November 1, 2005

•         Directing H.M.Wynant 

   

  So there I was in Hollywood with my audio-book almost completed. I had a few more smaller parts to record, but I had finished the major ones with the stars.  I planned to attend the Hollywood Collectors Show as I usually do, and invited my agent Larry.  The show usually has about 70 actors sitting at tables with photos from their movies that they sign for the fans.

   

  Larry had to visit a client of his that had a table.  I didn't know his name, so I didn't think or expect anything.  Walking up to H.M. Wynant's table Larry introduced me.  Then I looked down and saw a photo of him holding a gun on Elvis Presley from the movie "It Happened at the Worlds Fair".  It's a favorite Presley movie of mine and I had just bought the new dvd, so I knew it well.  I pointed to the photo and said to H. M. "Hey, you're Vince Bradley, the gangster."  He said, "You know my character's name? That's amazing." I said, "You did a great fight scene with Elvis."

   

  Then I saw a photo from one of my favorite "Twilight Zone" episodes,  where the hero is told not to let a man out of a room because he is the devil. It's called, "The Howling Man".

  I hadn't realized it was the same actor with that same great voice.

   

  It turned out that he is now doing a lot of voice narration and performing, including "The Twilight Zone" audio dramas.  Later, as I walked around the show room, I thought about how I must have this actor in some part of my audio-book.  But where?

   

  Then I remembered that there is a scene in my story where Russ Tamblyn is driving and listening to an audio-book of "Moby Dick", and I needed a voice to read about eight lines from it.  Also I needed the final credits read and someone to say "This is the end of this disc.  The story continues on the next disc."  It wasn't much. But at least I'd have him on the project and his powerful voice would add professionalism to the "Moby Dick" reading.

   

  Larry arranged for H.M. to come to the studio and do the job.  Before recording he told me that his best friend had been the actor Richard Basehart, who played the lead in John Huston's "Moby Dick".  He was also the star of TV.s "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"  When Basehart passed away H.M. named a playhouse in his honor. So H.M. was excited to read some of the lines that his best friend had read.

   

  After he had finished, H. M. said, "I felt like Richard was in the recording booth with me."

   

  H. M. then presented me with some of his "Twilight Zone" audio dramas on CD. I surprised him was some DVDs of his "Howling Man" episode and his Elvis movie.  We talked about his fight scene with Elvis.  I told him how the audience in my home town theater booed him, when he told Elvis, "No, more." in the middle of the fight and then sucker punched him.

   

   This was a wonderful ending to the project that had already given me such joy.

  • 6:26 am
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