--- "Joseph H. Bonelli" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi, all, from Joe Bonelli.
> Here's an interesting article my friend Richard
> Salassi, who does a superb one-man Twain show, sent
> me.
> As we had quite a too-doo on the two lists (MOPO and
> Style B) when Marlon passed away, this is worth
> looking at.
> The sad thing is that Marlon chose not to open up
> this way to more people than he did-- like to the
> public on occasion. I truly believe he could have
> made more friends for his causes by giving a bit
> more of himself to those fascinated with his talent
> and genius.
> Joe B.
>
> (Southern Arts Network) My Lunch with Brando
>
> Back in '73 I had lunch with Marlon Brando.
>
> For those who are not old enough to recall, 1973
> was the year of the Wounded Knee debacle in South
> Dakota. There was violence and upset � and when
> the FBI and AIM decided to sit down for peace
> talks - they sought out neutral territory. Bev and
> I owned a theatre in Rapid City in those days,
> called The Toby. Since we were acquainted with
> Dennis Banks and Russel Means, (they had season
> tickets) our theatre was suggested and agreed to
> by all parties.
>
> So, while the press were staked out in front of
> the Federal building -- the principals were meeting
> in our theatre. Bev stayed home to do the books
> and I went in alone, with a sack lunch to open the
> building in the morning. I saw Brando come in with
> Dennis Banks and was suitably star-struck.
>
> Around noon, I was getting ready to eat my sack
> lunch when Brando (who was apparently asked to
> leave the auditorium) came into the lobby and
> asked me where the nearest restaurant was. I told
> him it was more than walking distance. He frowned.
> He'd gotten a ride from the hotel. I offered him
> one of my tuna sandwiches and a soda pop from the
> concession stand. He said thanks, and that's how I
> ended up having "lunch" with Mr. Brando.
>
> We sat and ate in silence for a bit. As he chewed,
> he looked around the place. He asked me how long
> I'd worked at the theatre. I told him that my wife
> and I had built it, that we owned it, lock stock
> and barrel. He seemed impressed and questioned me.
> I told him how we'd left New York City and started
> producing so that we could play the roles we wanted
> to play. He laughed and said he thought that was a
> great tactic.
>
> He told me that he grew up in Omaha and it was my
> turn to laugh I told him he didn't have to tell me
> about himself -- I was a fan. We talked about the
> midwest and the people from our part of the country
> that had "made it." We talked about Johnny Carson
> and Cloris Leachman (whom Brando adored) and some
> others. We agreed that the midwestern "work ethic"
> had a lot to do with success in the business.
>
> Then we fell into silence as we finished eating.
> He crumpled up the foil from the sandwich, thanked
> me again, got up and walked toward the door to the
> auditorium. He stopped in the middle of the lobby.
> You could actually see the "realization" from the
> back. He couldn't go back in. He chuckled. (It was
> a Marlon Brando chuckle, mind you) and he turned
> back to me. "No exit," he said.
>
> "Becket." I said.
>
> "Sartre." He corrected.
>
> "No, Becket." said I - all of 27 years old and
> cocksure.
>
> "Sartre. I'm pretty sure."
>
> He came back and sat down and we talked about the
> theatre, movies, and show business in general for
> about forty minutes. Along the way we argued about
> "the method." I have always believed that good
> acting is all about how well you pretend and, well,
> Mr. Brando had another point of view.
>
> It was an amazing moment in my life. Not so much
> because I was arguing with Marlon Brando, but that
> it was Marlon Brando and he was enjoying (and
> provoking) the argument.
>
> At one point I trotted out the "children can do it
> without any training" argument and I'll never forget
> his response -- "You're right, Bob. The problem is
> how do we grown-ups learn to be children again?"
>
> "With the Method?" I asked, sarcastically, as only
> a smart ass kid can do.
>
> "Well, I think what they call the method helps some
> people." He paused for a moment and then smiled,
> "But the truth of it is that some of us just don't
> grow up."
>
> I'll always cherish the twinkle he had in his eye
> when he said that.
>
> We continued the "debate" until the meeting inside
> came to halt and suddenly the lobby was filled with
> FBI guys, AIM organizers, city officials and other
> bureaucrats. Something had been decided and Brando
> was borne off in the mass exodus. Once again I was
> alone in my theatre.
>
> I wrote the "lunch" up in my journal and scrawled
> in big letters at the end -- "Don't grow up!" ~
> Marlon Brando
>
> In the end, I think all acting theories are an
> attempt to show us the way back to a time when we
> used to get so involved in the 'game' that we had to
> be called home to eat -- and were rarely able to
> remember how we scraped our knee -- because we had
> been "in the moment."
>
> The issue: Is watching kids play entertainment?
> Probably not.
>
> Unless they're your kids.
>
> / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
>
> Bob Fraser is an actor, writer, director and
> author of You Must Act! "The Bible of Acting
> Success"
>
> Visit his site and download actor resources at
> no charge.
>
> http://www.youmustact.com
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
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