the film. For the Herald Square location: “…We did a high shot to tie the character into the crowds from Macy’s. I had the Sanitation Department open a sewer so I could shoot up and get those high buildings towering over the character.” In another instance, Hiller chose a Chock Full o’ Nuts luncheonette for a tense scene in which Arkin and Falk had an argument. According to Hiller, Warner Bros. had suggested that he shoot the scene in Houston, TX, where it would be quieter, but Hiller lobbied for New York City given the comedic possibilities inherent in the densely packed location. Other New York City sites included 74th Street and Amsterdam, O’Keefe Bar at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, and Central Park.
John Morris' score for the film was released by La-La Land in 2014.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 2:07 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In 1982's MAKING LOVE, "Claire Elliott" (Kate Jackson), a married career woman, finds that her husband "Zack" (Michael Ontkean) is having an affair. But not with another woman. Story writer A. Scott Berg first conceived MAKING LOVE as one of three feature film ideas in 1978, after observing multiple married friends struggle to come to terms with their sexuality. In 1979, he took the concept to Barry Sandler, who was initially reluctant to write a script dealing with the subject of homosexuality. Six months later, however, Sandler agreed to join the project, and submitted a 125-page rough draft to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. executives Sherry Lansing and Claire Townsend in the fall of 1980. Following the hiring of producers Daniel Melnick and Allen Adler and director Arthur Hiller, Hiller and director of photography David M. Walsh retreated to Maui, HI, to block the film prior to the start of production in Los Angeles and West Hollywood later that month.
Fifteen actors turned down the role of "Zack Elliot" before Melnick convinced Michael Ontkean to play the part. Prior to production, Sandler took the cast to gay bars to research their roles and scout for background actors. Hiller reportedly disapproved of one of the men chosen to appear onscreen opposite Ontkean, and, hoping to find someone more attractive, hired an out-of-town stranger he encountered on the street. Although the writer expanded the role to include a line of dialogue, the unnamed man did not show up for work the next day, and Hiller was forced to once again recast the role.
Rehearsals began 11 February 1981, with 23 February as the first day of principal photography. The production concluded on 13 May 1981. Interior scenes in "Bart’s" (Harry Hamlin's) apartment were shot on a Fox sound stage. The final cost of the film was estimated at $8 million. Fox spent an additional $5.5 million on print and advertising campaigns in women’s magazines and national homosexual publications. MAKING LOVE is considered the first Hollywood studio movie about homosexuality to be openly and directly marketed to the general public. The film's U.S. gross was about $12 million.
The film's score, by Leonard Rosenman, has not had a release. The film's title song, "Making Love," by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Bruce Roberts, was performed by Roberta Flack and was released on Atlantic Records. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Original Song, losing to "Up Where We Belong" from AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 2:28 AM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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In 1982's AUTHOR! AUTHOR!, a playwright (Al Pacino) faces the stress of his play being produced on Broadway, while dealing with having to raise his son, his stepdaughters, and his stepsons. Reportedly, during production, Arthur Hiller and Pacino did not get along. Pacino once said of this, "...sometimes people who are not really meant to be together get together in this business for a short time. It's very unfortunate for all parties concerned". Despite the film's generally negative reviews, Al Pacino received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor--Comedy or Musical for his performance, losing to Dustin Hoffman for TOOTSIE.
Varese Sarabande released Dave Grusin's score in 2007, along with Johnny Mandel's rejected score.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 4:53 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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ROMANTIC COMEDY was based upon the 1979 stage play by Bernard Slade. The Mirisch Corporation, acquired the film rights to the play even before the play had premiered. Mirisch paid $750,000, plus twelve-and-a-half percent of weekly receipts for every profitable week the play was in performance, $250,000 of the film’s initial net profits, and ten percent of the producer’s gross receipts. Slade’s minimum total potential income from the sale was estimated at $1,987,000, not including an additional ten percent of gross receipts or another five percent of profit participation for Slade's screen adaptation of his play. It was noted that this was one of the most lucrative offers ever made for a play prior to its New York City opening.
Taft Entertainment Company supplied approximately $3.3 million of the film’s $10 million budget, as part of a two-picture deal with MGM/UA, which provided the remaining funds. Under that deal, MGM/UA originally agreed to finance Taft’s next production, CUJO, but following a change in management, the offer was withdrawn. The picture opened nationwide on 7 October 1983 to negative reviews, and had an American gross of about $6 million.
Marvin Hamlisch's score for the film was released by Kritzerland in 2010.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 6:45 PM
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By: |
RoryR
(Member)
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1966's PENELOPE starred Natalie Wood as the title character, an eccentric who disguises herself as a sweet old lady and holds up her husband's bank for $60,000. John Williams scored the comedy. The MGM LP was released on a Chapter III CD in 2000. Film Score Monthly re-released the LP and provided the original score tracks as well, in a 2005 release.
Natalie Wood was paid $750,000 to star in this movie, but during filming in the summer of 1966, she knew it would flop and her self-esteem was at a low point. Unknown to director Hiller or anyone in the crew, she overdosed on sleeping pills in a suicide attempt, but was discovered in time to get her to a hospital and recovered.
Said Hiller later, "There was an insecurity. And you had to be daddy, pat her on the back, sometimes slap her wrist. I was almost like father-and-child with her. It makes sense looking back and looking forward... I had to be daddy."
Source: Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood by Suzanne Finstad.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 7:04 PM
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By: |
filmusicnow
(Member)
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In 1982's AUTHOR! AUTHOR!, a playwright (Al Pacino) faces the stress of his play being produced on Broadway, while dealing with having to raise his son, his stepdaughters, and his stepsons. Reportedly, during production, Arthur Hiller and Pacino did not get along. Pacino once said of this, "...sometimes people who are not really meant to be together get together in this business for a short time. It's very unfortunate for all parties concerned". Despite the film's generally negative reviews, Al Pacino received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor--Comedy or Musical for his performance, losing to Dustin Hoffman for TOOTSIE.
Varese Sarabande released Dave Grusin's score in 2007, along with Johnny Mandel's rejected score.
Strangely, only Mandel is credited on Wikipedia's entry on the film.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 10:01 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Varese Sarabande released Dave Grusin's score in 2007, along with Johnny Mandel's rejected score.
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Strangely, only Mandel is credited on Wikipedia's entry on the film.
The American Film Institute Catalog also credits only Mandel. An explanation is offered by the IMDB. It says that the first video releases of AUTHOR! AUTHOR!, by 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, and Fox Video have the opening credits in white text playing over the NYC skyline, a title credit to both the song "Coming Home To You" and its vocalist and writers (Michael Franks, Alan and Marilyn Bergman), and have David Grusin credited as the film's composer. However, the 2007 Region 1 DVD of the film (and the 2005 Region 2 DVD) has the opening title credits as white titles over a black background, no title credit to either the song "Coming Home To You" or the song's vocalist and writers (Michael Franks, Alan and Marilyn Bergman), and has Johnny Mandel credited as the film's composer. The Mandel credit on the Region 2 DVD has been confirmed by James MacMillan in another thread:
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=108182&forumID=1&archive=0
Apparently, Fox made revisions to the credits very late in the game, both versions survive in the vaults, and both have been used for various video releases. I wonder if both versions played theatrically at different venues around the world?
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 10:30 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Robert Moore (MURDER BY DEATH) was originally attached to direct the Steve Martin comedy THE LONELY GUY. He worked on the project with writer Neil Simon, who is credited with the adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman’s 1978 novel The Lonely Guy’s Book of Life. Simon had previously written the screenplay for THE HEARTBREAK KID (1972), also based on a Friedman story. After being afflicted with shingles, Moore was replaced by director-producer Arthur Hiller. When Simon left to work on other projects, noted television writers Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniels completed THE LONELY GUY screenplay. The project represented their debut feature film script. Nevertheless, THE LONELY GUY became the last of three films that Hiller directed from a Neil Simon script, and the last of four films that Hiller produced.
The film's original release date of 16 December 1983 was postponed to 27 January 1984 because Universal Studios wanted to give the favorable holiday slot to D.C. CAB and capitalize on the popularity of its star Mr. T, demonstrated by the high ratings of his television series, "The A-Team." Steve Martin, on the other hand, had not had a significant hit since his debut film, 1979's THE JERK. The studio also admitted that THE LONELY GUY required further work and was “slow in coming together.” The film grossed about $6 million in the U.S. (D.C. CAB grossed over $13 million.)
MCA Records released a six-track mini-album of the film's music on LP and cassette, with four songs and two tracks (5 minutes) of Jerry Goldsmith's score. No music from the film has been released on CD.
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Posted: |
Aug 21, 2016 - 11:50 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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Thirteen years after SILVER STREAK, Arthur Hiller directed Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor for a second time in 1989's SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL. In this crime comedy, "Dave" (Wilder) is deaf, and "Wally" (Pryor) is blind. They witness a murder, but it was Dave who was looking at her, and Wally who was listening. Gene Wilder had originally turned the script down twice (due to its treatment of the deaf and the blind). He intended to do the same when offered it a third time, but his agent talked him into meeting with Tri-Star studio executives. They asked Wilder to re-write the script for himself and Richard Pryor, which he agreed to do.
Wilder went to the N.Y. League for the Hard of Hearing to study for his role. There he was assigned to speech pathologist Karen Webb, who would ultimately become his fourth wife. To prepare for his role, Pryor went to the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, where he was taught "cane technique" (the correct way a person who is blind uses a white cane) and visited classrooms to observe mannerisms of the blind students.
After attending a screening, upper management from the Braille Institute disavowed any connection to the film, turning down the offer of proceeds from opening night, which instead went to another nonprofit providing services to young blind people. Institute administrators objected to the R-rated film's language. The film grossed $47 million in the U.S.
Stewart Copeland provided the film's unreleased score.
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