I’m ruined for the movies. Much as I love a good movie, it’s impossible for me to sit through one now and just enjoy it. My mind is constantly critiquing the set or the special effects or the direction. For instance, did you notice in the scene in Marie Antoinette where Marie Antoinette was sitting in her closet loving her shoes, that there was a pair of white high top tennis shoes on the floor next to her? Yep, it’s true. What the heck! What were they doing there? They weren’t even invented yet! See what I mean? How can one possible get lost in a movie when one is noticing things like that? By the way, I loved the movie- it was like a punk rock version of the French queen and her court. (And we think kids today grow up to fast, imagine ruling a country when you are what? 15?)
My problem started years ago, back in Austin in the mid 70’s when the Armadillo had a world headquarters, the mayor carried a nickel bag, and outlaw country was king. The movie Out Law Blues, staring Peter Fonda and Susan St James was filmed in Austin.
http://www.awhq.com/
Honestly, I think I just had a flash back! I was looking up the Armadillo to find good links and I saw a photo of the painting of Doug Kershaw - the Ragin’ Cajin’- in the mouth of an alligator that was on the garden wall, and all of a sudden I was back in the beer garden, glass in hand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo_World_Headquarters
The movie was about outlaw country music and weed, so it fit right in with the Austin of the day.
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/36883/Outlaw-Blues/overview
There was a casting call for extras and my boyfriend, a very enterprising young man, decided we should show up, maybe they would cast us, and maybe we would get rich and famous. I went along out of curiosity although I thought the 7am start time was a little nutty. What the heck were big stars like Peter Fonda and Susan St James doing up at 7 am?
Turned out they weren’t up at 7 am, because they weren’t in the scene, but we were. Yes, my boyfriend’s hunch that the director would want some “normal down home looking Austin freaks, hippies, and outlaw country fans” for the movie was right on, and we were cast as “ the couple you see walking down the street when the truck careening out of control, flies through the intersection just before it crashes and dumps a load of pumpkins in the road.”
Fortunately they didn’t want to crash that truck more than once so we had just one take.For those of you not in the Biz that means we just filmed the scene once. We did a couple of practice walks up the street, from mark A to mark B and then they let it roll. Get the movie and when you see the big truck come over the hill, pause. Yes, there on the side walk, all denim and long hair, that’s us. My -at the time- boyfriend and I are now, forever hand and hand, walking on the silver screen.
That was my movie debut and I thought it was pretty cool, I mean, we didn’t end up on the cutting room floor! I’ve been intrigued by movie making ever since. My saga continues many years later in New Mexico. The film industry and the land of enchantment are sleeping together and that’s fine with me. It offers lots of fun job opportunities for movie fans, as well as lots of economic aid to New Mexico. I just happen to know a few people in the “biz” and when a casting call goes out for a “crime drama shot on the streets of Albuquerque”, I call one of my casting director type friends and find out it’s not her show.
She does, however, fill me in on how to make a good impression when you show up with 16,000 other people at a casting call. Well, I’m a busy gal and the casting call hours are not very convenient for me, so I ignore them totally and show up several hours after the call (I figure I will really stand out from the pack that way). I’m dressed for the part that I want to be cast in (attorney) in a spiffy stylish suit and carrying a briefcase looking all “serious young attorney out to save the world and put the bad guys in the can”-ish.
Tip: if you are filming in a hot climate in the summer, go to the casting call as someone who would be inside a building, like a janitor or a attorney, do not go as a street person or a traffic cop. You might wonder why this is so important but ask thine self this- if you have to be on set filming for 16 hours straight and it’s 99 degrees, would you rather be ready on the set inside or out?
Anyhow, they were all nice even though I did show up after they were officially closed. They took my information, took my photo and never called. Rats! My second shot at a plump movie career and I’m disqualified for unknown reasons. My friend assures me they are looking for certain looks or features and not to take it personally. I just didn’t have what they wanted at the time.
A few months later I hear through the grapevine that a friend of a friend is casting a “period piece starring Tommy Lee Jones”. I literally beg my friend, who will be speaking with the casting director later in the week, to mention that I’m free what ever dates they are filming, I’m very good at taking direction and I would do just about anything for a chance to be in Tommy Lee’s movie.
I didn’t know if this was going to work because just a month before I begged to go along with a friend who was visiting her husband who was working on Zorro with Antonio Banderas. My request was denied, they were shooting in a foreign country with a small revolution going on, so security was tight and the set was closed. DANG!
To make a long story even longer-
The casting director happened to stop by the office one day and told me she thought I would be perfect for this “period piece with Tommy Lee Jones” because it was a western, and it was hard for her to find any women with really long hair, which was the style in that period, and they were going for authentic. I was in! Thank you Joyce! This was the real deal! My name was on the list, I was official.
A few weeks before filming I was on my way to the costume fitting. I almost didn’t make it because I had just had the heads done on my car and you know how straight the road is between Albuquerque and Santa Fe and this cop came outta no where and eventually he caught up to me and well, really, that’s a whole ‘nother story, and it would make this long story even longer so suffice to say I did make it to the fitting.
It was very interesting to be in a warehouse full of antique clothes. If you can imagine a bigger closet than the one I have,( I use an entire room for my closet) this was it! I was in heaven. I was not at all impressed with the costume person, she was a mean, nasty woman and I don’t care if she did get an academy award for Freda. She was the only person among Ron’s crew (see how I slid that casual familiar reference to super star director Ron Howard in there?) That was not just charming to work with. Really folks, she was the only bad egg in the bunch, and she really was a stinky one.
Anyway, she did let me pick my dress as long as I stayed with brown ( which she said is my color) and I did get myself fitted for a beautiful Victorian dress with bustle and 300 tiny buttons and high collar and…corset? Holy cow, I was going to have to wear a corset because this dress had a 5 inch waist. So I got fitted for the corset too, and let me tell you it was exactly like you see on TV. I had two ladies helping to lace and tie the damn thing and one of them was holding it tight while the other stuck her foot against my back and pulled the laces with all her might. They kept saying don’t breath and I was squeaking don’t worry, I can’t!
I picked out my accessories, a cute bonnet, gloves, shawl, purse and shoes. I filled out a bunch of papers, put my name tags on everything, and was given my directions for the day of the “shoot”. So that was fun and I went home driving slower and wondering what the big day would really be like.
Part two- The Big day, coming soon...
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