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Posted: |
Aug 12, 2014 - 3:27 AM
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By: |
manderley
(Member)
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There's quite a lot of sadness around our house today over this very tragic news. Both my partner and I had occasion to work with Robin on very different projects in different decades.
In the late 1970s, my partner (who I hadn't met yet), was working in New York at Freddie Fields talent agency, CMA/Creative Management Associates, and had developed a knack for interacting with the talent which was represented by the agency. At some point he ran into Robert Altman, who invited him out to California to work with him in the same kind of capacity---and he eventually did move to LA.
In 1980 he went off to Malta with Altman and crew to work on their latest project, POPEYE, which starred Williams. He was in Malta for almost 6 months on the production and while there took care of the talent contracts, kept track of performer and crew work times and days, kept them happy in their living arrangements, and wrangled them to the set each day. Robin's prosthetics and makeup for the film were very time consuming; they needed him on the location---which was in the country and on the cliffside along the ocean at some distance from the town---regularly and early.
But Robin was not an organized and early person, so he was always late or sometimes a no-show, and my partner had to go and roust him out and drag him to the set each day. The stories of Robin's delays on the MORK AND MINDY sets were legendary---even though Paramount had put him up just across the street from the studio---so this was not a new thing.
Eventually my partner complained to the Williams management team, and the leader said, "Well.....I have to tell you that Robin really respects you." My partner questioned why he thought that, and the representative said, ".....because you seem to have a good rapport with him, and he actually COMES to the set for YOU---if a bit late!" 
With all its production problems, POPEYE was a fabulous experience for my partner, and he talks about it to this day. He enjoyed the cast and crews---all of whom worked very hard under trying circumstances on the production---and he particularly appreciated Williams' great talent. I think he understood---or always tried to understand---what Robin's issues were and make life easier for him---and the production---whenever he could. Robin Williams' tales sound
a lot like Judy Garland's tales. It takes a lot of studio understanding and acceptance to nurture these difficult but great talents, and when they do we're all better for it.
My own "event" with Robin Williams came in the early 1990s, around 1994. I was shooting a big, splashy, family special for Turner Entertainment, IN SEARCH OF DR. SEUSS to air on TNT. We had a number of guest stars who would come in, do their scenes and then go, including Matt Frewer (as "The Cat in the Hat"), Christopher Lloyd, Kathy Najimy, Andrea Martin, Patrick Stewart, the wonderful Eileen Brennan, and, of course, Robin.
As a Seussian father character, Robin's sequence called for him to read "The Cat in the Hat" as a bedtime story to two young girls---presumably his daughters---already ensconced in a Seussian bed, in a Seussian bedroom. It looked like a cartoon come to life, and Robin looked wonderfully eccentric in his costume. The girls were quite young, perhaps 4 or 5. One was, as I recall, Williams' own daughter, Zelda, and the other was director Chris Columbus' daughter, who I guess was a good friend of Zelda's.
It didn't seem complicated to get this on film---at first. But soon Robin was ad-libbing---which was fine---though the storyline WAS becoming strained. Still, everything was very funny. Robin was in absolutely top form, and everyone was smiling---with the possible exception of the director, who wasn't sure anything that Robin was doing matched, or could be cut together in any rational way.
Shooting movies is a difficult day-to-day job, time-consuming, and concentration intensive. By mid-day, the girls were getting tired---even with lengthy breaks---and as the day wore on, we got as much as we could with them, and then concentrated on picking up pieces with Robin that would make the whole thing cut together. Eventually Robin was tired, we were tired, and we ended the shooting day, not knowing exactly what we had in the can. In all my years of shooting, I can't remember a day that was more frustrating, but also as hilarious, endlessly inventive, and imaginative as this was.
Some weeks later, after everyone had taken a breath, the editor came in with his rough cut of the sequence. When he sat down to make his first cut he had tried to put the thing into some sort of continuity, but was stymied at every turn by un-matched action, moments missing, and any sense of a storyline. Then, somehow, he got into Robin's head, went with the frantic, undisciplined, lunatic, and out-of-control nature of the footage we had, put it together in a frantic way and it was brilliant!
My partner has never forgotten his time spent with Robin Williams, and I'm sure I'll never forget mine either. Robin Williams was brilliantly inventive, mind-blowing, imaginative--- a comical genius---but also one who apparently had personal troubles and issues that could never be overcome---at least in the long run.
We are all lucky to have been the beneficiaries of his comedic (and dramatic) talent, and for the two of us, personally, very sad about his tragic demise.
RIP - Robin Williams
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I'll always remember walking along Columbus Avenue in NYC on a late Saturday afternoon circa 1982 on my way to eat at my favorite burger joint, Diane's. I noticed that two guys walking in the same direction were generating some "buzz" -- folks turning around, pointing, etc. I realized that the two guys were Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve. They were dressed casually and were just engaged in conversation -- looking into shops, etc. Reeve, by this time, was an iconic actor -- and Williams was also well known from TV and a couple of films.
When they noticed that they'd been recognized they stopped and instead of asking for privacy or running away, they started to entertain the group. As I recall Williams started with riffs on folks only following them because Reeve was Superman and he went off on that concept -- making fun of Reeve and the Superman character. He also improvised on the appearances of several people watching (not me thank goodness!). Reeve kept up with Williams all the way -- improvising some funny Superman bits and changing characters. We were all laughing hysterically.
That's how I'll remember Mr. Williams -- a beautiful New York City afternoon -- and joyous laughter.
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I worked with him briefly on PATCH ADAMS*, so this feels personal
He was a SF institution and a beloved personality.
Very depressing news
rip RW
bruce
*ironically, that was his last big hit
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btw
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY radio repeated the canard that POPEYE was a flop.
It was a sizable b.o. hit!
brm
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wonderful story manderley and you capture the essence of the man.
over the earlier years i always found him more manic than funny, however it was Good morning vietnam that opened my eyes to what he was about.
he was perfect for that role and that film was perfect for him.
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Posted: |
Aug 12, 2014 - 5:03 PM
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By: |
dogplant
(Member)
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My own "event" with Robin Williams came in the early 1990s, around 1994. I was shooting a big, splashy, family special for Turner Entertainment, IN SEARCH OF DR. SEUSS... Then, somehow, he got into Robin's head, went with the frantic, undisciplined, lunatic, and out-of-control nature of the footage we had, put it together in a frantic way and it was brilliant!
Here it is, with Portuguese subtitles:
In Search of Dr. Seuss
http://youtu.be/rNRJZobwrzQ?t=51m27s
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