The Dead

Donal Donnelly, white on white, screen right.

All this talk of THE KNACK reminds me that Shadowplayer Alex Livingston just informed me of the sad passing of actor Donal Donnelly, who appeared in said film in the role of Tom.

“Nobody knew what to do with Tom, and I don’t think there was ever a solution. Fortunately Donal Donnelly, having played it on the stage, was comfortable enough just to be himself, which is a rather aimlessly charming Irish actor. [...] I think he managed to make the part survive only because of his charm. Because there really wasn’t any writing.” ~ Richard Lester.

Wish I’d seen more Donnelly — I know he worked for John Ford, and provides a fascinating, skeptical interview in Lindsay Anderson’s book on the Great Man. And then there’s THE GODFATHER PART III. And he’s momentously delightful in THE DEAD, John Huston’s last, as the embarrassingly drunken uncle. He will be missed.

Frozen time-slices

One of a series of stills taken to be used as props within THE SAILOR FROM GIBRALTAR. This one is similar to the one actually used.

A while back I posted the credits of Tony Richardson and Marguerite Duras’ THE SAILOR FROM GIBRALTAR on YouTube. To my surprise and delight, I was contacted by Alan Aldridge, who designed said credits but had never owned a copy of the film. I sorted him out.

And now I’ve been contacted by Roger Rizzi, son of the unit stills photographer, who had never even seen the film. I sorted him out also. Gathered with his family at Christmastime, Roger was able to say to his pa, “I’ll just put on this DVD a friend sent me…” and then watch his father’s expression as he realized he was about to see, for the first time, a movie he’d worked on more than forty years ago…

Roger then very kindly sent me some of his father’s stills from the shoot, which have never been seen before ~

Ian Bannen offers his best come-to-bed look.

La Moreau, key grip Jean Gimelo, assistant director Christian de Chalonge, Tony Richardson.

Jean Gimelo demonstrates exactly what a key grip’s duties involve.

Most excitingly of all, these images come from a deleted scene with Orson Welles, who appears only briefly in the final cut.

You know the sound made by icebergs breaking off from the main mass of the Arctic and falling into the sea? If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of time melting away.

Angelo Rizzi is permitted to hold a real witch doctor’s magic stick. Make a wish! And it will be granted, though it may take forty years or so…