Ed Robertson has kindly invited me back to TV Confidential to talk about my latest book Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films. The interview will be broadcast from February 15 – 21. Full details to follow nearer the date. On the same show will be cult actress Sherry Jackson known for The Danny Thomas Show and memorable guest starring roles on Star Trek, Batman, The Virginian, Maverick and 77 Sunset Strip among others.
Sherry Jackson in the Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
Paul Arnold Green | Artist Portfolio | ArtWanted.com.
For many years I worked as a professional artist for various publishers in England. For those interested you can view samples of my work on my site at ArtWanted.com. My Chief Red Cloud illustration was published in the Alias Smith and Jones Annual 1977. I was working in the World Distributors studio in Manchester at the time.
The WordPress.com stats annual report for this blog. Thanks to everyone for supporting my author blog in 2011. May you all have a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
It is 40 years since Pete Duel’s tragic death in the early hours of December 31, 1971. With his death the public were denied his talent. And his family lost a beloved son and brother. It isn’t a time for celebration. His death came too soon and was too sad. This is a time to reflect on his life and what he achieved in the time he was with us. He will always be remembered with affection as Hannibal Heyes from Alias Smith and Jones. The mecurial outlaw reflected the humorous and whimsical side of his personality as did the sitcom Love On A Rooftop. But Pete Duel’s talent wasn’t restricted to light comedy. Two guest spots in The Virginian explored different aspects of a troubled personality and his two recurring roles in The Psychiatrist alongside Roy Thinnes demonstrated his talent as a dramatic actor of great intensity. He is still missed today.
Rest in peace Peter E. Deuel (1940-1971).
Beginning with Chapter 5 Lupino begins her personal memoir recalling her early life in England with her father Stanley Lupino and her subsequent Hollywood career where she worked with celebrated leading men including Humphrey Bogart, Basil Rathbone, John Garfield and Steve McQueen. Her marriages to Louis Hayward, Collier Young and Howard Duff and her later career in television as both director and actor is also discussed in some detail by Lupino.Details of ordering the book can be found at Ida Lupino : Beyond the Camera.
Review copyright Paul Green 2011. All rights reserved.
In his introduction to Editing, author Justin Chang admits film editing is a “uniquely difficult discipline to understand, let alone discuss.” Chang interviews 17 of the world’s leading editors in his efforts to better understand the “difficult discipline.” The result is an absorbing journey through the creative decisions and individual stylistic approaches of various film editors working today in both film and digital media. Each tell their own story from their unique perspective.
Joel Cox is best known for his collaboration with director Clint Eastwood, beginning with The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and progressing to Bird (1988), Unforgiven (1992), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004) and J. Edgar (2011). “Clint likes the editing to be fluid, so that a story just comes together.” Cox believes the greatest cut is “a cut you didn’t see. You didn’t see it because you’re so engrossed in the story you don’t even realize we’re editing.”
Christopher Rouse tells us director Paul Greengrass’ dailies dictated his editing style on The Bourne Supremacy (2003) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). The result is fast paced editing style involving “quicksilver cross-cutting” in the Waterloo Station chase sequence on The Bourne Ultimatum.
Walter Murch, film editor for Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Sam Mendes, Jerry Zucker and Kathryn Bigelow adopts “the rule of six” for successful film editing with emotion and story topping the list of priorities.
Lee Smith’s work for director Christopher Nolan on Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010) also involved jolting cross cutting as can be seen in fight sequences featuring Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. The effect, as noted by Smith, is a ”visceral force” to scenes.
The interviews offer insights into both the creative, psychological and technical aspects of the film editing process. The gradual move from film to digital media and its effect on the editing process is also discussed. If the book has any flaws they lie in the quality of certain photographic stills that illustrate a film sequence. At times they are reproduced in dark tones that make it difficult to see the image clearly. But overall, this 192 page large format volume serves as the perfect companion to Cinematography, also published by Focal Press. A “Legacy” section includes master editors of yesteryear including Peter Zinner, Dede Allen, Ralph E. Winters, Barbara McLean and Sally Menke.
After reading this book you will watch the films detailed in Editing with a new eye and greater awareness and understanding of the process that gives a film its sense of vitality. Published by Focal Press, November 2011. With thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.
Review copyright Paul Green 2011. All rights reserved.
The art of cinematography is often overlooked by the casual viewer and critic who concentrate their attention on the director as the Svengali figure. We all know Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola but few can name the cinematographers who helped give their films their visual style and individual flair.
The latest book in the Film Craft series by Focal Press gives cinematographers their rightful place in film history. Authors Mike Goodridge and Tim Grierson detail the careers of twenty-one outstanding cinematographers from around the world. Lavishly illustrated with full color photographs throughout its 192 large format pages, the book includes personal interviews conducted by the authors.
The book concentrates on cinematographers still active in the film industry but includes “Legacy” portraits of important cinematographers who have passed away. These feature Jack Cardiff and Freddie Young from the UK, James Wong Howe from China/USA and Sven Nykvist from Sweden.
Matthew Libatique is a new generation cinematographer who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Black Swan (2010) starring Natalie Portman. He has worked with Jon Favreau on both Iron Man movies and Cowboys & Aliens (2011). The book details Libatique’s working process which includes an initial deconstruction of the script of each film into color coded scenes. He also discusses the role of the cinematographer. “In terms of an actor’s performance, I don’t think we’re essential like the director is… We’re called cameramen, but the instrument is a shared tool that we use in service of the script and the characters.” 
Caleb Deschanel has worked with Francis Ford Coppola and is a five-time Oscar nominee who describes his work as ‘a visual symphony.” Ed Lachman’s work ranges from Taxi Driver (1976) to Erin Brokovich (2000). He describes his craft as a “projection of the emotions.” Vittorio Stararo shares Lachman’s emphasis on emotions. “My idea was to make the relationship between life and light; different emotions compared to different colors.” His Oscar winning work on Apocalypse Now (1979), Reds (1981) and The Last Emperor (1985) clearly reflects his philosophy.
Cinematography explores these personal philosophies and detailed working methods of acclaimed “cameramen” in a manner that that not only informs the reader but enlightens them. The relatively new technology of 3-D is also discussed by cinematographers embracing new ways of working in a medium that offers so much scope for creativity. Mike Goodridge (editor of Screen International) and film and music critic Tim Grierson have produced an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the art of filmmaking. Published by Focal Press, November 2011. With thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.
Review copyright Paul Green 2011. All rights reserved.
Ed Robertson has kindly recommended my latest book Jennifer Jones : The Life and Films on his TV Confidential site : Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for the TV Aficionado in Your Life
Gayle King
My next appearance on Ed Robertson’s TV Confidential radio show will be on December 28 thru January 3, 2012. I’ll be discussing the “Year In Review” entertainment highlights of 2011 with Ed, Tony Figueroa and Donna Allen. Subjects will include Charlie Sheen, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network, Gayle King, the demise of the Daytime Soap Opera and those who passed away this year. You can listen to the show on the following stations.
WROM RealmsofMusic.com
Wednes 12/28
8pm ET, 5pm PT
KSAV.org
Friday 12/30
7pm ET, 4pm PT
and 10pm ET, 7pm PT
KWTY-FM Ridgecrest, CA
Sunday 1/1
10pm PT
Monday 1/2
1am ET
InternetVoicesRadio.com
Tuesday 1/3
11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT
In February Ed Robertson will interview me on TV Confidential about my latest book Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films. More details to follow.
Archives of previous programs available online for listening on demand at TVConfidential.net
I was very pleased to receive these comments on my Jennifer Jones book from Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne :
“It’s a MARVELOUS book and you did a terrific job with it, from the cover to the final page. I particularly like the way you organized it; I also learned a great deal. I was totally unaware, for instance, of the play with Louis Jourdan. How great to see the large still of JJ and LJ together in it.”
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