European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Midler produces with company for the girl by Bob Thomas the associated press a mid the determinedly male movie world one company stands out like a Beacon in the Hollywood sky All girl productions. The president t Bette Midler. Is this a payback for decades of Macho dominance a that s right a declares the president with a mischievous smile. A you know what they say Abonit payback its a she describes the origin of the name a we were there in the conference room and we were All girls. We kind of liked that name because it had a certain arrogance to it that we Felt we needed because we were so Brand new in this game. We really did no to know How the game worked. We found out soon enough. A also we wanted a sense of humor a Little wit. We did t want to be just a Gigantic pictures or a magnificent we did no to want anything abstract. We wanted to let people know who we really All girl made its debut with the successful beaches co starring Midler and Barbara Hershey and directed by Garry Marshall. Now the company has produced for the bins. A half cd blur Panorama of slum i with Midler and lame. C Aan As partners who entertain the troops in three w a i s. The Oil c entry Fox film was directed by Mark Rydell. Who also served As executive director. Midler is Riding High alter a Tumble that seemingly wiped her out of a film career. Her cinematic debut came in la 7d with a corrosive portrait of a Janis Joplin style Rock Singer in the Rose also directed by Rydell. Her performance won an Academy award nomination As Best actress. What happened next a Quot nothing Quot Quot she says. Quot i did l get and other pictures. I could t figure it out. I did no to know if producers thought i was demented that 1 really was that character and perhaps had died or if they thought that was the Only part i could Plav. Whatever they Felt no other pictures came my Way Tor a Long Long Lime. A my agent at the time said if i did t make another picture they would forget that i Ever made a picture at she was persuaded to appear in the Well named jinxed on which she had a Hitler and Public feud with the late director Don Siegel. A rough Patch followed until the Walt Disney co. Hired her. At a much reduced salary for Down and out in Beverly Hills. She continued at the studio with other comedies a ruthless people outrageous Fortune and big business. Less successful were Stella and scenes from a mull with Woody Allen. A Hollywood failed her a observes director Rydell. Quot when she appeared on the scene in the Rose she stunned everybody into a kind of stupor of worship. But the studios did t know what to do with her. A she is not a conventional Beauty not what is James Caan and Bette Midler entertain the troops through three wars in for the boys. I Cantty flt a considered a Normal movie mar she languished she suffered nothing happened for her. When Paul Mazursky asked me if she could play the part in Down and out in Beverly Hills. I said Quot she can play any part in anything she s the Sou Pound Midler grew up in Honolulu the Only jewish girl in a multiracial neighbourhood. She still Levels her hawaiian roots Quot it s called the Aloha spirit a real kindness a real tenderness toward other people a toward other hawaiians let me Amend hat. Quot did 1 learn survival no. They did no to do so Well in that Arena. I think i got that from my folks. They were from the Jungles of she studied drama at the University of Hawaii and a Small role in the 1%6 film Hawaii brought her to los Angeles for Interior filming. She soon departed for new York where she appeared in fiddler on the roof and began making a name in night clubs. Then came the show Biz onslaught that climaxed with the Rose. For the boys Marks the first All out musical since her film debut beaches was a drama with songs. Whatever happened to the movie musical a musicals fell out of favor sometime in the late �?T60s,&Quot she comments. A the people who really knew How to make them were All passing away. They never really had an apprentice program Lor people coming up. Quot the music changed Loo. When Rock a no Roll came in it was such an immediate musical form that it was not easily translatable into the traditional Hollywood Type of musical. Although i must say i Sec Jailhouse Rock every now and then and i think it s still much has been written about the new Belle contented wife of Martin von Hasel Herg and ecstatic Mother of 5-year-old Sophie. She readily admits the change in her life. A i let go of a lot of things. And 1 found some things that meant a lot to me. I looked up from my Grindstone and i discovered that there was a world out there. I met my husband and i had a daughter. I sort of retreated into the Comfort of Niy Home Quot she said. Quot it was very Good for me very Good to he quiet after so Many years of real noise making and rambunctious Ness. It makes you anxious All that Racket. A there Are a lot of Bette m a kind of studious person i rely a lot on research. In a very interested in history in big trends and Waves of fashion. I have a kind of Bookish scholarly Side that is really important to me. A then there is the Mother and the Mogul and the wife and the person who is compulsive about her Home. Then there is the one who wants to get up and shake her Tail feathers. Everybody just loves her. But if those other characters Aren t supporting her she can to live she can to breathe. You have to nurture All of those sides of 8. 1991 sunday a
