Passages

[Kirkinson]

Tonino Guerra.

One of those people one half-expects to live forever. Sad he's gone, but what a body of work he left behind!

[Graham]

Straight Time is one of Hoffman's best performances, and it has strong early turns from Gary Busey, Theresa Russell and Kathy Bates as well. Grosbard's reputation should be better just based on this one alone.

True, but didn't he get fired during production at which point Hoffman took over as director?

[dustysomers]

True, but didn't he get fired during production at which point Hoffman took over as director?

I thought it was the opposite — Hoffman started out wanting to direct the film, but early in production brought Grosbard on board.

[knives]

Robert Fuest.

That's really unfortunate (though small potatoes to Grosbard I suppose). Love his horror work.

[MichaelB]

Tonino Guerra.

One of those people one half-expects to live forever. Sad he's gone, but what a body of work he left behind!

Yes, it's hard to think of too many other people with such a staggeringly and consistently high-quality filmography - and because he worked firmly during the era of the auteur, he often didn't get the due he deserved.

But I doubt the likes of Angelopoulos, Antonioni, Fellini and Rosi would have worked with him repeatedly if they hadn't deemed his screenwriting contributions to be absolutely essential - and one-off collaborations like Tarkovsky's Nostalghia and the Tavianis' The Night of the Shooting Stars are hardly also-rans either.

[kinjitsu]

Yes, it's hard to think of too many other people with such a staggeringly and consistently high-quality filmography - and because he worked firmly during the era of the auteur, he often didn't get the due he deserved.

Indeed. An enviable filmography, to say the least. Addio Tonino.

I've always got the impression that he was an outstanding actors' director, probably an outstanding stage director (at least by reputation), but he never seemed to get on with film to quite the same extent.

Yes, and I can confirm this having seen two of Grosbard's most successful 60s stageworks (a revival of A View from the Bridge + The Subject was Roses), and given his theatrical reputation at that time, I'm surprised that he didn't do more than he did on and off Broadway during the 70s, or films, for that matter.

[Perkins Cobb]

I know someone who knew Grosbard, and from him I got the impression that Grosbard spent his last years, perhaps not unhappily, but certainly waiting for the phone to ring. Certainly one of those figures like Hellman or Rafelson or Schatzberg or Alan Rudolph, where you just weep over all the wasted years and unmade projects.

[ellipsis7]

Tonino Guerra.

John Francis Lane Guardian obit...

[colinr0380]

Phillip Jenkinson

[Jonathan S]

Phillip Jenkinson

Independent obituary

Although he'd faded from public view, in the 1960s & 70s he was once a famous face on BBC TV and wrote the - often quirky - Radio Times film reviews at that time. He wasn't a great critic, but who else in 1981 could have persuaded each of the three UK TV channels then to make a programme on the silent film legacy of Lupino Lane? Thirty years later, he's still the most neglected of the great comedians. (Lane's acrobatic skills surpassed even Keaton's, and in one of the programmes Jenkinson mentions both Ken Russell and Kubrick owning prints of his two-reel comedies.)

The Britmovie forum discussion mentions that Jenkinson acquired many of his 16mm films when Warner Brothers offered him their entire UK-housed stockpile of prints after their TV license deal expired rather than pay to ship them back to Burbank. That's surprising in an era when collectors like Bob Monkhouse had many of their films confiscated due to alleged copyright infringement, even for private home viewing. Also ironic that Jenkinson's high camp 1987 TV series The Great Trailer Show was cancelled after 4 episodes (which I still have) after he was threatened with a massive law suit. The show only consisted of trailers - presented by Jenkinson - which even now seem to be regarded as PD.

[MichaelB]

who else in 1981 could have persuaded each of the three UK TV channels then to make a programme on the silent film legacy of Lupino Lane? Thirty years later, he's still the most neglected of the great comedians. (Lane's acrobatic skills surpassed even Keaton's, and in one of the programmes Jenkinson mentions both Ken Russell and Kubrick owning prints of his two-reel comedies.)

He was also a big influence on some of the Czech New Wave directors, notably Jiří Menzel - who namechecks him in at least one film (Cutting It Short) and very possibly others.

[Graham]

True, but didn't he get fired during production at which point Hoffman took over as director?

I thought it was the opposite — Hoffman started out wanting to direct the film, but early in production brought Grosbard on board.

Of course. Got muddled up there.

[Roger Ryan]

Phillip Jenkinson

Friday night I was watching him cavort with Eric Idle on the "Film Night" MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL episode included on the new Blu-ray...not yet hearing the news of his passing. That kind of thing seems to happen often!

[colinr0380]

Here's the Jenkinson interview with John Ford, and the Morecambe and Wise dance routine in which he appeared!

[j99]

Here's the Jenkinson interview with John Ford, and the Morecambe and Wise dance routine in which he appeared!

I remember the interview with John Ford. It's a classic for all the wrong reasons! Didn't know he had passed. Sad to hear it.

[kinjitsu]

Poet Adrienne Rich

[MichaelB]

Witold Lesiewicz, probably best known for his collaborations with Andrzej Munk, which included completing Passenger after Munk's untimely death mid-production.

[Tribe]

Earl Scruggs. End of an era..."Is the grass any bluer on the other side?"

[dad1153]

Warren Stevens.

[mfunk9786]

Nancy L. Earp, the woman who took the infamous 911 call from the Zodiac killer

[Perkins Cobb]

Jamaa Fanaka, according to American Grindhouse's Facebook page (among others).

[Adam]

Jamaa Fanaka, according to American Grindhouse's Facebook page (among others).

Confirmed. I was told this by Ally Field last night, that he died Monday. I just showed a couple of his short films at Filmforum, which he was supportive of, but when Ben Caldwell and I tried to reach him to conform he was attending the show (on March 11), he never replied. He was in fine shape a few months ago during the L.A. Rebellion series at the UCLA Film & Television Archive, and really seemed to enjoy the recognition and the rediscovery of his films. It's good that he was able to experience that series.

[Gregory]

Stay classy with these images on your website, BlowItOutaHere.com.

[MichaelB]

Claude Miller.

[puxzkkx]

Claude Miller.