European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Not All actors fit right into directors chair a an important Job for any competent director is to save his More exuberant actors from making spectacles of themselves. That is an argument among others for keeping separate the two dramatic a the nation 1960. A nature clearly did not intend this Man to be a a time Magazine 1960, reviewing John Wayne a the Hillel Italie the associated press Frank Sinatra bombed. James Cagney got bored. John Wayne never should have bothered. This Isnit a Story about acting its a Story about directing Good directing and bad directing. Its a Story about the Long term struggle against Eddie Murphy a Law just As the Best athletes rarely make the Best managers the biggest stars have a hard time finding the same magic once they get on the other Side of the camera. Among those who fought the Law and lost Wayne the Alam Sinatra none but the Brav Eddie Murphy Harlem night Marlon Brando on eyed jacks and Arnold Schwarzenegger a to remake of Christmas in Connecticut. All the movies were hyped because of the Fame of the director All failed to live up to the publicity. There Are some who came out on top Paul Newman Rachel Rachel Robert Redford a River runs through it lint Eastwood unforgiven Kevin Costner dances with wolves Warren Beatty reds. The movies were at least professionally made and worthy of comparison with the works of More established directors. Why do actors try it sometimes its by Accident. Brando for example took Over filming one eyed jacks after a dispute with Stanley Kubrick. Sidney Poitier saw directing As a Way to stay in the business when his acting career faded. In the Case of Beatty and barbra Streisand it was a natural Extension for performers who like to have total control. A it is two different mind sets a said Rob Reiner the former Star of tvs All in the family and director of such movies As when Harry met Sally. And a few Good men. A when you re an actor you re the child and you get to play House and dress up and you re taken care of by your daddy figure the director a he said. A the director has to be the father and be very responsible for everything. Many times actors done to want to do it because they just done to like that Over the past few years More and More performers have been making the switch Alan Alda Dan Aykroyd Billy Crystal Danny Devito Emilio Estevez Jodie Foster Ron Howard Penny Marshall Edward James Olmos Sean Penn. Among actors with upcoming projects Are Robert de Niro the drama a Bronx tale Morgan Freeman the anti apartheid Bop Hal Andy Garcia Mel Gibson Harvey Keitel and John Turturro. A you can no longer complain a i would do it that Way a a said Turturro whose acting work includes do the right thing and Barton Fink. His drama Mac is due for a february release in the states. A there Are people who say a i want to directing was a natural evolution for me. People who know me sort of thought that the Story of actors who become directors has an erratic history in Hollywood. While Charlie Chaplin Buster Keaton and other Early film stars often made their own movies actors pretty much stuck to being actors during the 1930s and �?T40s, when the Hollywood studios were in firm control. Just the thought of Clark Gable in charge would have Given Louis b. Mayer nightmares overseas Laurence Olivier Henry v and Vitto Par amount Warren Beatty played in and directed reds the 1981 film that Drew 12 Oscar nominations. Rio de Sica the bicycle thief settled into their new jobs but Little changed in the United states until the studio system crumbled after world War ii. Gene Kelly who had been choreographing his movies since anchors aweigh in 1945, was among the first to take advantage. In 1949, he and Stanley Donen co directed the popular musical on the town and topped it three years later when he again collaborated with Donen on the immortal singing in the rain. Kelly later directed or co directed its always fair weather the Happy Road and others. In the 1950s, a number of Well known actors took the plunge including Burt Lancaster the kentuckian Jose Ferrer the Shrike Ray Milland a Man alone and Ida Lupino the hitch hiker. Few made much Impact although Charles Laughton directed the terrifying the night of the Hunter a Flop when first released but now considered a classic. Some obscure performers had better Luck. Martin Ritt and Sidney Lumet each had Brief acting careers before becoming directors after world War ii. Paul Mazursky was in the blackboard Jungle and a few other movies. Blake Edwards on screen performances included the Best years of our lives. Wayne after starring in dozens of westerns decided to make one himself the nearly three hour the Alamo which came out in i960. He Felt so strongly about the Story he did no to want anyone else to film it but some critics wished he had reconsidered. A John Wayne a great Friend and Mentor director John Ford has reportedly said of the Alamo a it will last forever a run forever a noted John Cutts of the Magazine film and filming. Quot May i humbly suggest to or. Ford. The film Only seems to last Brando a one eyed jacks a 1961 movie was sort of a heaven s Gate of its time a Western whose schedule ran two weeks behind after just five Days. Brando known for busting budgets As an actor eventually shot Over a million feet of film and helped run up costs with such amenities As individually monogrammed underpants for the cavalry fighters. In 1965, Sinatra gave it a shot with none but the Brave which did As Well As you a expect of a film that featured the epitaph Quot nobody Ever Jack Lemmon directed his buddy Walter Matthau in the 1971 release Kotch and promptly returned to acting. George c. Scott rage Kirk Douglas Scal Awag and Gene Wilder the worlds greatest Lover All failed to make anyone forget they were actors first. More successful were Paul Newman who directed his wife Joanne Woodward in Rachel Rachel and Jerry Lewis whose credits include the Bellboy the errand boy and the classic the nutty professor. Sidney Poitier enjoyed commercial Success in the 1970s with the comedies Uptown saturday night and let s do it again. He has since lost his touch making such flops As Hanky Panky and ghost dad others doing Well include Dennis Hopper director of the cult favorite easy rider and the late John Cassavetes whose off beat features faces husbands and a woman under the influence Are still an inspiration for Independent filmmakers. But not until the 1980s did actors really get mainstream acceptance. Redford started it off by winning an Academy award for Ordinary people released in 1980. He has been widely praised for his latest film the sentimental favorite a River runs through it. Beatty took Home an Oscar for the 1981 epic reds which received 12 nominations and also made the 1990 blockbuster Dick Tracy. Costner picked up an Oscar for dances with wolves which dominated the 1991 ceremonies by winning seven awards. This year looks Strong. Eastwood a unforgiven and Marshall a a league of their own were two of the Summers most popular movies. Devito Hoffa and Reiner a few Good men made two of the most highly anticipated Christmas releases. Despite the acclaim for some a lot of dues had to be paid for actors who made the switch. A Reiner found Little interest when he tried to raise Money for his first movie the Rock satire this is spinal tap. The project released in 1984, got going Only after All in the family creator Norman Lear agreed to help fund it. A Streisand took 14 years to develop Yentl was turned Down by six studios before United artists took her on and ended up making the minimum Union wage $80,000 As director. The film came out in 1983. Some stars still Haven to caught on As directors. Jack Nicholson has directed three movies most recently the 1990 release the two Jakes and has yet to have much Success. Murphy made the widely panned Harlem nights a 1989 comedy whose Stream of profanities inspired people Magazine to keep count. The final tally 233 in 115 minutes. Mel Gibson meanwhile is directing a Young cast in the drama the Man without a face and sounding like a less than confident leading Man. A the truth is that in a not entirely sure what in a doing a the actor admitted to the new York times during filming. A the kids Are More Veteran than me. They be acted before but in be never directed a film. In a winging dec Embly 20. 17 2 sunday a Page 7
