Wow! That story is VIVID.
Richard Del Belso Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:55:50 -0700 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MOPO] RIP David Carradine To: [email protected] David Carradine guest starred in one of the weirdest days of my professional life. I was writing for the shortlived and best-forgotten Heroes magazine, whose editors had ordered me to drive out to Warner Bros to interview Carradine on the set of Kung Fu: The Movie. This was either 1985 or '86. I'd been writing professionally for just a few months. I think I was supposed to arrive at 9AM but rode in around 10 and found the production on the Western backlot in complete chaos (way more so than usual on movie sets). No one seemed to know where David was, so I wandered the dirt roads of the faux Western town in search of Kwai Chang Caine. I eventually found my interview sitting in the makeup trailer, already in costume, just as his Eastern complexion was being completed. As I switched on my tape recorder, he jumped out of the makeup chair. "Follow me," he said, and I did - until my path was blocked by the enormous belly of one of the TV movie's producers. I tried to rejoin David but the producer stuck a giant beefy finger in my face and threatened to toss me off the lot if I prevented his star from getting to set on time. Forget that thus far I didn't have enough usable interview material for my lead, let alone a full-blown story - as far as he was concerned, it was all my fault his star was late. (Later I learned they blamed the journalist or the craft services people or anyone who they could yell out without fear that they'd hurt the production by walking off the set. As angry as he was, this producer would've blown David in Macy's window rather than have him disappear for another hour with the crew standing around.) I watched them shoot Carradine approaching a horse-drawn wagon some five times - then there was a technical problem and David disappeared through the crowd of extras. After another half hour of endlessly wandering the same dusty streets in search, I ducked through the alley betwixt the saloon and the livery stable - and found him.. Carradine was in mid-leap as the unit photographer's camera clicked away. "No, you missed it," David said. He jumped into the air, and as his feet flew toward the camera, he shouted, "Now!" A split second later, the camera clicked. "No, man," Carradine said, shaking his head, "shoot when I say, 'Now.'" He jumped. "Now!" ...click... click. Frustrated, Carradine jumped again. Again. Again. Again and again and again. The click was either too late or too early. Finally Carradine grew tired of torturing the man with the camera and I followed him toward his trailer, switching my tape recorder on. His daughter opened the trailer door just as he was starting to answer my next question. Carradine turned to me and asked, "Hey, you got a match?" I fumbled through my pockets. "Nope." The trailer door slammed in my face. (Later, I would bring matches, contraband, handi-wipes - anything that anyone might possibly need - to keep my interviewees talking.) That's how it was all day long - Carradine would emerge from his smoke filled trailer, I'd follow and get off a quick question, then he'd film a shot and disappear before I could talk to him. (Meanwhile, the fat producer was hounding me all the time to stay away.) I was desperate - if I didn't get my interview, I'd never work for Heroes magazine ever again. (Later, I discovered most of the time no one actually expects you to come back with a celebrity interview - they were kinda like suicide missions. That's why I ultimately specialized in writing about visual effects, makeup effects, cinematography, editing; I'd write about anything so long as there wasn't a movie star hanging around. I recanted a bit when I began writing for Entertainment Weekly and the late lamented Premiere; I found I actually enjoyed talking to actors - but by then the stars, or at least their publicists, were chasing me.) As the sun set and the crew went off to dinner (night shooting would follow), Carradine invited me into his trailer. I guess I passed the test. I had endured an entire day of TV production. He asked if I wanted a rum and Coke. I said I'd never had one. "You'll like it," he said as he passed me the glass. For the next hour, he answered all my questions. About returning to the role of Caine: "This is going to be the most successful TV movie in history." (It wasn't.) About his Mata Hari film, starring his daughter: "I'll film some every few years so we can watch her grow up on film." And about his eccentric father, one of my heroes, John Carradine: "He was just the best dad in the world." (Later, I would cherish this experience.) There was a loud knock at the door and when we emerged, it was that fat producer again, giving me the dirtiest look yet. "Don't yell - I'm outta here," I told him in a tone of voice that prominently raised the middle finger. I turned to Carradine, who was walking down the dusty road toward . "Nice to meet you, David," I called. His silhouette waved, then he shuffled into the fading light. Just for that moment, actor and character merged and he became Caine. Ciao, David. Richard Del Belso wrote: Great story, Sue. My strongest memory of David Carradine stems from his starring role on Broadway, in the mid sixties, in a show called THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN, by Peter Shaffer. it was a brilliant show, imaginatively staged, later turned into a not-so-hot movie without Mr. Carradine. In the show, the subject of which is Pizzaro's conquest of the Incas in Peru, Mr Carradine played Atallualpa, the King of the Incas, to Christopher Plummer's Pizzaro. Atallualpa's entrance was so spectacular, i never forgot it. The Spaniards have swarmed off the stage, leaving just an enormous golden sculpture of a sunbust as a backdrop. Slowly, the "petals' of the sunburst swung open, turning into a vision of the sun, with golden rays streaming from the center. And there, revealed standing in the center, is the tall, lean, regal figure of a half-naked Atallualpa. His head crowned with a gorgeous feathered headdress, his arms folded across his naked chest, his body draped in golden coins strung together on leather strips and chains...the very image of a sun-god. i don't think anyone else could have looked more like the Inca King than David Carradine. he was very good in that show, and of course, continued to create iconoc characters throughout his career. I think he will be sorely missed. Richard Richard Del Belso Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 16:04:18 +0000 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MOPO] RIP David Carradine To: [email protected] Hello all, I was saddened to hear the news of David's passing. I thought I would share this story with all of you. I know he had a weird crazy sort of image, and that he often was, but he was also a very sweet guy. I first met him when I was 11 years old. My Dad was his tax accountant. David was doing a t.v. show at the time, "Shane" and he would come into my Dad's office in full western attire. My Dad's office has alot of celebrity clients and they would often have their appointments on Sunday when the office was theortetically closed. I use to go with my Dad to the office and play on the adding machines. I had to sit at a back desk and be fairly quiet. So, I'd pretend I was a tax accountant adding up all my deductions!! My Dad had alot of "Sunday" clients, but David scared the heck of me. I remember thinking he was so weird and this was the 60's when everything was weird, except my very conservative household. The first year I met him, David came to the office several times to get all the records in order to do his tax return. As my Dad sat banging away on the adding machine, David would sit in his chair twirling his guns (props from the show). Occassionally he would jump out of the chair and shoot some phantom bad guy. So, that scared me. One day he "mosied" on back to talk to me. He said something like "how ya doin' little lady". I could barely speak. A few weeks later, back in the office, still in his western costume (no pun intended), he came back to see me and pulled something from his pocket. It was "love beads" necklace and he put it around my neck, tipped his hat and walked back to my Dad's desk. I still have that necklace. Now I know how he got Barbara Hershey, who was quite a beauty at the time and had a t.v show of her own on, "The Monroes". I have seen him through the years. A couple of times at the studios and several times at poster shows. I have a friend of mine who was really good friends with him and travelled with him extensively over the past 5 years to shows, etc. David came to my shop last year to do a whole bunch of framing for an art show he was having here in town. As my friend had already reminded him of who I was, he came in, gave a hug and asked how my Dad was. I pulled the beaded necklace from my pocket and he couldn't believe I still had it. I told him that he was so crazy to me when I was a kid, but the necklace was just the right touch for me to see him in a different light. I am so sad by the method of death he chose. Last I saw him, he was so upbeat about the upcoming art show and all the projects he had lined up. He must have called his wife three times from my shop that day and always ended with "love you". He was kind man, crazy still, but very kind. Sue Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 10:32:00 -0500 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MOPO] RIP David Carradine To: [email protected] I bet he is trying to snatch the pebble from God's hand even as I write this. On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 9:31 AM, Sean Linkenback <[email protected]> wrote: Just coming over the wires now, that he has been found dead in Bangkok, apparently of suicide. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
