Carl Reiner

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner were friends since their Sid Caesar days. Oddly enough, they rarely worked together. Reiner was in the Dick Van Dyke then Steve Martin crowd, while Brooks led the Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman brigade. Brooks never directed Dick Van Dyke or Steve Martin. Reiner, somehow, never directed Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn or Cloris Leachman. Dom DeLuise was their common denominator. They both liked to cast Sid Caesar actors in smaller roles, including Caesar himself.

Carl Reiner was married to Estelle Reiner for 65 years. Mel Brooks was married to Anne Bancroft for 40 years. After their wives died in 2008 and 2005, they were thick as thieves, reportedly seeing each other every day. Now I'm worried about Mel Brooks. He is 94 years old, lost his wife 15 years ago and just lost his best friend. Carl Reiner once said the world would be too bleak without Mel Brooks. He will never have to face that world, but the rest of us will, entirely too soon.


Your Show of Shows
Written by Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Carl Reiner, Selma Diamond, Joseph Stein, Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, Michael Stewart, Tony Webster
Starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Howard Morris, Carl Reiner, Bill Hayes, Judy Johnson, Ed Herlihy

Caesar's Hour
Written by Mel Tolkin, Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Neil Simon, Selma Diamond, Joseph Stein, Carl Reiner, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, Gary Belkin, Michael Stewart
Starring Sid Caesar, Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Milt Kamen, Ellen Parker, Sandra Deel

Sid Caesar Invites You
Written by Danny Simon, Neil Simon, Mel Brooks, Mel Tolkin, Larry Gelbart, Michael Stewart
Directed by Frank Bunetta
Starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Milt Kamen

The Sid Caesar Show
Written by Woody Allen, Larry Gelbart
Starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Art Carney, Jeanne Bal

The Dick Van Dyke Show
Created by Carl Reiner
Written by Carl Reiner, Sam Denoff, Bill Persky, Jerry Belson, Garry Marshall
Directed by Carl Reiner, George Tyne, Jay Sandrich, Jerry Paris
Starring Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews, Richard Deacon, Jerry Paris, Carl Reiner

Happy Anniversary
Directed by David Miller
Starring David Niven, Mitzi Gaynor, Carl Reiner, Monique Van Vooren, Elizabeth Wilson, Patty Duke

The Gazebo
Directed by George Marshall
Written by George Wells
Starring Glenn Ford, Debbie Reynolds, Carl Reiner, Mabel Albertson, Bert Freed, Martin Landau, ZaSu Pitts

Gidget Goes Hawaiian
Directed by Paul Wendkos
Written by Ruth Brooks Flippen
Starring Deborah Walley, James Darren, Michael Callan, Carl Reiner, Jeff Donnell, Peggy Cass, Eddie Foy Jr

The Thrill of It All
Directed by Norman Jewison
Written by Carl Reiner & Larry Gelbart
Starring Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis, Edward Andrews, ZaSu Pitts, Alice Pearce, Kym Karath, Carl Reiner

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Directed & produced by Stanley Kramer
Written by William Rose & Tania Rose
Starring Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, Dorothy Provine, Eddie Anderson, Jim Backus, Joe E Brown, Chick Chandler, Barrie Chase, Andy Devine, Selma Diamond, Jimmy Durante, Peter Falk, Norman Fell, Paul Ford, Stan Freberg, Leo Gorcey, Sterling Holloway, Edward Everett Horton, Marvin Kaplan, Buster Keaton, Don Knotts, Charles Lane, ZaSu Pitts, Carl Reiner, Arnold Stang, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Joe DeRita, Jesse White, Jack Benny, John Clarke, Minta Durfee, Tom Kennedy, Bobo Lewis, Jerry Lewis, Barbara Pepper, Ben Blue, Doodles Weaver, Lennie Weinrib

The Art of Love
Directed by Norman Jewison
Written by Richard Alan Simmons & Carl Reiner
Starring James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Elke Sommer, Angie Dickinson, Ethel Merman, Carl Reiner, Miiko Taka

Enter Laughing
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written & produced by Carl Reiner & Joseph Stein
Based on the novel by Carl Reiner
Music by Quincy Jones
Starring Jose Ferrer, Shelley Winters, Elaine May, Jack Gilford, Janet Margolin, Don Rickles, Michael J Pollard, Rob Reiner, Milton Frome, Reni Santoni

Alice of Wonderland in Paris
Directed by Gene Deitch
Starring Norma MacMillan, Howard Morris, Carl Reiner, Allen Swift

Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title
Directed by Harmon Jones
Written by Morey Amsterdam & George Schenck
Produced by Morey Amsterdam
Starring Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Joey Adams, Henry Corden, January Jones, Moe Howard, Carl Reiner

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming
Directed & produced by Norman Jewison
Written by William Rose
Edited by Hal Ashby
Music by Johnny Mandel
Starring Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith, Jonathan Winters, Paul Ford, Theodore Bikel, Don Keefer, Richard Schaal, Ben Blue, Michael J Pollard

A Guide for the Married Man
Directed by Gene Kelly
Written by Frank Tarloff
Edited by Dorothy Spencer
Music by John Williams
Starring Walter Matthau, Inger Stevens, Sue Ane Langdon, Robert Morse, Jackie Joseph, Majel Barrett, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Polly Bergen, Joey Bishop, Ben Blue, Sid Caesar, Art Carney, Wally Cox, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Jeffrey Hunter, Marty Ingels, Sam Jaffe, Jayne Mansfield, Louis Nye, Carl Reiner, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas

The Comic
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written & produced by Carl Reiner & Aaron Ruben
Edited by Adrienne Fazan
Starring Dick Van Dyke, Michele Lee, Mickey Rooney, Cornel Wilde, Carl Reiner, Pert Kelton, Steve Allen, Gavin MacLeod, Fritz Feld, Isabel Sanford

Generation
Directed by George Schaefer
Music by Dave Grusin
Starring David Janssen, Kim Darby, Carl Reiner, James Coco, Sam Waterston

Where's Poppa?
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Robert Klane
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring George Segal, Ruth Gordon, Ron Leibman, Trish Van Devere, Rae Allen, Vincent Gardenia, Barnard Hughes, Garrett Morris, Rob Reiner, Paul Sorvino

The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Created by Carl Reiner
Written by Carl Reiner, Bernie Orenstein, Saul Turteltaub, Elias Davis, David Pollock
Directed by Carl Reiner, George Tyne, Jay Sandrich, Jerry Paris
Starring Dick Van Dyke, Hope Lange, Marty Brill, Fannie Flagg, Nancy Dussault, Dick Van Patten

Lotsa Luck
Created & written by Carl Reiner, Bill Persky, Sam Denoff
Directed by Alan Rafkin, Bill Persky
Starring Dom DeLuise, Kathleen Freeman, Wynn Irwin, Beverly Sander, Jack Knight

Free to Be... You and Me
Written by Marlo Thomas, Norman Steinberg, Alan Uger, Carl Reiner, Shel Silverstein
Produced by Marlo Thomas, Carole Hart
Starring Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda, Harry Belafonte, Tommy Smothers, Cicely Tyson, Rosey Grier, Kris Kristofferson, Mel Brooks, Carol Channing, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Stuart Pankin

Oh, God
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Larry Gelbart
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring George Burns, John Denver, Teri Garr, Donald Pleasence, Ralph Bellamy, William Daniels, Barnard Hughes, Paul Sorvino, Dinah Shore, Carl Reiner, David Ogden Stiers, Moosie Drier, Jerry Dunphy, Murphy Dunne

The One and Only
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Steve Gordon
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Henry Winkler, Kim Darby, Gene Saks, William Daniels, Polly Holliday, Hervé Villechaize, Ed Begley Jr

The End
Directed by Burt Reynolds
Written by Jerry Belson
Music by Paul Williams
Starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Sally Field, Strother Martin, David Steinberg, Joanne Woodward, Norman Fell, Myrna Loy, Kristy McNichol, Carl Reiner, James Best

The Jerk
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb
Starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, M Emmet Walsh, Jackie Mason, Dick O'Neill, Mabel King, Bill Macy, Catlin Adams, Maurice Evans, Carl Gottlieb, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner

History of the World, Part I
Directed, written & produced by Mel Brooks
Music by John Morris
Starring Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Mary-Margaret Humes, Orson Welles, Bea Arthur, Ron Carey, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Spike Milligan, Carl Reiner, John Hurt, Charlie Callas, Paul Mazursky, Henny Youngman, Barry Levinson

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Steve Martin, Carl Reiner and George Gipe
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, George Gaynes, Carl Reiner, Francis X McCarthy, Reni Santoni, Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Ray Milland, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Veronica Lake, Bette Davis, Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Fred MacMurray, James Cagney, Joan Crawford, Charles Laughton, Vincent Price

The Man with Two Brains
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Steve Martin, Carl Reiner and George Gipe
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner, Paul Benedict, James Cromwell, Francis X McCarthy, Estelle Reiner, Merv Griffin

All of Me
Directed by Carl Reiner
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Victoria Tennant, Madolyn Smith, Richard Libertini, Jason Bernard, Selma Diamond, Peggy Feury

Summer Rental
Directed by Carl Reiner
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring John Candy, Karen Austin, Kerri Green, Joey Lawrence, Rip Torn, Richard Crenna, John Larroquette, Richard Herd, Francis X McCarthy, Reni Santoni

Summer School
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Jeff Franklin
Edited by Bud Molin
Music by Danny Elfman
Starring Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Shawnee Smith, Carl Reiner, Francis X McCarthy

Bert Rigby, You're a Fool
Directed & written by Carl Reiner
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Robert Lindsay, Robbie Coltrane, Cathryn Bradshaw, Anne Bancroft, Corbin Bernsen, Bruno Kirby

Sibling Rivalry
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Martha Goldhirsh
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Kirstie Alley, Jami Gertz, Bill Pullman, Ed O'Neill, Carrie Fisher, Scott Bakula, Frances Sternhagen, John Randolph, Sam Elliott

The Spirit of '76
Directed by Lucas Reiner
Written by Lucas Reiner & Roman Coppola
Produced by Roman Coppola
Starring Mark Mothersbaugh, Carl Reiner, David Cassidy, Olivia d'Abo, Leif Garrett, Moon Unit Zappa, Tommy Chong, Julie Brown, Rob Reiner, Barbara Bain, Don Novello, Lucas Reiner, Sofia Coppola

Fatal Instinct
Directed by Carl Reiner
Edited by Bud Molin
Starring Armand Assante, Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Nelligan, Sean Young, Christopher McDonald, James Remar, John Witherspoon, Eartha Kitt, Tony Randall, Bill Cobbs, Carl Reiner

That Old Feeling
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Leslie Dixon
Starring Bette Midler, Dennis Farina, Paula Marshall, Gail O'Grady

Slums of Beverly Hills
Directed & written by Tamara Jenkins
Starring Alan Arkin, Natasha Lyonne, Kevin Corrigan, Jessica Walter, Rita Moreno, David Krumholtz, Carl Reiner, Marisa Tomei

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Directed by Des McAnuff
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Produced by Robert De Niro & Jane Rosenthal
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Starring June Foray, Keith Scott, Piper Perabo, Jason Alexander, Rene Russo, Robert De Niro, Randy Quaid, Paget Brewster, Janeane Garofalo, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters, John Goodman, Kenan Thompson, James Rebhorn, David Alan Grier, Don Novello, Drena De Niro, Max Grodénchik, Taraji P Henson, Norman Lloyd, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal

Ocean's Eleven
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Ted Griffin
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia, Angie Dickinson, Henry Silva

Ocean's Twelve
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by George Nolfi
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vincent Cassel, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia, Albert Finney, Cherry Jones, Eddie Izzard, Robbie Coltrane

Ocean's Thirteen
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, Eddie Izzard, Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, Vincent Cassel, David Paymer

Dumbbells
Directed by Christopher Livingston
Written & produced by Brian Drolet & Hoyt Richards
Starring Brian Drolet, Hoyt Richards, Jaleel White, Mircea Monroe, Carl Reiner, Nancy Olson, Tom Arnold

Duck Duck Goose
Directed by Chris Jenkins
Starring Jim Gaffigan, Zendaya, Natasha Leggero, Stephen Fry, Craig Ferguson, Carl Reiner, Jennifer Grey, Diedrich Bader

Toy Story 4
Directed by Josh Cooley
Music by Randy Newman
Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Timothy Dalton, Laurie Metcalf, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Carl Reiner, Patricia Arquette, Bill Hader, Melissa Villaseñor

Max von Sydow

Bara en mor
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ragnar Falck, Max von Sydow

Fröken Julie
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Anita Björk, Ulf Palme, Märta Dorff, Max von Sydow

Det sjunde inseglet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson

Smultronstället
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow

Nära livet
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow

Ansiktet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Pettersson

Rabies
directed by Ingmar Bergman
wriiten by Olle Hedberg
starring Bibi Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow

Jungfrukällan
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson

Såsom i en spegel
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Lars Passgård

Nils Holgerssons underbara resa
directed by Kenne Fant
starring Sven Lundberg, Max von Sydow, Annika Tretow

Älskarinnan
directed & written by Vilgot Sjöman
starring Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Valberg, Max von Sydow

Nattvardsgästerna
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow

Nordisk kvadrille
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Allan Edwall, Karl Erik Flens

The Greatest Story Ever Told
directed & written by George Stevens
starring Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Claude Rains, José Ferrer, Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Roddy McDowall

The Reward
directed & written by Serge Bourguignon
starring Max von Sydow, Efrem Zimbalist, Yvette Mimieux, Henry Silva

Hawaii
directed by George Roy Hill
written by Dalton Trumbo
starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Carroll O'Connor, Bette Midler

The Quiller Memorandum
directed by Michael Anderson
written by Harold Pinter
starring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger

Här har du ditt liv
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand

Vargtimmen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Naima Wifstrand, Ingrid Thulin

Skammen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Birgitta Valberg

Made in Sweden
directed & written by Johan Bergenstråhle
starring Lena Granhagen, Per Myrberg, Max von Sydow

En passion
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson, Ingmar Bergman

The Kremlin Letter
directed & written by John Huston
starring Patrick O'Neal, Richard Boone, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, George Sanders, Micheál MacLíammóir, Orson Welles

Papegojan
directed by László Benedek
starring Max Von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Liv Ullmann

Utvandrarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall

Beröringen
directed, written & produced by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Elliott Gould, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow, Sheila Reid

Äppelkriget
directed & written by Tage Danielsson
starring Per Grundén, Gösta Ekman, Yvonne Lombard, Birgitta Andersson, Max von Sydow

Embassy
directed by Gordon Hessler
produced by Mel Ferrer
starring Richard Roundtree, Chuck Connors, Marie-José Nat, Ray Milland, Broderick Crawford, Max von Sydow

Nybyggarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall

The Exorcist
directed by William Friedkin
written by William Peter Blatty
starring Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Mercedes McCambridge

Steppenwolf
directed & written by Fred Haines
starring Max von Sydow, Dominique Sanda, Pierre Clementi

Ägget är löst
directed & written by Hans Alfredson
starring Gösta Ekman, Max von Sydow, Birgitta Andersson

Three Days of the Condor
directed by Sydney Pollack
starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow, John Houseman

The Ultimate Warrior
directed & written by Robert Clouse
starring Yul Brynner, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles

Cuore di cane
directed & written by Alberto Lattuada
starring Max von Sydow, Eleonora Giorgi, Mario Adorf, Ilona Staller

Cadaveri eccellenti
directed by Francesco Rosi
starring Lino Ventura, Tino Carraro, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow

Foxtrot
directed & written by Arturo Ripstein
starring Peter O'Toole, Charlotte Rampling, Max von Sydow

Il deserto dei Tartari
directed by Valerio Zurlini
starring Jacques Perrin, Vittorio Gassman, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow

Voyage of the Damned
directed by Stuart Rosenberg
starring Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, Malcolm McDowell, Orson Welles, James Mason, Lee Grant, Katharine Ross, Ben Gazzara, Denholm Elliott, José Ferrer, Julie Harris, Fernando Rey, Victor Spinetti, Sam Wanamaker, Jonathan Pryce

Exorcist II: The Heretic
directed & produced by John Boorman
starring Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Paul Henreid, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty, Dana Plato

March or Die
directed by Dick Richards
starring Gene Hackman, Catherine Deneuve, Max von Sydow, Ian Holm

Gran Bollito
directed by Mauro Bolognini
starring Shelley Winters, Mario Scaccia, Max von Sydow

Brass Target
directed by John Hough
starring Sophia Loren, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Patrick McGoohan, Bruce Davison, Edward Herrmann, Max von Sydow

Hurricane
directed by Jan Troell
written by Lorenzo Semple
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Jason Robards, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Timothy Bottoms, James Keach

Death Watch
directed, written & produced by Bertrand Tavernier
starring Romy Schneider, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton, Max von Sydow

Flash Gordon
directed by Mike Hodges
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Kenny Baker

Escape to Victory
directed by John Huston
starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Tim Pigott-Smith, Pelé

Conan the Barbarian
directed by John Milius
written by John Milius & Oliver Stone
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Mako Iwamatsu

Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Göran Stangertz, Sverre Anker Ousdal

Hit Man
directed by José Antonio de la Loma
starring Jorge Rivero, Maud Adams, Max von Sydow, George Peppard, Chuck Connors

Strange Brew
directed & written by Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas
starring Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Max von Sydow, Paul Dooley, Mel Blanc

Never Say Never Again
directed by Irvin Kershner
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Rowan Atkinson, Max von Sydow, Edward Fox

Dreamscape
directed by Joseph Ruben
starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Kate Capshaw, George Wendt, Eddie Albert

Dune
directed & written by David Lynch
starring Francesca Annis, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Siân Phillips, Paul Smith, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Alicia Witt, Sean Young

Code Name: Emerald
directed by Jonathan Sanger
written by Ronald Bass
starring Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Cyrielle Clair, Eric Stoltz, Patrick Stewart

Il pentito
directed by Pasquale Squitieri
starring Tony Musante, Franco Nero, Max von Sydow, Erik Estrada, Rita Rusic

Hannah and Her Sisters
directed & written by Woody Allen
cinematography by Carlo Di Palma
starring Woody Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Barbara Hershey, Lloyd Nolan, Daniel Stern, Max Von Sydow, Dianne Wiest, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Joanna Gleason, Sam Waterston, Tony Roberts

The Second Victory
directed & produced by Gerald Thomas
starring Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem, Max von Sydow

Gauguin, le loup dans le soleil
directed by Henning Carlsen
starring Donald Sutherland, Max von Sydow

Duet for One
directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
starring Julie Andrews, Alan Bates, Max von Sydow, Rupert Everett, Liam Neeson

Pelle Erövraren
directed by Bille August
starring Max von Sydow, Pelle Hvenegaard, Astrid Villaume

Ved vejen
directed by Max von Sydow
written by Klaus Rifbjerg
starring Tammi Øst, Ole Ernst, Kurt Ravn, Erik Paaske

Ghostbusters II
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Max von Sydow

Mio caro dottor Gräsler
directed by Roberto Faenza
starring Keith Carradine, Miranda Richardson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Max von Sydow

Una vita scellerata
directed by Giacomo Battiato
written by Vittorio Bonicelli
starring Wadeck Stanczak, Max von Sydow, Pamela Villoresi, Ben Kingsley, Sophie Ward

Father
directed by John Power
starring Max von Sydow, Julia Blake, Carol Drinkwater

Awakenings
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Steven Zaillian
starring Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, John Heard, Max von Sydow, Anne Meara

A Kiss Before Dying
directed & written by James Dearden
starring Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Diane Ladd

Europa
directed & written by Lars von Trier
starring Max von Sydow, Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Udo Kier, Lars von Trier

Until the End of the World
directed, written & produced by Wim Wenders
starring Solveig Dommartin, Eddy Mitchell, William Hurt, Sam Neill, Max von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau

Oxen
directed, written & cinematography by Sven Nykvist
produced by Jean Doumanian
starring Stellan Skarsgård, Ewa Fröling, Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann

Den goda viljan
directed by Bille August
written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Mona Malm, Lena Endre

Morfars resa
directed by Staffan Lamm
written by Staffan Lamm & Lars Forssell
starring Max von Sydow, Mai Zetterling, Marika Lagercrantz

Needful Things
directed by Fraser C Heston
starring Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, JT Walsh, Valri Bromfield

Judge Dredd
directed by Danny Cannon
starring Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Diane Lane, Jürgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow, Joan Chen, James Earl Jones, Adrienne Barbeau

Hamsun
directed, written & cinematography by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Anette Hoff

Jerusalem
directed & written by Bille August
starring Ulf Friberg, Maria Bonnevie, Pernilla August, Lena Endre, Mona Malm, Max von Sydow, Olympia Dukakis

Enskilda samtal
directed by Liv Ullmann
written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Samuel Fröler, Anita Björk

What Dreams May Come
directed by Vincent Ward
written by Ronald Bass
starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, Cuba Gooding Jr, Max von Sydow, Rosalind Chao, Werner Herzog

Snow Falling on Cedars
directed by Scott Hicks
written by Ronald Bass & Scott Hicks
starring Ethan Hawke, James Cromwell, Richard Jenkins, James Rebhorn, Sam Shepard, Max von Sydow

Non ho sonno
directed by Dario Argento
written by Dario Argento & Franco Ferrini
starring Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli

Druids
directed, written & produced by Jacques Dorfmann
starring Christopher Lambert, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Inés Sastre

Intacto
directed & written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Max von Sydow

Minority Report
directed by Steven Spielberg
starring Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Neal McDonough, Jessica Capshaw, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Jessica Harper, Tim Blake Nelson

Heidi
directed by Paul Marcus
starring Emma Bolger, Max Von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin, Diana Rigg

L'inchiesta
directed by Giulio Base
starring Daniele Liotti, Dolph Lundgren, Mónica Cruz, Ornella Muti, F Murray Abraham, Max von Sydow

Rush Hour 3
directed by Brett Ratner
starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Zhang Jingchu, Tzi Ma, Roman Polanski, Philip Baker Hall, Dana Ivey

Emotional Arithmetic
directed by Paolo Barzman
starring Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Gabriel Byrne, Max von Sydow

Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
directed by Julian Schnabel
starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Consigny, Max von Sydow

Solomon Kane
directed & written by Michael J Bassett
starring James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite, Alice Krige

Shutter Island
directed by Martin Scorsese
written by Laeta Kalogridis
starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, John Carroll Lynch, Robin Bartlett

Robin Hood
directed by Ridley Scott
written by Brian Helgeland
starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Max von Sydow, Léa Seydoux

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
directed by Stephen Daldry
written by Eric Roth
starring Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright

Branded
directed, written & produced by Jamie Bradshaw & Aleksandr Dulerayn
starring Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Max von Sydow, Jeffrey Tambor

Dragons 3D
directed & written by Marc Fafard
starring Max von Sydow, Laurence Leboeuf, Serge Houde

The Letters
directed & written by William Riead
starring Juliet Stevenson, Rutger Hauer, Max von Sydow

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
directed by JJ Abrams
written by Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, Michael Arndt
starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow

Les Premiers, les Derniers
directed & written by Bouli Lanners
starring Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clément, Max von Sydow

Kursk
directed by Thomas Vinterberg
starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth, Max von Sydow

Don't Skimp On the Paté

I first became aware of Monty Python through Terry Gilliam. Since I knew his work, I always wondered why he did not direct The Meaning Of Life or Life Of Brian. As a director, Terry Gilliam's CV is far more impressive than Terry Jones'. I suppose, in some small way, I resented Terry Jones for taking what I thought should have been Terry Gilliam's job. Then I watched Monty Python's Flying Circus. Terry Jones' importance on that show cannot be exaggerated. Without John Cleese in the last season, the show suffered. Without Terry Jones, there could have been no show.

Dementia is always a horrible way to die, and particularly sad in Terry Jones' case. His comedy came from intellect, not from toilet jokes and excessive profanity. Outside of film and TV, Jones was known for a wide range of intellectual pursuits. For someone like him to lose the ability to process language is tragic.

As a writer, Terry Jones is mostly known for Monty Python, but he wrote more than a few books.


Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls, written with Michael Palin (1974)
Chaucer's Knight: The Portrait of a Medieval Mercenary (1980)
Fairy Tales (1981)
The Saga of Erik the Viking (1983)
Nicobobinus (1985)
Goblins of the Labyrinth (1986)
The Curse of the Vampire's Socks and Other Doggerel (1988)
Fantastic Stories (1992)
The Beast with a Thousand Teeth (1993)
A Fish of the World (1993)
The Sea Tiger (1994)
The Fly-by-Night (1994)
Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book (1994)
Crusades, written with Alan Ereira (1994)
Strange Stains and Mysterious Smells: Quentin Cottington's Journal of Faery Research (1996)
The Knight and the Squire (1997)
Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic: A Novel (1997)
Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Journal (1998)
The Lady and the Squire (2000)
Bedtime Stories, written with Nanette Newman (2002)
Lady Cottington's Fairy Album (2002)
Who Murdered Chaucer?: A Medieval Mystery, Terry Jones et al (2003)
Medieval Lives, written with Alan Ereira (2004)
War on the War on Terror (2005)
Barbarians, written with Alan Ereira (2006)
Animal Tales (2011)
Evil Machines (2011)
Trouble On The Heath (2011)
The Tyrant and the Squire (2018)


The Frost Report
created by David Frost
written by Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, Marty Feldman, Barry Cryer, Bill Oddie, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and others
starring David Frost, Ronnie Corbett, Ronnie Barker, John Cleese, Sheila Steafel

Twice a Fortnight
created by Tony Palmer
written by and starring Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Michael Palin, Terry Jones

Do Not Adjust Your Set
written by Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Denise Coffey, David Jason, Terry Gilliam
starring Denise Coffey, Eric Idle, David Jason, Michael Palin, Terry Jones

Broaden Your Mind
created by Graeme Garden & Tim Brooke-Taylor
written by Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, Marty Feldman, Barry Cryer, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jo Kendall, Bill Oddie

The Complete and Utter History of Britain
created & written by Michael Palin & Terry Jones
starring Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Diana Quick, Colin Gordon

Marty
written by Marty Feldman, Barry Took, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, John Junkin
starring Marty Feldman, Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Junkin

Monty Python's Flying Circus
conceived, written & performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam

And Now for Something Completely Different
directed by Ian MacNaughton
written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth

The Two Ronnies
created by Bill Cotton
written by Ronnie Barker, Spike Mullins, Barry Cryer, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese
starring Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
directed by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth, Neil Innes

Ripping Yarns
created & written by Michael Palin & Terry Jones
starring Michael Palin, Charles McKeown

Jabberwocky
directed by Terry Gilliam
written by Terry Gilliam & Charles Alverson
starring Michael Palin, Harry Corbett, John Le Mesurier, Annette Badland, Neil Innes, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam

Life of Brian
directed by Terry Jones
written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Sue Jones-Davies, Carol Cleveland, Spike Milligan, George Harrison

The Meaning of Life
directed by Terry Jones
written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland, Simon Jones

The Crimson Permanent Assurance
directed & written by Terry Gilliam
starring Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Matt Frewer, Myrtle Devenish

Personal Services
directed by Terry Jones
written by David Leland
starring Julie Walters, Shirley Stelfox, Alec McCowen

Erik the Viking
directed & written by Terry Jones
music by Neil Innes
starring Tim Robbins, Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt, Terry Jones, Imogen Stubbs, John Cleese, Charles McKeown, Samantha Bond, Jim Broadbent, Neil Innes

LA Story
directed by Mick Jackson
written by Steve Martin
starring Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Richard Grant, Marilu Henner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Pollak, Patrick Stewart, Rick Moranis, Terry Jones

Crusades
directed by Alan Ereira
written by Terry Jones & Alan Ereira
starring Terry Jones

Blazing Dragons
created by Terry Jones & Gavin Scott
written by Terry Jones, Gavin Scott, Erika Strobel
starring Aron Tager, Stephanie Morgenstern, Richard Waugh, Suzanne Coy

The Wind in the Willows
directed & written by Terry Jones
starring Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Nicol Williamson, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, John Cleese

Ancient Inventions
directed by Daniel Percival & Phil Grabsky
written by Daniel Percival & Terry Jones
starring Terry Jones

Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar
directed by Claude Zidi
starring Christian Clavier, Gérard Depardieu, Olaf Wijnants, Terry Jones

The Creator
directed by Albert Dupontel
written by Albert Dupontel & Gilles Laurent
starring Albert Dupontel, Claude Perron, Terry Jones

Help! I'm a Fish
directed by Stefan Fjeldmark & Michael Hegner
starring Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Terry Jones

The Surprising History of Egypt
directed & produced by Phil Grabsky
written by Terry Jones, Phil Grabsky, Alan Ereira
starring Terry Jones

The Surprising History of Rome
directed & produced by Phil Grabsky
written by Terry Jones & Phil Grabsky
starring Terry Jones

The Surprising History of Sex and Love
directed by Phil Grabsky & Alan Ereira
written by Terry Jones, Phil Grabsky, Alan Ereira
starring Terry Jones

Dinotopia
directed by Marco Brambilla
starring David Thewlis, Alice Krige, Terry Jones, Geraldine Chaplin

Medieval Lives
directed by Nigel Miller & Lucy Cooke
written by Terry Jones
starring Terry Jones

The Story of 1
directed by Nick Murphy
starring Terry Jones

Barbarians
directed by Rob Coldstream
written by Terry Jones & Alan Ereira
starring Terry Jones, Monika Miles

Locked Out
directed by Albert Dupontel
written by Albert Dupontel & Guillaume Laurant
starring Albert Dupontel, Claude Perron, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Anna and the Moods
directed by Gunnar Karlsson
written by Sjón
starring Terry Jones, Björk, Sjón

Great Map Mystery
directed, written & produced by Alan Ereira
starring Terry Jones

King Guillaume
directed by Pierre-François Martin-Laval
written by Pierre-François Martin-Laval & Jean-Paul Bathany
starring Florence Foresti, Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Terry Jones

The Legend of Dick and Dom
directed by Dez McCarthy & Julian Kemp
written by Tony Cooke, Carl Carter, Julian Kemp
starring Terry Jones, Richard McCourt, Dominic Wood, Steve Furst, Chloe Bale

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman
directed by Bill Jones, Ben Timlett, Jeff Simpson
written by David Sherlock
starring Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Carol Cleveland, Stephen Fry

Boom Bust Boom
directed by Terry Jones, Bill Jones, Ben Timlett
written by Terry Jones & Theo Kocken
starring Terry Jones

Absolutely Anything
directed by Terry Jones
written by Terry Jones & Gavin Scott
starring Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale, Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Robin Williams

Buck Henry

I never knew anything about Buck Henry as a TV actor until I was older and started watching the original Saturday Night Live. He was always a movie writer & actor to me. I saw his work in Town & Country, Breakfast of Champions and To Die For long before I knew he created Get Smart with Mel Brooks. I still have not seen most of the TV acting he did in the last 40 years.

To me, Buck Henry is an army officer in Catch-22, an angel in Heaven Can Wait, Albert Brooks' lawyer in Defending Your Life, Fred Ward's fishing buddy in Short Cuts and pitching The Graduate Part II in The Player.


The Garry Moore Show
created by Garry Moore
written by Vin Bogert, Coleman Jacoby, Arnie Rosen, Carroll Moore, Buck Henry, Neil Simon, Woody Allen
starring Garry Moore, Durward Kirby, Carol Burnett, Alan King, Allen Funt, Dorothy Loudon, Nancy Walker, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gormé, Mel Tormé, Gwen Verdon, Steve Rossi, Marty Allen, Diahann Carroll, George Gobel, Ed Wynn, Jonathan Winters, Julie Andrews, Jackie Mason, Jane Powell, Morey Amsterdam, Chita Rivera, Johnny Carson, Dick Van Dyke, Dick Smothers, Tommy Smothers, Don Knotts, Peter Lawford, John Byner, Bob Newhart, Andy Griffith, Buddy Hackett, Red Skelton

The Troublemaker
directed by Theodore Flicker
written by Buck Henry & Theodore Flicker
starring Tom Aldredge, Joan Darling, James Frawley, Theodore Flicker, Buck Henry

That Was the Week That Was
starring David Frost, Henry Morgan, Buck Henry, Alan Alda

Get Smart
Created by Mel Brooks & Buck Henry
Written by Arne Sultan, Chris Hayward, Leonard Stern
Directed by Gary Nelson, Bruce Bilson, Don Adams
Starring Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, Bernie Kopell

Captain Nice
created by Buck Henry
starring William Daniels, Ann Prentiss, Alice Ghostley

The Graduate
directed by Mike Nichols
written by Buck Henry & Calder Willingham
starring Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross, William Daniels, Buck Henry, Norman Fell, Alice Ghostley

The Secret War of Harry Frigg
directed by Jack Smight
starring Paul Newman, Sylva Koscina, Tom Bosley, James Gregory, Norman Fell, Buck Henry

Candy
directed by Christian Marquand
written by Buck Henry
starring Ewa Aulin, Charles Aznavour, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn, John Huston, Walter Matthau, Ringo Starr, John Astin, Elsa Martinelli, Anita Pallenberg, Buck Henry

Catch-22
directed by Mike Nichols
written by Buck Henry & Orson Welles
starring Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Norman Fell, Art Garfunkel, Charles Grodin, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Paula Prentiss, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Austin Pendleton, Orson Welles

The Owl and the Pussycat
directed by Herbert Ross
written by Buck Henry
starring Barbra Streisand, George Segal, Robert Klein

Taking Off
directed & written by Milos Forman
starring Lynn Carlin, Buck Henry, Georgia Engel, Audra Lindley, Vincent Schiavelli

Is There Sex After Death?
directed & produced by Alan Abel & Jeanne Abel
written by Alan Abel, Jeanne Abel, Buck Henry
starring Alan Abel, Buck Henry, Robert Downey Sr

What's Up, Doc?
directed & produced by Peter Bogdanovich
written by Peter Bogdanovich, Buck Henry, David Newman, Robert Benton
starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Michael Murphy, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, Austin Pendleton

The Day of the Dolphin
directed by Mike Nichols
written by Buck Henry
starring George C Scott, Trish Van Devere, Paul Sorvino, Fritz Weaver, Edward Herrmann

The Man Who Fell to Earth
directed by Nicolas Roeg
starring David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Buck Henry

The Absent-Minded Waiter
directed by Carl Gottlieb
written by Steve Martin
starring Steve Martin, Teri Garr, Buck Henry

Heaven Can Wait
directed by Warren Beatty & Buck Henry
written by Elaine May & Warren Beatty
produced by Warren Beatty
starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason, Jack Warden, Charles Grodin, Dyan Cannon, Buck Henry

Old Boyfriends
directed by Joan Tewkesbury
written by Paul Schrader & Leonard Schrader
starring Talia Shire, Richard Jordan, Keith Carradine, John Belushi, John Houseman, Buck Henry, PJ Soles

Gloria
directed & written by John Cassavetes
starring Gena Rowlands, Julie Carmen, Buck Henry, Tom Noonan

First Family
directed & written by Buck Henry
starring Bob Newhart, Madeline Kahn, Gilda Radner, Richard Benjamin, Harvey Korman, Fred Willard, Rip Torn, Austin Pendleton, John Hancock

Strong Medicine
directed & written by Richard Foreman
starring Kate Manheim, Raul Julia , Carol Kane, Buck Henry

Eating Raoul
directed & written by Paul Bartel
starring Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran, Ed Begley Jr, Buck Henry, Edie McClurg

Protocol
directed by Herbert Ross
written by Buck Henry
starring Goldie Hawn, Chris Sarandon, Andre Gregory, Gail Strickland, Ed Begley Jr, Kenneth Mars

The New Show
created by Lorne Michaels
starring Buck Henry, Valri Bromfield, Dave Thomas

Aria, “Rigoletto” directed by Julien Temple
starring Buck Henry, Beverly D'Angelo, Anita Morris

Rude Awakening
directed by David Greenwalt & Aaron Russo
written by Neil Levy & Richard LaGravenese
starring Cheech Marin, Eric Roberts, Julie Hagerty, Robert Carradine, Cindy Williams, Tom Sizemore, Andrea Martin, Rae Dawn Chong, Louise Lasser, Buck Henry

Tune In Tomorrow
directed by Jon Amiel
starring Barbara Hershey, Keanu Reeves, Peter Falk, Patricia Clarkson, Henry Gibson, Peter Gallagher, Dan Hedaya, Buck Henry, Elizabeth McGovern

Defending Your Life
directed & written by Albert Brooks
starring Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant, Buck Henry, Shirley MacLaine

The Linguini Incident
directed by Richard Shepard
written by Tamar Brott & Richard Shepard
starring David Bowie, Rosanna Arquette, Marlee Matlin, Eszter Balint, Buck Henry, Andre Gregory

Shakespeare's Plan 12 from Outer Space
directed written & produced by Charles Stewart
starring Frank Doubleday, Buck Henry, Kay Lenz

Keep the Change
directed by Andy Tennant
starring William Petersen, Rachel Ticotin, Lolita Davidovich, Buck Henry, Lois Smith, Jack Palance

Mastergate
directed by Michael Engler
written by Larry Gelbart
starring Marcia Strassman, Richard Kiley, David Ogden Stiers, Jerry Orbach, Robert Guillaume, Ed Begley Jr, Bruno Kirby, Ken Howard, James Coburn, Dennis Weaver, Burgess Meredith, Buck Henry

The Player
directed by Robert Altman
written by Michael Tolkin
starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Stockwell, Sydney Pollack, Lyle Lovett, Dina Merrill, Gina Gershon, Buck Henry

The Lounge People
directed & written by Bradd Saunders
starring Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Buck Henry, Amanda Plummer, BD Wong

Short Cuts
directed by Robert Altman
written by Robert Altman & Frank Barhydt
starring Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr, Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori Singer, Jack Lemmon, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis and every actor living in Los Angeles at the time

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
directed & written by Gus Van Sant
starring Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Angie Dickinson, Pat Morita, Keanu Reeves, John Hurt, Rain Phoenix, Roseanne Arnold, Ed Begley Jr, Buck Henry, Carol Kane, Sean Young, Grace Zabriskie, Heather Graham, Lin Shaye, Edward James Olmos, River Phoenix

Grumpy Old Men
directed by Donald Petrie
starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Ossie Davis, Buck Henry

To Die For
directed by Gus Van Sant
written by Buck Henry
starring Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Illeana Douglas, Dan Hedaya, Holland Taylor, Buck Henry, George Segal, Rain Phoenix

The Real Blonde
directed & written by Tom DiCillo
starring Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener, Daryl Hannah, Marlo Thomas, Kathleen Turner, Elizabeth Berkley, Denis Leary, Steve Buscemi, Dave Chappelle, Christopher Lloyd, Buck Henry

1999
directed & written by Nick Davis
starring Jennifer Garner, Buck Henry, Steven Wright, Amanda Peet

I'm Losing You
directed & written by Bruce Wagner
starring Rosanna Arquette, Frank Langella, Andrew McCarthy, Elizabeth Perkins, Buck Henry

Curtain Call
directed by Peter Yates
starring James Spader, Polly Walker, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Buck Henry, Sam Shepard, Marcia Gay Harden, Frances Sternhagen

The Man Who Counted
directed & written by Curtiss Clayton
starring Buck Henry, Shirley Knight, Michael McKean

Breakfast of Champions
directed & written by Alan Rudolph
starring Bruce Willis, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte, Barbara Hershey, Glenne Headly, Valerie Perrine, Lukas Haas, Omar Epps, Vicki Lewis, Buck Henry, Michael Clarke Duncan

Lisa Picard Is Famous
directed by Griffin Dunne
written by Laura Kirk & Nat DeWolf
starring Laura Kirk, Nat DeWolf, Griffin Dunne, Carrie Fisher, Buck Henry, Melissa Gilbert, Mira Sorvino

Town & Country
directed by Peter Chelsom
written by Buck Henry & Michael Laughlin
starring Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Garry Shandling, Andie MacDowell, Jenna Elfman, Nastassja Kinski, Charlton Heston, Marian Seldes, Buck Henry

Serendipity
directed by Peter Chelsom
starring John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, Bridget Moynahan, Jeremy Piven, Eugene Levy, Buck Henry

The Last Shot
directed & written by Jeff Nathanson
starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Calista Flockhart, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, Tony Shalhoub, Buck Henry, Pat Morita, Joan Cusack, Judy Greer

A Bird of the Air
directed by Margaret Whitton
starring Rachel Nichols, Jackson Hurst, Anjanette Comer, Linda Emond, Buck Henry, Judith Ivey

Streetcar
directed & written by Hala Matar
starring Chloë Sevigny, Nash Edgerton, Harry Treadaway, Buck Henry

The Humbling
directed by Barry Levinson
written by Buck Henry & Michal Zebede
starring Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick, Dan Hedaya, Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, Dylan Baker

Kiss Kiss Fingerbang
directed & written by Gillian Wallace Horvat
starring Anton Yelchin, Kate Lyn Sheil, Buck Henry

Agnès Varda

Agnès Varda died yesterday. Though wildly famous in France, she was never particularly well known in the United States. She was one of the founders of the French New Wave, mostly known for using amateur actors and shooting on location at the height of the studio system. Like Stanley Kubrick, she started as a successful photographer and used that visual training on her films. Also like Kubrick, she was not prolific, preferring quality over quantity. Like most French auteurs, she directed, wrote and often edited her films.

La Pointe Courte
Cléo de 5 à 7
Le Bonheur
L'une chante, l'autre pas
Sans toit ni loi
Le petit amour, written with Jane Birkin
Jacquot de Nantes
Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma

She made more documentaries than feature films, which might be one reason she was never more famous.

Loin du Vietnam
Black Panthers
Mur Murs
Documenteur
Jane B. par Agnès V., written with Jane Birkin
Les demoiselles ont eu 25 ans
Les glaneurs et la glaneuse
Les plages d'Agnès
Visages Villages

Penny Marshall

One of the first pieces of international news I heard when I arrived in Amsterdam was that Penny Marshall had died. The news reports told us that Laverne was dead, but I always knew her as a director. As an actor, she was known for her TV show. Her movie roles were mostly bit parts and cameos. She was not a prolific director, but everything she did is worth watching.


Jumpin' Jack Flash
directed by Penny Marshall
starring Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Collins, Carol Kane, Annie Potts, Roscoe Lee Browne, Jonathan Pryce

Big
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg
produced by James L Brooks & Robert Greenhut
starring Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Mercedes Ruehl

Awakenings
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Steven Zaillian
starring Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, John Heard, Max von Sydow, Anne Meara

A League of Their Own
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
produced by Robert Greenhut
starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, Anne Ramsay, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall

Renaissance Man
directed by Penny Marshall
produced by Robert Greenhut & Penny Marshall
starring Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, Cliff Robertson, Ed Begley Jr, Stacey Dash

The Preacher's Wife
directed by Penny Marshall
starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B Vance, Gregory Hines, Jenifer Lewis, Loretta Devine

Getting Away with Murder
directed & written by Harvey Miller
produced by Penny Marshall
starring Dan Aykroyd, Lily Tomlin, Jack Lemmon, Bonnie Hunt

With Friends Like These...
directed & written by Philip Messina
produced by Robert Greenhut & Penny Marshall
starring Adam Arkin, David Strathairn, Jon Tenney, Robert Costanzo, Amy Madigan, Laura San Giacomo

Riding in Cars with Boys
directed by Penny Marshall
produced by James L Brooks
starring Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Brittany Murphy, Lorraine Bracco, James Woods, Sara Gilbert

Cinderella Man
directed by Ron Howard
produced by Ron Howard, Penny Marshall, Brian Grazer
starring Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti

Bewitched
directed by Nora Ephron
written by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron
produced by Nora Ephron & Penny Marshall
starring Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Amy Sedaris, Richard Kind

Bernardo Bertolucci

After a long fight with cancer and years of generally poor health, Bernardo Bertolucci has died. Unlike typical auteurs, he occasionally directed films he did not write and wrote films he did not direct. He was opinionated, controversial, aggressive and easily my favorite Italian filmmaker.


La Commare Secca
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Citti, Pier Paolo Pasolini
starring Marisa Solinas, Allen Midgette

Prima della rivoluzione
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci & Gianni Amico
starring Adriana Asti, Francesco Barilli

Il canale
directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci

Ballata da un miliardo
directed by Gianni Puccini
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Bruno Baratti, Gianni Puccini

Partner
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Gianni Amico & Bernardo Bertolucci
starring Pierre Clémenti, Stefania Sandrelli, Tina Aumont

C'era una volta il West
directed by Sergio Leone
written Sergio Donati, Sergio Leone, Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci
starring Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Keenan Wynn

Amore e Rabbia
“Agonia” directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci
starring Julian Beck, Judith Malina

Il conformista
directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, Gastone Moschin, Dominique Sanda

Strategia del ragno
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Marilù Parolini, Edoardo De Gregorio
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
starring Giulio Brogi, Alida Valli, Tino Scotti, Pippo Campanini, Alida Valli, Giuseppe Bertolucci

La salute è malata
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

Last Tango In Paris
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Franco Arcalli, Agnès Varda, Jean-Louis Trintignant
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
starring Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Catherine Breillat

1900
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Franco Arcalli, Giuseppe Bertolucci, Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
starring Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda, Laura Betti, Donald Sutherland, Stefania Casini, Sterling Hayden, Burt Lancaster, Alida Valli

La Luna
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Giuseppe Bertolucci, Clare Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
starring Jill Clayburgh, Veronica Lazar, Fred Gwynne, Alida Valli, Roberto Benigni

La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo
directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Carlo Di Palma
starring Ugo Tognazzi, Anouk Aimée, Laura Morante, Victor Cavallo

L'addio a Enrico Berlinguer
directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Carlo Di Palma

The Last Emperor
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Mark Peploe & Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
produced by Jeremy Thomas
starring John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Ying Ruocheng, Victor Wong, Wu Junmei

12 registi per 12 città
“Bologna” directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Fabio Cianchetti

The Sheltering Sky
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Mark Peploe & Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
produced by Jeremy Thomas
starring Debra Winger, John Malkovich, Campbell Scott, Jill Bennett, Timothy Spall

Little Buddha
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Rudy Wurlitzer, Mark Peploe
cinematography by Vittorio Storaro
produced by Jeremy Thomas
starring Bridget Fonda, Keanu Reeves, Chris Isaak, Ying Ruocheng

Stealing Beauty
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci & Susan Minot
cinematography by Darius Khondji
produced by Jeremy Thomas
starring Liv Tyler, Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Stefania Sandrelli

Besieged
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci & Clare Peploe
cinematography by Fabio Cianchetti
starring Thandie Newton, David Thewlis, Claudio Santamaria

The Triumph of Love
directed by Clare Peploe
written by Clare Peploe, Marilyn Goldin, Bernardo Bertolucci
produced by Bernardo Bertolucci
starring Mira Sorvino, Rachael Stirling, Ben Kingsley, Fiona Shaw

Ten Minutes Older: The Cello
“Histoire d'eaux”, directed & written by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Fabio Cianchetti
starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Chiara Mastalli

The Dreamers
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
cinematography by Fabio Cianchetti
produced by Jeremy Thomas
starring Eva Green, Michael Pitt, Louis Garrel, Anna Chancellor

Io e te
directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Niccolò Ammaniti, Umberto Contarello, Francesca Marciano
cinematography by Fabio Cianchetti
starring Jacopo Olmo Antinori, Tea Falco, Sonia Bergamasco, Pippo Delbono, Veronica Lazar

Hailey's Novel Diary – 2/3/18

I have optioned my soon to be published international bestseller. That might be a little optimistic.

I have optioned my soon to be published reasonably well received novel. That also assumes too much.

I have optioned my soon to be published book. That is accurate. It is a book and it will be available soon.

The option part refers to the production company, Vast Entertainment. They have the option to put everything together to make a movie or not. The details are staggering, and require agents, lawyers and people with business degrees to hold meetings and conference calls before any legal documents are typed up and signed. From my end, it all seems far more complicated than it needs to be, but I'm sure it evolved from a century of lawsuits, misunderstandings, accusations, broken partnerships and a lot of hurt feelings.

The production company now has the option to buy the film rights. For the next six months, they can find a studio, producers, other production companies, power players with clout in the industry and/or miscellaneous financial backers to make a movie. Or they can turn around and sell the option to someone else. Or they can sit on it and do absolutely nothing. When their time is up, they can buy the rights, renew the option, renegotiate a completely different contract with me, or what happens most of the time, they can wash their hands of the whole thing. They would only renegotiate or renew if they were close to getting somewhere. Actually buying the film rights is a final step that would only happen if everything else falls into place. Buying the option simply lets them get all the right people together without worrying that someone else will buy the rights.

Somewhere along the line, they will decide what kind of movie this story should be, if they have not already done so. If they are looking at a feature, they will pitch it to studios, larger production companies and name producers. If they think it should be somewhere on TV, they will go to the networks and television producers/production companies.

A far more likely option, not to be confused with the book option, is that they will simply sell the option to someone else. This happens all the time. When you see a movie with three or more production companies in the opening credits, one of them probably bought the option from the original author and sold it to one of the other companies, who in turn might have sold it to another company or studio. Generally speaking, everyone in the actual filming of the movie/TV show only works for one production company or studio/network. Most movies today have multiple production companies attached because they need multiple financial backers, the producers/actors involved have vanity labels, and someone owns the book option that started everything.

In exchange for all that, I got a check. It was not an especially large check, but if any future movie ever enters principal photography, I get a much larger check. If a movie is released and makes a healthy profit, I get more checks based on a tiny percentage of net earnings.

People who know nothing about the motion picture industry have told me that this will make me rich. It will not. The only way this makes me a millionaire is if it gets developed and packaged and filmed and released and becomes one of the biggest box office hits of all time. That is unlikely. Most movies do not become the biggest box office hits of all time. In fact, almost all of them do not. This is not a story with planets exploding and computer animation creatures. It is about people without any power or influence trying to make their dreams come true. If it somehow became a hit, I would probably make more money from increased book sales than I ever would from the movie. My tiny piece of the pie is based on net earnings, which is nothing like the gross earnings that studios always brag about.

Before anyone can count all their piles of money, a movie actually has to be made first. That is pretty far down the road, if it even happens at all. Most options never get developed. Anyone who writes books to get rich is a fool anyway. And writing books hoping that they will become hit movies would be insane. That is like digging through garbage dumpsters to find a winning lottery ticket.

My motivation is to see what happens. The money is irrelevant. It's essentially free money. It is not entirely free since I can't sell the option to anyone else until it expires, but owning the rights is meaningless if you never sell the option. If everything progresses as everyone wants it to, I get more free money, but I mostly get to witness the process. I have seen how movies are made in front of the camera. I would love to see what goes on before the cameras roll.

Hailey's Novel Diary – 1/3/18

What kind of movie could someone make from my book? The options are basically feature film, movie of the week or TV series. Everyone wants their book to be a feature, but those are the most expensive to make and studios only put out so many each year. Movies of the week are cheaper, faster and far less glamorous. I don't think you should ever write a book hoping it becomes a movie, but I doubt anyone writes while dreaming of a movie of the week. A TV series is better suited to epic sagas, especially in the fantasy or young adult genres. My single book is about adults in the present who never go to a supernatural war or encounter magical creatures. It takes place over a relatively short period of time and could never be stretched out over six TV seasons.

With the Weinstein connection, this book could easily be a movie of the week. That could get it out to the public before everyone forgets about him. My personal opinion is that a feature film would be a much better choice, but I assume that is everyone's opinion. Once you sell the film rights, other people make those decisions. They could make an Oscar winning feature that changes the course of humanity forever or a single episode of a Lifetime series that will be canceled next week. Nothing is up to me.

Once someone who is not me decides how to film it, they need to get a cast and crew. Who would direct it? I have no idea. The budget would determine the director, and sometimes the director would determine the budget. If the story is sold to A&E as an episode of one of their series, we can assume that Martin Scorsese will not be directing. Most of the main characters are women, so he would not be involved anyway. On the other hand, if the Coen brothers or PT Anderson got involved, it would automatically be a feature. Realistically, it would most likely be someone I have never heard of, no matter how it gets categorized.

If I could pick my ideal cast, it would be Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, Ingrid Bergman (or Grace Kelly – I'm flexible), Van Johnson, Henry Fonda, Paulette Goddard, Joan Bennett, Agnes Moorehead and Bette Davis, with Orson Welles or Broderick Crawford as the Weinstein character. I'm pretty sure none of them are available, and no studio would want to pay for all of those names, but they could all play the parts beautifully. I would go see that movie no matter what it was about.

As far as actors who are alive and working today, I have no idea. None of the characters were written with any actors in mind, living or dead. One of the characters bases one of her performances on Katharine Hepburn, but I never thought in a million years that Katharine Hepburn would play that character. For obvious reasons. Most of the leads are in their 20s-30s. Today's younger actors do computer animated comic book movies that I have never seen. This is one of many instances where it's a good thing that I would not be in charge. Working professionals more qualified than I should make those decisions.

Hailey's Novel Diary – 12/23/17

I have a few conflicting opinions about selling the rights to my book. I like watching movies, as long as it is not computer animation of computer monsters or computer superheroes saving the CGI day. This book has nothing like that, unless they completely World War Z it and change everything except the title.

I would absolutely love to play a part as one of the characters in a movie based on a book that I wrote. How cool would that be? But that is never going to happen. From what I know about studios and book adaptations, they want the original author as far away from the set as possible. The fact that I live in Hong Kong is probably a plus to any producer. I don't know which character I would play even if I could. I don't physically match any of the leads, and studios want names in those parts anyway. At most, I would be Woman in Restaurant #3.

I would have no say in casting. I could make a wish list of who I would want to play each character, but that list would have nothing to do with which actors are available, which agencies represent everyone and which personalities cannot work together. My list would be thrown in the trash before a casting director was even hired. Probably for good reason. I have no idea who the most bankable actors are these days and who the studio executives prefer. My choices would be about who could play the part, not about who could make the most money. I don't know the first thing about being a producer.

Once you sell the film rights, you have no control over anything. They can change the characters into different people. They can change the setting away from Los Angeles. They can rearrange the story so that everything happens backward, cut out the most important scenes or make it unrecognizable. Forrest Gump in the book is a completely different character than in the movie. The author of the original MASH book was politically conservative while the movie and TV series were far more liberal. Ernest Hemingway had all kinds of negative things to say about movie adaptations, and JD Salinger hated the process so much that he never allowed anyone to film Catcher in the Rye.

JD Salinger was a great writer, but I have never wanted to emulate him or his career. I grew up on movies and still have faith that they can be more than computer cartoons. My point of view is that a movie and book are entirely different animals. A book is written by one person in isolation, more or less. A movie is made by dozens or hundreds of people with their own agendas and lists of notes, ideas, ultimatums, compromises and demands. Movies cannot be completely faithful to the book. Time and money are different in both worlds. A book about two people talking over coffee costs as much to publish as a detailed history of the universe. Movie budgets can vary by hundreds of millions of dollars. Higher expenses also mean that movies are more dependent on commercial popularity. A book can lose money, break even, be a modest success, be a bestseller or be the next big thing. Today, a movie is either a blockbuster or a flop.

Even the best adaptations cut something out of the book. They have to. This usually annoys the author, but definitely does not make them bad movies. If authors always got their way, some great movies would have never been made.

Jack Nicholson's performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is brilliant, but Ken Kesey wanted the story told from Chief Bromden's point of view. Truman Capote did not want Audrey Hepburn to play Holly Golightly. PL Travers did not want Julie Andrews to play Mary Poppins, and hated the movie so much, they made a movie about it. Both Stephen King and Anthony Burgess thought that Stanley Kubrick did not understand their novels. Maybe they don't understand his films. Or maybe they can't separate the stories in their minds with the interpretations on screen. Although you would think Stephen King has enough experience with that. He can't hate The Shining more than Maximum Overdrive.

The African Queen, Gone With the Wind, Howard's End, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Clockwork Orange, Sophie's Choice, Terms of Endearment, The Bridge On the River Kwai, No Country For Old Men, Psycho. The list of great movies made from books without the author's involvement is practically endless. Sometimes the original novels are great. Sometimes, they are less than great. A movie is someone else's vision, not the original author's. If you want the author's vision, read the book.

If all of the stars align and my book somehow gets filmed, I would love it to become a masterpiece by someone like Stanley Kubrick, even if he interpreted it in a completely different way. Obviously, he is not available anymore. This was not his type of story anyway. But that brings up another reason I could never be a producer. I can't think of a single director for this story. I would want one of the best of the best, and hopefully living, like Terrence Malick, but this is not his type of story either. I'm sure there are any number of wonderful directors who would fit perfectly. I just don't know who they are.

But even a piece of crap movie that gets destroyed by the critics and heckled by audiences is still ok. Maybe less for the studio. Just going through the process would be an interesting experience for me. A bad movie never hurts the book, but a good movie only makes more people go out and read it. I really have nothing to lose.

Hailey's Novel Diary – 12/22/17

Have you ever written a book that was turned into a movie? Neither have I. Have you ever been contacted by a production company that wanted to turn your book into a movie? I have now. That was a strange day.

I got a call from my agent asking me if I would be willing to option the book I'm writing right now. It is not even finished yet, but a production company wants to talk turkey. I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the name of the production company. I have not signed any contracts yet, so there are no non-disclosure agreements. I'm not legally bound to do or not do anything. Sometimes they want to shout about everything from the rooftops and get as much publicity as possible. Sometimes they want to keep everything top secret until the release date. I don't know where these people stand at this point.

I did some online research. They are a legitimate company that seems to specialize in book adaptations, but not one of the big movers and shakers. The producer whose name I was given has an IMDb page. It is not long, but it's not Joe Smith of Scam Productions either.

I never really thought about it before, but this book probably could work as a movie. It takes place in Los Angeles and the movie industry is involved. Hollywood loves making movies about Hollywood. There is also the Harvey Weinstein factor, which is most likely the only reason any of this is happening.

One of the characters is essentially Harvey Weinstein. Or, legally, I should say one of the fictional characters is similar in his actions and motivation. That was never my intention. I started writing this book months before the whole Weinstein thing exploded. Obviously, he was committing all of his crimes, allegedly, long before I started writing this book, but I never knew about any of it. The Weinsteinish character is simply my interpretation of a sleazy movie producer who uses his power over the careers of young women in ways that have been around long before any of us were born. My “entirely fictional” character is named after a completely different scumbag producer who is dead and cannot sue me.

The Weinstein coincidence would be great if the book were in stores right now. But he will stop being front page news long before the book comes out and years before any possible movie can ever be made. I also wrote about Hugh Hefner before he died. He is not a character by any definition, and only briefly metioned, but it would not matter even if he was. His death is already old news. After Weinstein, there was a long stream of powerful men treating women like property. Time Magazine even made some of the women who spoke out against sexual predators as their person of the year. I had no idea any of this was going to happen, but I wrote a book about what is going on right now.

Unfortunately, it will all blow over. Weak men have been afraid of strong women since the beginning of time. Powerful men have always used and abused people they think are beneath them. This is nothing new and not something that is about to go away any time soon. Sooner or later, everyone will be talking about the next big thing and sexual predation will go back into the closet.

But for the time being, someone wants to turn this book into a movie. Will that affect how I finish writing it? I hope not. Will that affect how much money I make? Probably not. I'm in no position to make any financial demands. And with Hollywood contracts, maybe they can find a way for me to owe them money. But I'm talking to them and they are talking to me. Let's see what happens.

Hailey's Novel Diary – 12/6/17

During the first draft, I toyed with the idea of using movies about Los Angeles as chapter titles; Sunset Boulevard, Chinatown, that sort of thing. The city is almost a character in this story, and it is more or less about life in Los Angeles. Movie titles made sense. The only problem is that most movies about Los Angeles have nothing to do with this story. A lot of them are noir private detective movies, and something like Boyz n the Hood would never work.

Before the second draft, I decided to title each chapter with wherever most of the action takes place; “West Hollywood”, “Santa Monica”. There is still a “Sunset Boulevard”, but it refers to the street, not the movie. Sunset Boulevard, the movie, is mentioned, but in the “Santa Monica Boulevard” chapter. That might sound confusing, but it makes sense in context.

Chapters do not have to have titles, but I have always used them. I will do something sooner or later without titles, but I don't think this is the book.

These are the movies I was going to use:

Chapter 1 – Slums of Beverly Hills
Chapter 2 – Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Chapter 3 – Rebel Without a Cause
Chapter 4 – The Player
Chapter 5 – Mulholland Drive
Chapter 6 – Real Women Have Curves
Chapter 7 – Short Cuts
Chapter 8 – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Chapter 9 – The Day of the Locust
Chapter 10 – To Live and Die in LA
Chapter 11 – Double Indemnity
Chapter 12 – The Big Sleep
Chapter 13 – LA Confidential
Chapter 14 – Less Than Zero
Chapter 15 – Valley Girl
Chapter 16 – Sunset Boulevard
Chapter 17 – Barton Fink
Chapter 18 – LA Story
Chapter 19 – Boogie Nights
Chapter 20 – In a Lonely Place
Chapter 21 – The Long Goodbye

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis was an interesting person. By most accounts, he was a raging asshole, yet he was the face of muscular dystrophy for 60 years, raising countless dollars and hosting what has to be the most famous telethon in the history of the world. He was generally dismissed as a mere comic and Dean Martin's wacky sidekick during most of his career, yet every filmmaker today uses techniques he pioneered. He was far from the first comedy actor to direct, write and produce the movies he starred in. That was common practice in the silent era. But it was unheard of in the studio system. When most comedies were written by one team of mostly unknown men, directed by another man, produced by a studio man and starring a famous comedian, Jerry Lewis did it all himself. And he took his comedy seriously. So instead of disposable screwball movies that the studio only saw as quick money grabs, we have ambitious classics that will long endure.

Jerry Lewis died on Sunday after a lifetime of poor health. He had his first heart attack when he was 34 and had several heart surgeries throughout his life. His heart finally killed him at age 91.

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made 16 formula movies together, but it was his solo work that made a difference.


My Friend Irma
directed by George Marshall
written by Cy Howard & Parke Levy
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund, Don DeFore, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Hans Conried

My Friend Irma Goes West
directed by Hal Walker
written by Cy Howard & Parke Levy
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn, John Lund, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet

At War with the Army
directed by Hal Walker
written & produced by Fred Finklehoffe
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Angela Greene, Polly Bergen

That's My Boy
directed by Hal Walker
written by Cy Howard
produced by Cy Howard & Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Ruth Hussey, Marion Marshall, Polly Bergen

Sailor Beware
directed by Hal Walker
written by James Allardice & Martin Rackin
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Corinne Calvet, Marion Marshall, Robert Strauss, Betty Hutton, James Dean

Jumping Jacks
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Herbert Baker & Robert Lees
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Mona Freeman, Don DeFore, Robert Strauss

The Stooge
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Fred Finklehoffe, Martin Rackin, Jerry Lewis
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Polly Bergen, Marion Marshall, Frances Bavier

Scared Stiff
directed by George Marshall
written by Herbert Baker, Walter DeLeon, Norman Lear
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda, Dorothy Malone

The Caddy
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Danny Arnold & Edmund Hartmann
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, Howard Smith, Nancy Kulp, Fred Clark

Money from Home
directed by George Marshall
written by Damon Runyon & James Allardice
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Marjie Millar, Pat Crowley, Robert Strauss, Sheldon Leonard

Living It Up
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Jack Rose & Melville Shavelson
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, Fred Clark

3 Ring Circus
directed by Joseph Pevney
written by Joseph Pevney & Don McGuire
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Joanne Dru, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Elsa Lanchester, Kathleen Freeman

You're Never Too Young
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Sidney Sheldon
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Diana Lynn, Nina Foch, Raymond Burr, Nancy Kulp, Margery Maude, Milton Frome, Hans Conried, Tor Johnson, Hank Mann

Artists and Models
directed by Frank Tashlin
written by Frank Tashlin, Herbert Baker, Hal Kanter
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLaine, Dorothy Malone, Eva Gabor, Anita Ekberg, Kathleen Freeman

Pardners
directed by Norman Taurog
written by Mervin Houser & Jerry Davis
produced by Paul Jones
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Agnes Moorehead, Lori Nelson, Milton Frome, Lon Chaney, Lee Van Cleef

Hollywood or Bust
directed by Frank Tashlin
written by Erna Lazarus
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley, Maxie Rosenbloom, Anita Ekberg

The Delicate Delinquent
directed by Don McGuire
written by Don McGuire & Jerry Lewis
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Darren McGavin, Martha Hyer, Frank Gorshin

The Sad Sack
directed by George Marhsall
written by George Baker
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Peter Lorre, Phyllis Kirk, Mary Treen

Rock-A-Bye Baby
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Connie Stevens, Marilyn Maxwell, Hans Conried, Mary Treen, Isobel Elsom, Chester Conklin, Hank Mann

The Geisha Boy
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Marie McDonald, Sessue Hayakawa, Barton MacLane, Suzanne Pleshette

Don't Give Up the Ship
directed by Norman Taurog
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Dina Merrill, Gale Gordon, Claude Akins, Fritz Feld

Visit to a Small Planet
directed by Norman Taurog
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, John Williams, Gale Gordon, Milton Frome, Paul Wexler, Buddy Rich

The Bellboy
directed, written & produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Bob Clayton, Isobel Elsom, Milton Berle, Stan Laurel

Cinderfella
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Judith Anderson, Ed Wynn, Count Basie

The Ladies Man
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, Kathleen Freeman, Fritz Feld, Buddy Lester

The Errand Boy
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, Kathleen Freeman, Isobel Elsom, Fritz Feld

It's Only Money
directed by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Joan O'Brien, Jack Weston, Mae Questel

The Nutty Professor
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Kathleen Freeman, Milton Frome, Buddy Lester

Who's Minding the Store?
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Jill St John, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Walston, Kathleen Freeman, Nancy Kulp, Isobel Elsom, Mary Treen, Fritz Feld, Milton Frome

The Patsy
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, Keenan Wynn, Peter Lorre, John Carradine, Kathleen Freeman

The Disorderly Orderly
directed & written by Frank Tashlin
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Kathleen Freeman, Alice Pearce, Everett Sloane

The Family Jewels
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Donna Butterworth, Sebastian Cabot

Boeing Boeing
directed by John Rich
written by Edward Anhalt
produced by Hal Wallis
starring Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis, Christiane Schmidtmer, Suzanna Leigh, Thelma Ritter

Three on a Couch
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Samuel Taylor & Bob Ross
starring Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, Mary Ann Mobley, James Best, Kathleen Freeman, Gila Golan, Buddy Lester, Fritz Feld

Way...Way Out
directed by Gordon Douglas
starring Jerry Lewis, Connie Stevens, Anita Ekberg, Dick Shawn, Brian Keith, Dennis Weaver, James Brolin

The Big Mouth
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Bay, Kathleen Freeman, Buddy Lester, Charlie Callas, Frank De Vol

Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
directed by Jerry Paris
written by Max Wilk
produced by Walter Shenson
starring Jerry Lewis, Terry-Thomas, Jacqueline Pearce, Patricia Routledge

Hook, Line & Sinker
directed by George Marshall
produced by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Peter Lawford, Anne Francis, Kathleen Freeman, Scatman Crothers, Del Moore

One More Time
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Michael Pertwee
starring Sammy Davis Jr, Peter Lawford, Ester Anderson, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

Which Way to the Front?
directed & produced by Jerry Lewis
written by Dee Caruso & Gerald Gardner
starring Jerry Lewis, Jan Murray, Kathleen Freeman, Kaye Ballard, George Takei

The Day the Clown Cried
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Joan O'Brien, Charles Denton, Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Harriet Andersson

Hardly Working
directed & written by Jerry Lewis
starring Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Buddy Lester

Slapstick of Another Kind
directed, written & produced by Steven Paul
starring Jerry Lewis, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Jim Backus, Pat Morita, Merv Griffin

The King of Comedy
directed by Martin Scorsese
written by Paul Zimmerman
starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard

Cracking Up
directed by Jerry Lewis
written by Jerry Lewis & Bill Richmond
starring Jerry Lewis, Herb Edelman, Milton Berle, Foster Brooks, Sammy Davis Jr, Buddy Lester

Retenez Moi...Ou Je Fais Un Malheur
directed & written by Michel Gerard
produced by Michel Gerard & Pierre Kalfon
starring Jerry Lewis, Michel Blanc, Charlotte de Turckheim

Par où t'es rentré? On t'a pas vu sortir
directed & written by Philippe Clair
starring Jerry Lewis, Philippe Clair, Connie Nielsen

Fight For Life
directed by Elliot Silverstein
starring Jerry Lewis, Patty Duke, Morgan Freeman, Barry Morse

Cookie
directed by Susan Seidelman
written by Nora Ephron & Alice Arlen
starring Emily Lloyd, Peter Falk, Dianne Wiest, Jerry Lewis, Brenda Vaccaro

Mr Saturday Night
directed & produced by Billy Crystal
written by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
starring Billy Crystal, David Paymer, Julie Warner, Helen Hunt, Jerry Orbach, Ron Silver, Jerry Lewis

Arizona Dream
directed by Emir Kusturica
starring Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor, Vincent Gallo, Paulina Porizkova

Funny Bones
directed by Peter Chelsom
written by Peter Chelsom & Peter Flannery
produced by Peter Chelsom & Simon Fields
starring Oliver Platt, Jerry Lewis, Leslie Caron, Oliver Reed

Até que a Sorte nos Separe 2
directed by Roberto Santucci
starring Leandro Hassum, Camila Morgado, Jerry Lewis

The Trust
directed by Ben Brewer & Alex Brewer
written by Ben Brewer & Adam Hirsch
starring Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira, Jerry Lewis

Max Rose
directed & written by Daniel Noah
starring Jerry Lewis, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Pollak, Dean Stockwell, Fred Willard, Claire Bloom

Jeanne Moreau

Jeanne Moreau died in her home on Monday. She considered herself a stage actor first and foremost, but appeared in more movies than plays. Orson Welles called her the greatest actress in the world and she starred in what is arguably his greatest film, Chimes At Midnight, among others.

The overwhelming majority of her movies are in French, and she worked with the best directors of her time, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Renoir, Louis Malle, Roger Vadim, Luc Besson, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luis Buñuel, Marcel Ophüls, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders. She did several movies in English with Orson Welles, Elia Kazan, Tony Richardson, Paul Mazursky, Martin Ritt, John Frankenheimer, among others. She was also a singer, appearing on a dozen albums.


Last Love, directed by Jean Stelli
Meurtres, directed by Richard Pottier
Pigalle-Saint-Germain-des-Prés, directed by André Berthomieu
L' Homme de ma vie, directed by Guy Lefranc
Il est minuit, docteur Schweitzer, directed by André Haguet
Dortoir des grandes, directed by Henri Decoin
Julietta, directed by Marc Allégret
Touchez pas au grisbi, directed by Jacques Becker
Les Intrigantes, directed by Henri Decoin
Secrets d'alcôve, “Le Billet de logement” directed by Henri Decoin
La Reine Margot, directed by Jean Dréville
Les Hommes en blanc, directed by Ralph Habib
M'sieur la Caille, directed by André Pergament
Opération gas-oil, directed by Gilles Grangier
Le Salaire du péché, directed by Denys de la Patellière
Jusqu'au dernier, directed by Pierre Billon
Les Louves, directed by Luis Saslavsky
L'étrange Monsieur Steve, directed by Raymond Bailly
Trois jours à vivre, directed by Gilles Grangier
Les amants, directed by Louis Malle
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, directed by Louis Malle
Le Dos au mur, directed by Édouard Molinaro
Les Quatre Cents Coups, directed by François Truffaut
Les liaisons dangereuses, directed by Roger Vadim
Five Branded Women, directed by Martin Ritt
Moderato Cantabile, directed by Peter Brook
Dialogue with the Carmelites, directed by Philippe Agostini
La Notte, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Une femme est une femme, directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Jules et Jim, directed by François Truffaut
Eva, directed by Joseph Losey
The Trial, directed by Orson Welles
La baie des angess, directed by Jacques Demy
Le feu follet, directed by Louis Malle
Peau de banane, directed by Marcel Ophüls
The Victors, directed by Carl Foreman
Le journal d'une femme de chambre, directed by Luis Buñuel
The Train, directed by John Frankenheimer
The Yellow Rolls-Royce, directed by Anthony Asquith
Mata Hari, Agent H21, directed by Jean-Louis Richard
Viva Maria!, directed by Louis Malle
Chimes at Midnight, directed by Orson Welles
Mademoiselle, directed by Tony Richardson
Le Plus Vieux Métier du monde, “Mademoiselle Mimi” directed by Philippe de Broca
The Sailor from Gibraltar, directed by Tony Richardson
La Mariée était en noir, directed by François Truffaut
The Immortal Story, directed by Orson Welles
Great Catherine, directed by Gordon Flemyng
Le Corps de Diane, directed by Jean-Louis Richard
Monte Walsh, directed by William A Fraker
Le Petit Théâtre de Jean Renoir, “Quand l'amour meurt” directed by Jean Renoir
The Deep, directed by Orson Welles
Alex in Wonderland, directed by Paul Mazursky
Comptes à rebours, directed by Roger Pigaut
Chère Louise, directed by Philippe de Broca
L'humeur vagabonde, directed by Édouard Luntz
Nathalie Granger, directed by Marguerite Duras
Absences répétées, directed by Guy Gilles
Joanna Francesa, directed by Cacá Diegues
Je t'aime, directed by Pierre Duceppe
Les Valseuses, directed by Bertrand Blier
La Race des seigneurs, directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre
Le Jardin qui bascule, directed by Guy Gilles
Hu-Man, directed by Jérôme Laperrousaz
Lumiere, directed & written by Jeanne Moreau
Monsieur Klein, directed by Joseph Losey
The Last Tycoon, directed by Elia Kazan
L'Adolescente, directed & written by Jeanne Moreau
Plein sud, directed by Luc Béraud
Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid, directed by George Kaczender
Mille milliards de dollars, directed by Henri Verneuil
Querelle, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
La Truite, directed by Joseph Losey
Le paltoquet, directed by Michel Deville
Sauve-toi, Lola, directed by Michel Drach
Le Miraculé, directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky
Remake, directed by Ansano Giannarelli
Jour après jour, directed by Alain Attal
Nikita, directed by Luc Besson
Alberto Express, directed by Arthur Joffé
La femme fardée, directed by José Pinheiro
Anna Karamazoff, directed by Rustam Khamdamov
To meteoro vima tou pelargou, directed by Theo Angelopoulos
La vieille qui marchait dans la mer, directed by Laurent Heynemann
Until the End of the World, directed by Wim Wenders
The Lover, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
Map of the Human Heart, directed by Vincent Ward
La nuit de l'océan, directed by Antoine Perset
L'Absence, directed by Peter Handke
À demain, directed by Didier Martiny
Screen Two, "The Clothes in the Wardrobe" directed by Waris Hussein
Je m'appelle Victor, directed by Guy Jacques
Screen One, "A Foreign Field" directed by Charles Sturridge
Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma, directed by Agnès Varda
Catherine the Great, directed by Marvin J Chomsky
Beyond the Clouds, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni & Wim Wenders
I Love You, I Love You Not, directed by Billy Hopkins
The Proprietor, directed by Ismail Merchant
Amour et confusions, directed by Patrick Braoudé
Un Amour de Sorcière, directed by René Manzor
Ever After, directed by Andy Tennant
Balzac, directed by Josée Dayan
Il manoscritto del Principe, directed by Roberto Andò
Les Misérables, directed by Josée Dayan
Lisa, directed by Pierre Grimblat
Cet amour-là, directed by Josée Dayan
Love Actually, directed by Richard Curtis
Les Parents terribles, directed by Josée Dayan
Akoibon, directed by Édouard Baer
Le Temps qui reste, directed by François Ozon
Go West, directed by Ahmed Imamović
Les Rois maudits, directed by Josée Dayan
Roméo et Juliette, directed by Yves Desgagnés
Chacun son cinéma, “Trois Minutes” directed by Theo Angelopoulos
Désengagement, directed by Amos Gitai
One Day You'll Understand, directed by Amos Gitai
Everywhere at Once, directed by Holly Fisher
Carmel, directed by Amos Gitai
Visage, directed by Ming-liang Tsai
La guerre des fils de la lumière contre les fils des ténèbres, directed by Amos Gitai
Kérity, la maison des contes, directed by Dominique Monfery
Une estonienne à Paris, directed by Ilmar Raag
Gebo et l'Ombre, directed by Manoel de Oliveira
Le talent de mes amis, directed by Alex Lutz